Open letter to Ottawa’s Mayor over his inflammatory remarks concerning Friday’s anti-child mutilation protest

Open Letter to Mayor Mark Sutcliffe, 12 June 2023

Dear Mr. Sutcliffe,

I am writing to you concerning the “Education over indoctrination” protest led by Chris Elston (Billboard Chris) on Friday, which I attended.

In Elston’s own words, “Children cannot consent to puberty blockers.” He objects to children who identify as transgender being given puberty blockers and even transgender surgery. He is concerned that children are being indoctrinated into believing that they can freely change their sex without serious consequences to their physical health and mental well-being.

It is not surprising that Elston’s opponents would misrepresent him and his supporters as being transphobic and homophobic purveyors of hatred. Prior to the demonstration, the OCDSB made the outlandish claim that Elston (without naming him) “as well as others associated with this demonstration have a history of aligning with and promoting inflammatory, transphobic and hateful content against members of the 2SLGBTQ+ community.”

It is equally unsurprising that Elston’s opponents would not be satisfied with name-calling but want to completely silence opposing points of view. That is exactly how cancel culture, which the Left has honed to a fine art, operates, often with the silence or cooperation of authorities. As one organizer of the counter-protest, Emily Quaile, said “…if we let them take up public space, they are free to spread that rhetoric and recruit more people.”

Imagine living in a society where people are free to peacefully express their disagreement with federal, municipal or school board policies and try to influence others! It’s what we used to call democracy.

What I find appalling, however, is that political leaders such as yourself endorse the vilification of protesters by their opponents. You are reported as saying that “Hatred has no place anywhere in our city. Ottawa’s transgender and 2SLGBTQ+ community members need and deserve our support. And schools should be a safe space for children to learn and develop, not a target for political protests.”

Not only do you blithely endorse the vilification of people such as me and the marginalization of our concerns, but the irony of the Left objecting to making children targets of politics seems lost on you. A friend who teaches in an OCDSB high school says s/he gets so much political information from that school board that s/he is surprised that s/he is able to teach students any course material at all. For example, some might say that inviting students to express themselves on Keffiyeh and Nakba Day, as the OCDSB did in May, is political. Or are things only political when they don’t align with the current progressive narrative?

Has it even occurred to you that perhaps the parents, grandparents and otherwise involved citizens who attended the rally  were motivated by concerns about what our children are being taught and not by hatred? Have you taken the trouble to familiarize yourself with some of the extremely explicit homosexual, transexual and otherwise material that is being taught in our schools or available in school libraires?

The number of parents who oppose any sex education for their children is probably very low. But most parents want the sex education their children receive to be age appropriate. There may be different opinions about what is appropriate for a given age. But parents should not be demonized or have their microphones cut off at school board meetings for having such concerns. It is in fact their duty as loving parents to take an interest in what their children are being taught. School boards should respectfully engage with them, not shut them out and demonize them.

It is also true that some people wish they had been born the opposite sex. But children are very suggestible. Some researchers are saying that youngsters with gender dysphoria often overcome their dysphoria (and may be gay or lesbian) when their natural sex hormones kick in at puberty. Many parents are concerned that their children may be pushed by the “gender-affirming” movement into making life-altering decisions that they will come to regret. These parents have a right to know what is going on in their children’s lives and to be part of the children’s decision-making process.  But some schools are hiding from parents the fact that their children are changing their social gender identity at school. What right do schools have to keep that information from parents?

It is true that some children will grow up to want to become trans-sexual. But some young people who have transitioned have come to deeply regret their decision and wish they had had more consultation. Perhaps the best-known is Chloe Cole, but she is far from the only one. A child with gender dysphoria presents a complicated situation, and parents should be included in the decision-making process.

You are the mayor not only of the Pride community but of all citizens in Ottawa. The very large turnout of parents and other citizens in support of the “Education over indoctrination” demonstration on Friday should be an indication to you that there is widespread concern with what is being taught to children in our schools and the sexualization of children in general. Those asking legitimate questions about what children are being taught and at what age have been misrepresented as wild-eyed extremists promoting hatred against anyone who is not strictly heterosexual. In fact, like me, many of the people at the demonstration no doubt have gay, lesbian, trans, or otherwise gender non-conforming friends and acquaintances.

For you to legitimize the misrepresentation of parental concerns about their children’s education as hatred will lead to (even greater) distrust of our political leadership and educational institutions and increase the divisions in our society.  Rather than dismissing the concerns of loving parents as hate, perhaps as mayor you could give these parents a platform, open for public discussion, to express their views and concerns to the OCDSB, who would have the opportunity to answer and present their own case. Now that would be inclusive leadership!

Yours sincerely,

Madeline Weld

Cumberland, ON K4C 1A7

cc: wide distribution list