Fly The Flag

  Last night the school board my kids are in held a vote on whether to fly the Pride Flag on their building during the month of June. I am happy to say 9 of the 10 trustees voted yes. What makes this significant is it's a Catholic school board. This makes me wonder why the vote was even necessary in the first place considering what the schools have spent the last 14 years teaching my children. 

  Every single teacher both of my sons have ever had has stressed how everyone is equal. Everyone is loved and accepted. They are reminded of those basic facts daily. Children with special learning needs were part of the mainstream which was hands-on learning of these principles. My kids learned without knowing they were doing so. The best kind in my opinion.

  If all this time we've been telling kids that you are enough, you are valued, and everyone is accepted why would a flag showing that support need a vote? Adults...that's why. The students have friends who just happen to be LGBTQ...lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, questioning. That's who their friends are. Period. They are not their gay friend or their trans friend. Just friends. It's the parents and adults in the room who have issues.

  Even in 2021, the idea that you love who you love is challenged. And certainly not to be accepted or supported by some. There is a belief that being exposed to an "alternate lifestyle" will take a heterosexual child and "turn them" into something "unnatural". I don't know about you but I tried a thousand different ways to get my kids to eat vegetables and clean up after themselves with no success. Whoever can "turn" them should be a bazillionaire from writing how-to books for parents!

  Children, especially those in the LGBTQ community, need to feel safe to thrive. They need to know that their family, their friends, and yes even their school, support them. Whether to pass a test, join a club, or try out for a sports team. Sadly sometimes the support isn't there at home so schools need to step up their game and fill that void. And that could mean simply seeing a Pride Flag flying above their school. Don't we owe them at least that?

  Our kids are different than us. They look at the world and sexuality differently than other generations before them. It's a non-issue for them. Our job is to not make it one and last night we took a much-needed step in doing just that!

  Ang