Catholic Schools Accused of 'Transphobia' for Canceling Play About Boy Who Dresses as a Girl
A Catholic school board is being criticized and accused of "transphobia" after it canceled an LGBT-themed play that was slated to be performed in five of its elementary schools.
Last week, the Niagara Catholic District School Board cancelled the play "Boys, Girls, and Other Mythological Creatures," which focuses on an 8-year-old boy who suffers from gender dysphoria and dresses like a girl.
The Globe and Mail reports that John Crocco, the director of education at the NCDSB, announced that the five elementary schools cancelled their planned performances of the play, which was aimed at students ages 5 to 10.
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According to the news outlet, the play was cancelled after a school board official voiced concerns to the five school principals that the play is "not age-appropriate for a predominantly primary audience." Crocco also said that the play was not clearly advertised to the school board as being about gender identity.
The play was produced by the Carousel Players, a pro-LGBT outfit that partners with Pride Niagara, and was written by playwright Mark Crawford.
"The decision to defer showing the play ... was to afford time for further discussion and preparation with age-appropriate students and how the message links to curriculum expectations," Crocco said in a statement, adding that the board is "fully inclusive, accepting and supportive."
Crocco told The Globe that the decision to cancel the performances came after the play was performed for first through fourth graders at Mary Ward Catholic Elementary School on April 25.
After the performance, the school's principal reached out to Superintendent Mark Lefebvre to express his concerns that appropriate age level to view the play did not match the recommendations offered by Carousel Players.
"The Grade 3 curriculum ... begins to talk about cultural values, beliefs, gender identity, sexual orientation, etc.," Crocco said. "There were students [at the play] in Grade 1 and 2."
However, the decision to cancel the play's performances did not go over well with the leaders at Carousel Playhouse.
After the organization was told that the plays had been cancelled because of scheduling conflicts, Carousel Players Artistic Director Jessica Carmichael posted an open letter on the organization's website.
"I fear these cancellations may be based on misinformation, grown out of fear, intolerance, transphobia, homophobia and misogyny," Carmichael wrote.
"The core message from the main character, Simon(e), in 'Boys, Girls, And Other Mythological Creatures,' is that every child needs the support of friends and family no matter who they are, what they dress like, what toys they like to play with and what they imagine they can be," she added. "I wholeheartedly believe in this message."
Carmichael added that "this play speaks directly to a curriculum that has been approved by the Ontario Ministry of Education."
The Curriculum states: "It is also critical to student success to create an atmosphere in which students of all body shapes and sizes, abilities, gender identities and sexual orientations, and ethnocultural, racial and religious backgrounds feel accepted, comfortable, and free from harassment."
Additionally, Carmichael posted a Facebook screengrab of a parent complaining that the play teaches "if a boy plays dress up, he might be a girl."
Carmichael told The Globe that all of Carousel Players' plays have been reviewed by the school board's elementary school arts consultants. The play in question has been presented at 22 elementary schools in the Niagara area.
Tanya Allen, who directs the Ontario-based parental rights organization Parents As First Educator, praised the school board's decision to cancel the performances in an interview with LifeSiteNews.
"It's appalling for any school board, let alone a Catholic one, to use a cutesy play to force gender ideology, and whatever the latest social fad is, on kids who are nowhere near equipped to process this information," she said. "What other new ways will people come up with to force this propaganda on our kids? Enough is enough."
Clinton Somerton, who has opposed liberal sex education curriculums in schools through his work with Campaign Life Coalition, told LifeSiteNews that the Catholic school board's actions fall in line with the Pope Francis' views on gender.
"Pope Francis condemned attempts to indoctrinate children into gender ideology, expressing outrage over such sexual propaganda," Somerton said. "So the Niagara Catholic District School Board was wisely following the [pontiff's] guidance by protecting its students from the psycho-sexual molestation of this theatre group's propaganda-in-a-play."
