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Protest on gender identity in schools in Toronto, across Canada

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Demonstrations protesting LGBTQ2S+ inclusive education took place at least 80 cities across the country on Wednesday, with thousands of people participating in a counter-protest(opens in a new tab) in Toronto.

The demonstrations, under the banner “1 Million March 4 Children,” advocated for the elimination of Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity (SOGI) curriculums in Canada.

Gender identity in the education sector has frequented headlines in recent months, since Saskatchewan and New Brunswick adopted gender and pronoun policies that require parental consent for students under the age of 16 who want to change their given names and/or pronouns at school.

Megan Poole, manager of community relations and communications for the 519, an agency in downtown Toronto that supports members of the LGBTQ2S+ community, said Ontario Premier Doug Ford has accused school boards of indoctrinating students and insisting parents should be informed of their child’s gender identity. Poole called this a dangerous discourse that forcibly outs children.

“Unfortunately not all of us come from deeply supportive families,” Poole said.

The 519 is planning a counter protest, with 600 participants registered to congregate at Barbara Hall Park on Wednesday before marching to Queen’s Park, to make it clear that “hate has no home in Ontario.”

“If you showed up for Pride this year, it’s really time to show up for the community the rest of the year as well. Pride is every day,” Poole said.

WHO IS PROTESTING?

There are two “brands” that promoted protests across Canada on Wednesday, Hands Off Our Kids and Family Freedom, Canadian Anti-Hate Network Executive Director Evan Balgord explained. The groups did not respond to requests for comment.

Balgord said one of the groups is religious and openly intolerant of the LGBTQ2S+ community while the other is more secular and appears to be more inclusive. Fundamentally, both are advocating for SOGI to be stripped from the curriculum by hiding behind the illusion that they are just trying to protect children, Balgord noted.

“The concern is that when you let these people organize unopposed, they gain more power,” Balgord said.

To support LGBTQ2S+ communities, counter-protests were planned in every province across the country. Several took place in Toronto, with more spanning Ontario in Kingston, Kitchener, London, Ottawa, Peterborough, Sarnia, Sudbury and Windsor

“I think from the teacher’s side, it’s fair to say there is some frustration and anger about how what we do to support students in schools is being twisted and misconstrued to be something it isn’t,” Jamie Mitchell, an Ontario high school math teacher, said.

“To see initiatives that would take us backwards, good teachers know that would be harmful for students and families.”

WHAT’S THE RESPONSE?

Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow said she has stood shoulder-to-shoulder in support of LGBTQ2S+ communities, and against discrimination, hatred and bigotry for decades.

“From the earliest Pride parades, through the AIDS crisis, winning same-sex marriage, and much more. I continue to stand with you today in the face of hate,” Chow said on Wednesday.

The Toronto District School Board (TDSB) said it “unequivocally” stands with trans, Two-Spirit and non-binary students, staff and families. “We support everyone’s human rights and expression of gender,” the TDSB said in a statement on Tuesday afternoon.

The education minister released a message on Wednesday morning stating the government’s commitment to the safety and well-being of all children in Ontario schools, “irrespective of your faith, heritage, sexual orientation, or color of skin.”

Toronto, Durham and Burlington police forces monitored the demonstrations on Wednesday, keeping the peace and enforcing applicable laws.

The Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario (ETFO) condemned the protests and said it is “alarming” that several politicians have contributed to this “disturbing” discourse.

“Instead of spewing rhetoric they know is harmful and dangerous and that pits parents against educators, they should be ensuring safe and inclusive spaces for every student in the province,” the ETFO said in a statement on Tuesday.

To visibly show support, the Pride flag will be raised all week at TDSB and Durham District School Board institutions.

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Allen nets shutout as Devils burn Oilers 3-0

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EDMONTON – Jake Allen made 31 saves for his second shutout of the season and 26th of his career as the New Jersey Devils closed out their Western Canadian road trip with a 3-0 victory over the Edmonton Oilers on Monday.

Jesper Bratt had a goal and an assist and Stefan Noesen and Timo Meier also scored for the Devils (8-5-2) who have won three of their last four on the heels on a four-game losing skid.

The Oilers (6-6-1) had their modest two-game winning streak snapped.

Calvin Pickard made 13 stops between the pipes for Edmonton.

TAKEAWAYS

Devils: In addition to his goal, Bratt picked up his 12th assist of the young season to give him nine points in his last eight games and now 15 points overall. Nico Hischier remains in the team lead, picking up an assist of his own to give him 16 points for the campaign. He has a point in all but four games this season.

Oilers: Forward Leon Draisaitl was held pointless after recording six points in his previous two games and nine points in his previous four. Draisaitl usually has strong showings against the Devils, coming into the contest with an eight-game point streak against New Jersey and 11 goals in 17 games.

KEY MOMENT

New Jersey took a 2-0 lead on the power play with 3:26 remaining in the second period as Hischier made a nice feed into the slot to Bratt, who wired his third of the season past Pickard.

KEY RETURN?

Oilers star forward and captain Connor McDavid took part in the optional morning skate for the Oilers, leading to hopes that he may be back sooner rather than later. McDavid has been expected to be out for two to three weeks with an ankle injury suffered during the first shift of last Monday’s loss in Columbus.

OILERS DEAL FOR D-MAN

The Oilers have acquired defenceman Ronnie Attard from the Philadelphia Flyers in exchange for defenceman Ben Gleason.

The 6-foot-3 Attard has spent the past three season in the Flyers organization seeing action in 29 career games. The 25-year-old right-shot defender and Western Michigan University grad was originally selected by Philadelphia in the third round of the 2019 NHL Entry Draft. Attard will report to the Oilers’ AHL affiliate in Bakersfield.

UP NEXT

Devils: Host the Montreal Canadiens on Thursday.

Oilers: Host the Vegas Golden Knights on Wednesday.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 4, 2024.

The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.



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Mahomes throws 3 TD passes, unbeaten Chiefs beat Buccaneers 30-24 in OT

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KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Patrick Mahomes threw for 291 yards and three touchdowns, and Kareem Hunt pounded into the end zone from two yards out in overtime to give the unbeaten Kansas City Chiefs a 30-24 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Monday night.

DeAndre Hopkins had two touchdown receptions for the Chiefs (8-0), who drove through the rain for two fourth-quarter scores to take a 24-17 lead with 4:17 left. But then Kansas City watched as Baker Mayfield led the Bucs the other way in the final minute, hitting Ryan Miller in the end zone with 27 seconds to go in regulation time.

Tampa Bay (4-5) elected to kick the extra point and force overtime, rather than go for a two-point conversion and the win. And it cost the Buccaneers when Mayfield called tails and the coin flip was heads. Mahomes and the Chiefs took the ball, he was 5-for-5 passing on their drive in overtime, and Hunt finished his 106-yard rushing day with the deciding TD plunge.

Travis Kelce had 14 catches for 100 yards with girlfriend Taylor Swift watching from a suite, and Hopkins finished with eight catches for 86 yards as the Chiefs ran their winning streak to 14 dating to last season. They became the sixth Super Bowl champion to start 8-0 the following season.

Mayfield finished with 200 yards and two TDs passing for the Bucs, who have lost four of their last five.

It was a memorable first half for two players who had been waiting to play in Arrowhead Stadium.

The Bucs’ Rachaad White grew up about 10 minutes away in a tough part of Kansas City, but his family could never afford a ticket for him to see a game. He wound up on a circuitous path through Division II Nebraska-Kearney and a California junior college to Arizona State, where he eventually became of a third-round pick of Tampa Bay in the 2022 draft.

Two year later, White finally got into Arrowhead — and the end zone. He punctuated his seven-yard scoring run in the second quarter, which gave the Bucs a 7-3 lead, by nearly tossing the football into the second deck.

Then it was Hopkins’ turn in his first home game since arriving in Kansas City from a trade with the Titans.

The three-time All-Pro, who already had caught four passes, reeled in a third-down heave from Mahomes amid triple coverage for a 35-yard gain inside the Tampa Bay five-yard line. Three plays later, Mahomes found him in the back of the end zone, and Hopkins celebrated his first TD with the Chiefs with a dance from “Remember the Titans.”

Tampa Bay tried to seize control with consecutive scoring drives to start the second half. The first ended with a TD pass to Cade Otton, the latest tight end to shred the Chiefs, and Chase McLaughlin’s 47-yard field goal gave the Bucs a 17-10 lead.

The Chiefs answered in the fourth quarter. Mahomes marched them through the rain 70 yards for a tying touchdown pass, which he delivered to Samaje Perine while landing awkwardly and tweaking his left ankle, and then threw a laser to Hopkins on third-and-goal from the Buccaneers’ five-yard line to give Kansas City the lead.

Tampa Bay promptly went three-and-out, but its defence got the ball right back, and this time Mayfield calmly led his team down field. His capped the drive with a touchdown throw to Miller — his first career TD catch — with 27 seconds to go, and Tampa Bay elected to play for overtime.

UP NEXT

Buccaneers: Host the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday.

Chiefs: Host the Denver Broncos on Sunday.

AP NFL:

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NHL roundup: Kuemper helps visiting Kings shut out Predators 3-0

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NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Darcy Kuemper made 16 saves for his first shutout of the season and 32nd overall, helping the Los Angeles Kings beat the Nashville Predators 3-0 on Monday night.

Adrian Kempe had a goal and an assist and Anze Kopitar and Kevin Fiala also scored. The Kings have won two of their last three.

Juuse Saros made 24 saves for the Predators. They are 1-2-1 in their last four.

Kopitar opened the scoring with 6:36 remaining in the opening period. Saros denied the Kings captain’s first shot, but Kopitar collected the rebound below the goal line and banked it off the netminder’s skate.

Fiala, a former Predator, made it 2-0 35 seconds into the third.

The Kings held Nashville to just three third-period shots on goal, the first coming with 3:55 remaining and Saros pulled for an extra attacker.

Elsewhere in the NHL on Monday:

DEVILS 3 OILERS 0

EDMONTON, Alta. (AP) — Jake Allen made 31 saves for his second shutout of the season and 26th of his NHL career, helping the New Jersey Devils close their western Canadian road trip with a 3-0 victory over the Edmonton Oilers.

Jesper Bratt had a goal and an assist and Stefan Noesen and Timo Meier also scored. The Devils improved to 8-5-2. They have won three of their last four after a four-game skid.

Calvin Pickard made 13 saves for Edmonton. The Oilers had won two straight.

The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.



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