Chilliwack school trustee sorry for causing offence with post on gender identity
Barry Neufeld's post said 'letting little children choose to change gender is nothing short of child abuse'
A Chilliwack school trustee has apologized to "those who felt hurt by my opinion," after public outcry over a Facebook post denouncing B.C.'s policies on inclusion of LGBT students. Barry Neufeld issued a news release Wednesday morning, acknowledging that his post has stirred up controversy. "First of all, I want to apologize to those who felt hurt by my opinion," the statement reads. "I am critical of an educational resource, not individuals. Those who have worked with me for over 24 years know that I DO believe in inclusion and a safe learning environment for all of our students."  Neufeld issued his apology Wednesday morning. (Submitted)
There were calls earlier this week for Neufeld to resign, following a Monday post stating he would risk being labelled a "bigoted homophobe" for his opinion that allowing transgender children to express their gender identity was "nothing short of child abuse." He also denounced members of B.C.'s education system as "radical cultural nihilists" for their policies on gender rights. The post was in response to the Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity program (SOGI) in B.C. schools. Neufeld's statement on Wednesday suggested he still disagrees with the program, arguing for "respectful discussion and dissent" and more engagement with parents and teachers before SOGI is fully implemented.
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發表於 2017-10-25 09:42
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