Dear Readers:

Here is my response to the recently published Windsor Star article that announces the Greater Essex County District School Board’s decision to fly the rainbow flag at public schools during the month of June. I originally published this as a response to a friend on Facebook but was encouraged by several friends to post it here:

No one is going around policing anyone’s behaviour in the bedroom. In a free society people have latitude to have sex with whomever they want unless it’s illegal (i.e. minors/incest, etc). While there will always be vigilantes and some measure of discrimination-welcome to an imperfect world-the fact is that sexual freedom exists for everyone already. The problem with several practitioners of the lgbtq lifestyle is that they deliberately confuse “disagreement” with “discrimination”. When people disagree with them, they quickly throw the word discrimination around and then lobby to silence their opponents using social media, the media, and politicians as their tools. Even this dialogue opens me up to attack…just watch. This is cowardly, weak and selfish. They’ve been incredibly effective silencing their opponents but are actually hindering freedom of speech, freedom of religion, and freedom to debate because of an incessant and politicized desire to receive unbridled approval/agreement for their sexual choices. As such, when people like myself see a gay flag, we don’t see a symbol of diversity, freedom and acceptance, we see a symbol of bullying, discrimination and anti-free speech rhetoric. This is what deeply concerns many people: we are being bullied/discriminated against by homosexual advocates who won’t relent until everyone gives verbal assent to their choices-which will never, ever happen. Even worse, the choice by publicly-funded schools to fly the rainbow flag is not only an offense to the unity and freedom that a true national flag represents (the Canadian flag represents freedom and rainbow flag represents the political agenda of a select few), but it is an attempt to circumvent parental authority and actively endorse and promote a particular lifestyle to our children. This is offensive, discriminatory and contrary to the mandate of public education. There will NEVER be agreement on this issue and it’s foolish, reckless and selfish for lgbtq advocates to force their agenda on others.

One more thing, there is no such thing as one “lbgtq community” anymore than there is a defined and singular heterosexual community. We are one community with different convictions and sexual choices. To label a particular set of sexual choices a “community”-almost as if it’s on par with an ethnic group-is an offense to actual marginalized peoples (minorities, First Nations, etc.) who are sometimes discriminated against because of their ethnicity, which is contrary to the Gospel. The Gospel never discriminates based on colour, race or gender, but it does establish moral boundaries for behaviour by all peoples. To take a particular set of sexual choices and create a whole new division/“community” of people who are described by their sexual choices is divisive, reductionistic and a shallow way to define people. Sexual choices do divide people religiously and convictionally, but are we really prepared to separate and divide our country based on who we have sex with?

On a personal note, as a Christian I will never apologize to another creature for what my Creator has said. Never-even to the point of imprisonment and death. But I also don’t force my views on non-Christians. What I do want is the ability to debate, disagree and to raise my children according to the values that shape my worship and moral choices. I’m asking for the same consideration from the public school board. My message to the public board is simply this: do your job and teach our kids the rudimentary subjects of reading, writing, science & math and stop foisting a morally disagreeable agenda on the whole of society. You are educators, not moral arbitrators. People already have freedom to live as they want, so stop threatening, bullying, and seeking to silence disagreement. If you do, you’re creating an unwinnable battle where no one gains anything.

14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. 15 Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. 16 Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight. 17 Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. 18 If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. 19 Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” 20 To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” 21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. (Rom 12:14-21)