An Oak Bay pastor is one of hundreds of Christian leaders coming out in favour of SOGI, and delivering it to education minister Rob Fleming.

Rev. Michelle Slater, a pastor and parent of a 9-year-old son, felt compelled to speak publicly on the issue, because the church has B次元官网网址渟o much to repent forB次元官网网址� particularly in the ways it has contributed to the B次元官网网址渄iscrimination and marginalization of LGBTQ people.B次元官网网址�

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B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 time to raise our voices and say that this is not the only Christian interpretation and we refuse to let this, or any group claim the name Christian,B次元官网网址� she said referring to the West Coast Christian Accord, a group of Christian leaders who have banded together in protest of SOGI.

All 60 school districts in B.C. have adopted SOGI B次元官网网址� sexual orientation, gender identity B次元官网网址� a free online resource tool available to teachers province-wide who can choose to use it to inform every day learning in classrooms.

It is not a mandatory curriculum, and it is not sexual education.

Those opposed to SOGI, Slater said, believe implementing these tools will be of harm: B次元官网网址淏ut theyB次元官网网址檙e profoundly mistaken and not paying attention to actual evidence.B次元官网网址�

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Some 200 anti-SOGI religious leaders also sent a petition to Minister Fleming asking the province to pull SOGI from schools, saying it B次元官网网址渃ontradicts the Christian truths, disrespects Charter values, and is harmful to school children, their parents, school teachers, and society as a whole.B次元官网网址�

For Slater, the frustrating part is watching as the term Christianity is co-opted, designing different values and principles based on different interpretations of the same bible.

Part of this is a pushback against the loss of Christianity as the dominant culture, she said.

B次元官网网址淲hen weB次元官网网址檝e been dominant, weB次元官网网址檝e done tremendously harmful things,B次元官网网址� she said, pointing to the residential school system and persecution of LGBTQ people.

Members of the Oak Bay United Church congregation are transgender, or are the parents of transgender kids, Slater said, and many participated in a SOGI rally at the B.C. legislature Sept. 29.

In her sonB次元官网网址檚 Montessori school, Slater said nothing much has changed now that SOGI has been adopted, except that students learn in an open and inclusive environment that respects them, and their families.

B次元官网网址淚 canB次元官网网址檛 understand an argument against treating people with basic respect,B次元官网网址� she said, adding that includes honouring someoneB次元官网网址檚 gender identity and pronouns.

B次元官网网址淥ur schools should not only be places of safety, but places where we learn together how to honour the differences and gifts of each person,B次元官网网址� she said.

Black Press Media reached out to multiple members of the West Coast Christian Accord and did not receive a response before deadline.

@kristyn_anthony
kristyn.anthony@blackpress.ca
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