A GTA elementary school is selling pride-themed swage in its “School Spirit” shop.
Colonel J.E. Farewell Public School in Whitby, Ont., has an inventory of shirts and sweaters showing the school name in the colours of the Progressive Pride Flag.
The flag includes white, pink and blue, representing trans-identifying people. The brown and black stripes are supposed to portray LGBT+ people of colour, with a purple circle on a yellow background representing intersex people.
“Some of the options reflect the varied identities within the school community. By fostering an environment where diversity is celebrated, all students can express themselves authentically and thrive academically and socially,” a school spokesperson told True North in an email.
When asked how the school came to the conclusion that allowing children to wear pride-themed apparel enables the students to thrive academically and socially, the spokesperson didn’t respond.
Chanel Pfahl, a former teacher, has made it her duty to expose “wokism” in Canadian schools.
In an interview with True North, Pfahl said the swag isn’t just about inclusivity and school spirit.
“I think we have to be honest about what this flag represents – and that is an ideology that’s totalitarian in nature, and that doesn’t accept the viewpoints that challenge what it’s proposing,” Pfahl said. “This symbol that they’re using for inclusion actually represents intolerance and does not include everyone.”
Pfahl has been a vocal critic of what she believes to be cultural Marxism in schools since she quit her position as a science teacher with the MonAvenir Catholic School Board in 2021.
She said she has over 2000 posts which raise awareness and show evidence of “indoctrination in Canadian schools.”
One example Pfahl highlighted this month was at Cardinal Leger Catholic School in Brampton, Ont., where Grade 6 students had to colour in and write about various flags representing different sexual orientations.
The school did not respond to True North’s requests for comment.
“It’s incentivizing children to pigeonhole themselves and label themselves with these sexualities they honestly shouldn’t even be thinking about because they’re kids,” Pfahl said.
She thinks students should learn basic curriculum again like math, science, reading and writing.
“But we’re just caught in this moment where many teachers think it’s their responsibility to push this ideology all the time,” Pfahl said.
“These days, pride is a political issue. It’s no longer just about including everybody and treating everybody the same,” she added.
Pfahl believes pride needs to stay out of schools unless shirts with opposing political opinions are sold in the same places. She said she would rather see public schools emphasize things that unite Canadians rather than focus on things that make us different.
“I think a lot of Canadians agree with that. Right? we shouldn’t make a big deal about who you’re attracted to or what gender you think you are,” she said.
