GSA clubs for kids: social or sexual?

media complaint re GSAs

Are Gay-Straight Alliances (GSAs) social or sexual clubs?

That is a key question being asked after media articles and videos claim that GSAs are directly affected by a policy resolution passed at the United Conservative Party (UCP) AGM which pertains to sexual content and materials.

The following formal complaint has been submitted through the Canadian Press contact form, as well as emailed to CTV News (news@ctv.ca), whose news reports have regrettably misled the public with contradictory information related to GSAs and a recently passed UCP resolution.

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To Whom it May Concern,

The following articles from your respective news outlets contain factual errors that must be retracted or corrected immediately.

Canadian Press, May 6: Alberta conservatives clash with leader Jason Kenney on GSAs at policy meeting

CTV article and associated videos, May 6: Alberta conservatives clash with leader Jason Kenney on gay-straight alliances

Your articles/videos claim to focus on the following United Conservative Party (UCP) policy resolution discussed yesterday, Sunday May 6th, at the UCP Founding Convention/AGM:

Reinstate parental opt-in consent for any subjects of a religious or sexual nature, including enrollment in extracurricular activities/clubs or distribution of any instructional materials/resources related to these topics.

Despite the fact this resolution is clearly focused on extracurricular activities/clubs or materials/resources related to topics of a religious or sexual nature, your article/video characterizes the resolution as directly associated with parents being informed if their children join a GSA.

However, that characterization would only be true if K-12 GSAs were offering content of a religious or sexual nature.

The logical question that your reporters and media companies must answer is: are GSAs social, or sexual?

If they are social clubs then stop relating them to the UCP resolution which has nothing to do with social clubs/materials and everything to do with sexual or religious clubs/materials.

If they are sexual clubs then it is inaccurate to merely claim “GSAs are social clubs set up by students to help LGBTQ children feel welcome and to lessen any chance of bullying,” without also mentioning a sexual component.

While I am not the author of this UCP resolution, I am frustrated with your media organization’s regrettable lack of care to ensure accurate reporting of facts, which is now leading to widespread public misperception of GSAs and this UCP resolution.

I would ask that you remove or correct your article/videos immediately to ensure that the public is not misled further through false and contradictory reporting.

Sincerely,

Theresa Ng, B.Ed
Author of the blog Informed Albertans

18 comments

  4. iamnotcathy

    I am so glad you made this distinction, Theresa. It is hard to think clearly and intelligently on these issues when the water becomes increasingly murky with emotional appeals that often don’t make much sense. You have distilled the issue here!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    • informedalbertans

      Thanks for your comment. You are welcome to describe some of your own concerns and then also include the link to this Informed Albertans blog to say that you agree with the concerns raised in it. It is always helpful if people voice their concerns.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
  6. Margaret Schienbein

    Well written. You should also request that the retraction is not written in a back corner of the newspaper, as news as news paper etc are want to do. . Rather given equal exposure as their article

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  7. Mary Blackwell

    Thank you. I also was disappointed at the misleading and inaccurate reporting regarding this issue. The headlines were purposely inflammatory. I could not find any other articles about the UCP or the AGM in Red Deer this past weekend, except the ones you have mentioned. No wonder people are increasingly confused and upset, when simply reporting facts from an event seem impossible for our media. Videos to you for calling them out.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  8. Syvie

    I am honestly not understanding your distinction. Are you stating that GSA attendance is different from teaching gender fluidity? GSA’s aside, I really take issue with schools teaching gender fluidity. In Alberta we have some of the highest education levels per capita. Science backs that gender is not fluid. Parents need to be fully informed and able to opt out of any of this “teaching.” Its social engineering plain and simple. Our children are not experiments.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    • informedalbertans

      Hi Syvie,
      This blog article is focused on complaints submitted to the media regarding their inconsistent and contradictory characterization of GSAs and their misrepresentation of resolution 30 that was heard at the UCP AGM. Hope that helps to understand the intent of this blog article.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
  9. Jon N Lisa VanVliet

    What’s interesting is that I spoke with Harrison Fleming, from LGBTory, at the UCP Convention on Saturday and he told me that he also does not support Bill 24. He said that some members of the LGBQT community are pushing things too far- instead of looking for support and acceptance, they are trying to push an extreme agenda on everyone. I find it interesting that the above articles don’t mention that at all…

    Liked by 1 person

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  10. ExposeSexEdNow

    Reblogged this on Expose Sex Ed Now! and commented:
    Thanks for writing about this! GSA Clubs in the US should be scrutinized also. What exactly are they promoting? Encouraging kids to experiment with risky sex is exploitive.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  11. Nancy Bowman

    Hi! Well done unravelling the convoluted logic of the press. We support freedom of speech and press, but they are becoming so idiotic in how they process the jargon of the government, and leap on bandwagons like Rome is burning behind them! Thank you again! Nancy.

    Sent from my iPad mini

    >

    Liked by 1 person

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  12. Interested Reader

    Of course you can go straight to the horse’s mouth: Jason Kenney says UCP will oppose gay-straight alliance Bill 24 – Nov 8, 2017 – Edmonton Journal.

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