DID the MEDIA and GLBT POLITICIANS JUMP on a POLITICAL BANDWAGON?
Oldtown News
Vancouver, BC
DID the MEDIA and GLBT POLITICIANS JUMP on a POLITICAL BANDWAGON?
Recently there has been extensive media attention given to a lesbian teacher who was fired from Little Flower Academy, a Catholic Private school.
Now New Democrat GLBT politicians have jumped on the teacher's bandwagon penning a letter to the Minister of Education Margaret McDiarmid regarding discrimination.
While I believe that nobody should be discriminated against because of their gender identity or sexual expression, however, I also believe in freedom of religious rights.
It seems that no media including our progressive news outlets like the Georgia Straight and Xtra have taken a critical approach to this particular complaint.
We all know that Catholicism has core values which often puts it in opposition to other peoples charter rights but should one set of rights trump another?
I must question why this Lesbian teacher chose to apply and work at Little Flower Academy especially knowing the Church's positions on condom use, women's reproductive health & choice and homosexuality.
It seems to me that this teacher willingly went along with this repressive-based-faith community until it was discovered that she was in fact a lesbian and then all hell broke loose.
I haven't yet seen any critical analysis from the media asking why this Teacher chose in the first place to work at Little Flower.
Did she affirm this religious community's core values until such time that she was discovered to be different from them? Did she agree to teach from a faith-based perspective and in fact by applying to work at this faith-based institution did she willingly go along with their family values, core values and religious teachings?
Finally I want to say that my Mother attended and lived at Little Flower Academy, which formerly claimed to be a boarding school but in actual fact was a residential school working together with St Mary's Mission Residential School and the horror stories my Mother told me about that she suffered at these Institutions still bring tears to my eyes.
And this Teacher must have known of the history and abuses which took place at Little Flower Academy/Residential School and yet she still willingly became part of this faith-based community and one must question why?
Until such time as there is some accurate analysis to this story I'm not certain if its in the best interest of the GLBT communities to jump on this particular bandwagon.
Jamie Lee Hamilton
tricia_foxx@yahoo.com
posted by Jamie Lee Hamilton @ 12:36 PM
6 comments
6 Comments:
Yes, that is true BUT she is a teacher and wanted to teach. Obviously a passion of hers to do so at LFA.
Maybe it was the ONLY job she could get in order to feed herself?
Funny the school had no issues with her until they found out. It's not ok to discriminate ANY time in Canada, sorry.
I believe that she chose to work in a system which she knew has historically engaged in practices which are not always compatible with the GLBT lifestyle but she loses credibility on this front as did many church Priests who were gay yet acted oppressively toward alternate lifestyles until they had some crises in their own life.
There is a huge demand for teachers so not sure if this argument holds sway that it was the only job she could get. Moreover, I haven't known many teachers to go hungry plus were they not just offered preferential treatment regarding housing at Olympic Village.
You say it is not OK any time to discriminate and I don't think we should discriminate either but I must remind you that historically the gay and lesbian community has committed these same sins over and over again. So spare me the righteousness please.
Hi,
No, speaking for myself only...I'm not a discriminator and will proudly put myself up on that pedestal ANY day.
Ya for me!
I have absolutely NO IDEA what her circumstance was at the time she was job-hunting, and I don't think you do either, so let's just wait and see how it all plays out.
Thanks.
I think the main issue is why is a catholic PRIVATE school able to do what they do with MY (i.e. the public's) money?
Anonymous 1:42 pm.
I think Catholics or any other religious group could also pose the same question you did. It is no secret that the government funds private GLBT organizations with OUR (the public's money so using your argument creates a slippery slope.
Just to be clear I am supportive of government funding of social service groups.
I think often the best opportunity to bring about change is from within and not from the outside. Imagine the opportunity someone could have to teach love and how the bible can be interpreted to not preach hate against any groups, homosexuals being the example we're addressing here. It's not an easy path to choose and often one doesn't see progress first hand, but if they can instill a different way of looking at our world, perhaps those teachings will have an effect on those students lives and those they live with.
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