Media outlets should be held accountable

Emily McDonald | Nov 17, 2021

I am writing in response to the letter that was published last week, denouncing a rainbow Canadian flag being flown at a nearby school. 

I am one of many LGBTQ+ folks who are proud to call Frontenac County home.   

The local LGBTQ+ folks I know work in retail, education, healthcare, corrections, as well as the skilled trades.  We are nurses, artists, physicians, janitors, lawyers, stay-at-home parents, carpenters, academics, farmers, and small business owners.  Of importance to the op-ed author - we also serve within military and law enforcement.  More importantly - we are children and youth in elementary and secondary schools.

I was born and raised here, and understand the uniquely confusing and potentially unsettling experience of coming out in rural spaces.  Maybe the author is not familiar with the landmark Matthew Shepard case, or the disproportionate rates of suicides in LGBTQ+ adolescents.  Simply put - rainbow flags promote acceptance, inclusion, and safety.  Our educational system and the professionals working within it have incredible influence with regards to our children’s mental health.  The simple act of raising the rainbow flag could have profound, life-saving implications for students of that school.  

Media outlets are responsible, and should be held accountable for the information they choose to share and disseminate.  I believe Frontenac News owes its LGBTQ+ community members an apology for amplifying hate speech, rather than celebrating the gifts that diversity bring to our amazing community.  Thank you for your time.

Emily McDonald