A small protest was staged outside the Waterloo Catholic District School Board office Monday afternoon, shortly after the board raised a Pride flag. The flag is soaring over the board’s Kitchener’s headquarters and outside Catholic schools in Waterloo Region as part of Pride month celebrations. One of the schools that has hoisted the flag is St. Mary’s High School. “I think that everyone should feel welcome and feel free to be who they want to be, especially in your school and where you’re getting your education,” said a Grade 10 student. Jane Richard, a former teacher, said too much has changed since she was in the classroom. “It’s a trend. It’s an ideology that is soon to become very popular because it is being promoted in the schools and by the public,” she told CTV News. Richard said young people shouldn’t be taught about the Pride community in Catholic schools. “I think they just take the flag down, for starters, and start teaching true Catholic theology and religion and doctrine,” she said. Protestors plan to return to demonstrate outside board headquarters as Pride month continues. Patrick Etmanski, the president of the union representing Catholic teachers, said the Pride flag is here to stay, even after a controversial motion at the board to ban the Pride flag at schools narrowly failed in April. “For us, it’s a symbol of our dedication to human rights and dignity and inclusivity,” Etmanski, Ontario English Catholic Teachers’ Association president, said. “We use that word a lot. But that’s what it’s about. It’s about having a place for everybody where everybody feels welcome,” Etmanski said. He said all students, including the LGBTQ2+ community, should feel safe at school. “They’ve always been there. It’s just that now that we’ve offered some acceptance and some support that they feel comfortable enough to be who they are,” he said.
