Conservative Party Leader Pierre Poilievre doesn’t know if he’ll attend the “Million Person March” against gender ideology being taught in schools, but he says parents should be the arbiters on how children are educated.
“I don’t know yet enough about it,” he replied. “I understand that it’s parents who are frustrated with government imposing contrary values on their children.”
A march against the promotion of gender ideology and LGBT Pride to schoolchildren is planned for Sept. 20 in Ottawa. It comes on the heels of summer protests and walkouts around the issue that took place across the country.
While not committing to attending the protest, the Tory leader says he believes parents should be the “final authority on the values and the lessons that are taught to children.”
“I believe in parental rights, and parental rights come before the government’s right.”
The issue has become a hot topic of late, with some conservative provincial governments moving to stem the impact of gender ideology in schools.
Mr. Poilievre has said the federal government should not get involved in the matter, in reacting to New Brunswick’s plan to require parental consent if a student under the age of 16 who identifies as transgender or non-binary wishes to change their pronouns or name.
On Aug. 23, Mr. Poilievre was asked by reporters if he would ban “gender-affirming health care” if elected prime minister. The term is used to describe medical procedures or prescriptions for individuals who identify as transgender, such as mastectomies and puberty blockers.
A resolution to be debated at the Conservative Party convention starting on Sept. 7 is geared toward protecting minors affected by “gender confusion or dysphoria” from “life altering medicinal or surgical interventions.”
Mr. Poilievre said he hasn’t had time to review all the proposals “but we'll take a careful look at every proposal and decide whether or not it lines up with our platform.”
