An RCMP officer was called to a meeting for Nanaimo-Ladysmith school district candidates on Gabriola Island after one candidate showed images of top and bottom surgery.
Candidates were asked at the meeting put on by the parents advisory council to respond yes or no to whether they supported SOGI (sexual orientation and gender identity). The province states that it is important for schools to be inclusive and safe spaces for students of all sexual orientations and general identities.
Tanner Scott of Nanaimo, running for a first term on the school board, told the Times Colonist Friday he would not answer yes or no to the SOGI question. “I think it is much too loaded a question.”
Scott wrote on his campaign website about the meeting that “I then provided the crowd with an image of a female mastectomy and phalloplasty surgery in order to complete her transition to transgender. The crowd seemed appalled at the site [sic], which was the point.”
Police were called “to have my voice removed; and still I speak. If you cut out a man’s tongue, it does not prove him a liar, it proves you fear what he has to say.”
The photo, shown via his phone, was found on the internet, he said later.
Scott said that when he was showing the photo to people in the audience he was within arm’s reach. The purpose was to raise awareness about the implications of such surgery.
He said he is concerned about the content of books available in the school district’s library.
Scott posted on his website a video he took at the meeting with the headline: ”RCMP called for questioning the sexualization of children via SOGI.”
Scott said he was told by trustees, the event organizer and a school official to leave. After some discussion, Scott said he sat down.
“And I said: ‘You will have to call the cops because I haven’t done anything wrong. You haven’t told me what I’ve done wrong and I’m trying to have this discussion for trustee candidates and I’ll stay until the police come.’ ”
When an RCMP officer arrived, Scott said he provided his identification, left the meeting and caught the ferry back to Nanaimo.
Trustee Tania Brzovic was at the meeting and said of Scott’s actions: “It was disruptive. It was offensive and it was not in keeping with the spirit of the meeting we were having.”
Scott showed his phone contents to parents only, not candidates.
Watching the parents, Brzovic said she saw “some shock and I heard a few people say: ‘That’s not appropriate’ and tell him to sit down.”
Candidates were asked to respond yes or no, she said. “Instead of simply saying ‘no’ he chose to engage in this behaviour.”
Greg Keller, another a trustee at the meeting, said when the phone was shown to people, “I could see the disgusted looks on the parents’ faces.”
After Scott refused the meeting moderator’s request to leave, Keller said he and another candidate stood close by and then police were called.
The meeting continued after an RCMP officer escorted Scott out, Keller said.
There were nine candidates for trustee at the meeting. They all backed SOGI other than Scott, he said.
Keller said: “Everyone is entitled to their opinion. I highly disagree with his.” But someone running for office should not conduct themselves in a disrespectful manner, he said.
Brzovic said it is important for parents to know that SOGI-related material is available on the district’s website, so it is accessible to parents.
Also, a letter goes home to parents to notify them whenever something that might be controversial is about to come up in class, she said.
