"You don't have to get along from a young age because you're not in school together."įor Norwich resident Jennifer St Pierre, the Pride flag ban has forced her to question whether she can continue living in the township. The students "just don't have the opportunity to mingle," Lloyd said. Norwich still hosts the Rehoboth Christian School, a private kindergarten to Grade 12 institution that serves "several local Dutch Reformed churches," according to its website.īut since the local high school was shuttered more than a decade ago, public high school students have been bused to the nearby communities of Delhi or Woodstock. "They were being placed all over Ontario," he said of NRC adherents.One factor that appeared to deepen division in the town was the closure of the local public high school, Lloyd said. The Netherlands Reformed Congregation began strengthening its presence in the town following the Second World War and held services in Dutch for a time, Lloyd added.Īudio Municipal leaders in Ontario speak out against Norwich's decision to ban interest flags Norwich's conservative religious character dates back to the early 19th century, when the township was settled by Peter Lossing - a Quaker from New York state who arrived in 1810, said Matthew Lloyd, a curatorial assistant with the Norwich and District Museum. Shawn Gear, the other dissenter in the Pride flag vote, told The Canadian Press in an email that he is "not interested in getting involved in any type of article that is going to address any divisional issues." "I think we're going to see the community coming together to advocate for belonging and advocate for things that make sense and things that can really help support marginalized communities," she said in an interview.Ĭoun. Hundreds of community members showed up to protest a proposed bylaw in Norwich that would ban Progress Pride flags from being flown on the township's property. Oxford County Pride, an advocacy group, said it has taken the Pride flag ban to the Ontario Human Rights Commission. "They will go to businesses in Norwich and tell you to your face, 'We will not do business with you if you're open on Sunday,"' she said. Tara King, another Norwich resident, said there is a "big divide" in the town between the church's members and others. The church website makes clear its opposition to LGBTQ rights, saying on its "beliefs" page that "any form of sexual immorality (including but not limited to homosexuality, lesbianism, bisexuality, bestiality, incest, fornication, adultery and use of pornography) is sinful and offensive to God." No Sunday shopping CBC London has also made multiple interview requests that have been declined. Ward 2 councillor and deputy mayor Shawn Lewis shares his decision with guest host Colin Butler.Ĭhurch leaders did not respond to multiple interview requests from The Canadian Press. The hotly debated actions have inspired a London city councillor to do something he says he normally doesn't do: Writing to the mayor. It has also refused to recognize June as Pride month. ![]() Certainly, it strongly suggests that much more needs to be done if we are to become the welcoming, inclusive society where the pride flag is displayed to tell the world (including our children) that no one in the LGBTQ+ community need live in fear from the social stigma that once kept so many in the closet or worse.Afternoon Drive 7:51 London City Councillor Speaks Out Against Norwich Flag Ban The township of Norwich has banned the flying of flags that belong to special interest groups on its property. Or it might point to a nation’s deep ambivalence over matters of gender and sexual orientation. Perhaps it continues to be true that for society to advance two steps forward, it must sometimes take one step back. What do these apparent contradictions mean? How does a county where parental freakout over teachers displaying the pride flag in classrooms can also elect LGBTQ+ candidates to public office? It is both encouraging and unsettling. As it did 17 miles away in Sykesville where Stacy Link was also elected mayor - also the first woman, also the first gay person in the top leadership post. At one point, outgoing Mayor Joe Dominick had to call out a homophobic letter sent to local Republicans as an example of “dog whistle” politics. Oh, her sexual orientation wasn’t ignored during the nonpartisan mayoral race.
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