THUNDER BAY – A group of Catholics protesting the Pride flag being raised at Thunder Bay Catholic District School board schools had little to say on Tuesday afternoon.
A group of counter-protesters were loud and proud in defiance, making their presence known to the dozen or so from Parents As First Educators, who made lap after lap past the board office, not once getting out of their vehicles to explain what exactly they were standing up against.
Liz Boyes was one of the counter-protesters on hand, waving a pair of rainbow flags and chanting, “We’re here. We’re queer. Accept us,” as the motorcade of mostly elderly parishioners rode past, buoyed by honks of support from motorists unwittingly caught up in the parade of hatred.
“I grew up in the Catholic and Christian community and not being able to be out and proud was really difficult for years and years,” she said.
“Now that I’m out, proud and able to be out here, I’m so happy to support this and make sure my voice is heard, along with the voices of so many queer people who can’t be here today.”
Seeing the Pride flag flying at Thunder Bay Catholic District School Board is an uplifting feeling, Boyes said, something that shows a changing of the religious tide.
Still, it’s a little disappointing to know that some in the Church are still bigoted and willing to stand up for homophobic beliefs, especially on the first day of Pride Month.
“It’s really too bad. It’s sad that their minds aren’t changing and they're not able to accept people for who they are. I wish they were more accepting and loving,” Boyes said.
The group representing Parents as First Educators, which bills itself the largest parent’s group in Ontario, are against flying Pride flags at Catholic Schools.
In Ontario, seven Catholic boards, including Thunder Bay, Durham, Niagara, Ottawa, Toronto, Waterloo and Wellington, have agreed to raise the flag in June, though ceremonies have been pushed back to mid-month locally in respect of the lowering of flags in honour of the memory of the 215 bodies found buried at a Kamloops, B.C. residential school.
“Bottom line — do what you can to protect your children, and protest the government-sponsored ideological indoctrination of your children. You are the parent. These are your children. You have the final say,” PAFE president Teresa Pierre said in a post on lifesitenews.com.
The local group refused to speak to media on Tuesday.
Jason Veltri, who heads the Rainbow Collective, said the Thunder Bay queer community showed strength, noting the LGBTQ+ has been fighting for equal rights for centuries, with things ramping up since the Stonewall Riots in 1969.
“Here we are continuing this 52 years later. We’re still here having to protest for our rights and acceptance in the world, not just in Catholic schools,” Veltri said.
It’s a bit offensive that it still has to happen, he added.
“It’s really unfortunate that they would do this today, but it also reinforces the point of why Pride matters. Clearly the community is here supporting the Catholic school board, and not just the board, but the students and staff that are in the schools. It just reinforces the point that we have much more to do,” Veltri said.
