Hearing the trustees of a publicly-funded school board in #onted try to justify not flying the #PRIDE flag is reopening some deep, raw wounds tonight.

They're trying to justify their hate with arguments about cost, "competing groups for the month of June," logistics.

As a member of the #2SLGBTQ+ community, I know this isn't about any of the excuses they're giving tonight in #HCDSB. This is about hate. This is about believing that some of their students and their families are inherently less valued, less worthy of respect, *less than*.

Why are these discussions even allowed in publicly-funded institutions? We have a Human Rights Code and it's pretty clear about this.

#2SLGBTQ+ people have the right to exist without having to justify that existence and participation in society.

More than that, though, #2SLGBTQ+ people have the right to *celebrate* their existence. It isn't enough not to be actively hated (although that's on open display tonight) - we deserve to be loud, proud, colourful, unapologetic.

Hatred should have no place in #onted.

I have lived this life for too long. I am tired of having to defend my right to exist openly.

I wrote these a few weeks ago for ETFO, and I'll put them here again:

My experience as a student: https://heartandart.ca/?p=9979 

My experience as an educator: https://heartandart.ca/?p=9982 

#onted

To all the families of HCDSB who have been and will be harmed by the actions of some trustees in your board, I'm sorry. I'm sorry that you aren't valued as you should be and that you're seen as less than others.

You deserve better than this.

You don't need a new flag "unique" to HCDSB.

You don't need to hear from the "silent majority".

You need your right to live and love freely to be respected and defended.

All my love to all of you.

If you're wondering where all of this is coming from, you can see a livetweet thread of the meeting and follow along with the developments here: https://twitter.com/the_905er/status/1386825868341911552?s=20