An Ontario election ad placed in The National Post by Charles McVety’s Institute for Family Values is being protested around Canada.
This is a continuation of McVety’s campaign started last year against proposed revisions to Ontario’s sex ed program, including classic ‘family value’ false claims. A few:
-optional lessons aren’t mandatory
- like other Canadian provinces education is age appropriate
-teaching resource guide material is not curriculum
You can contact Enzo Loschiavo, Advertising Manager of The National Post.
The National Post’s manager of advertising sales Enzo Loschiavo says the newspaper has received many complaints about the ad and he’s not sure how it ended up in the newspaper.
“The Post wouldn’t generally run this,” Loschiavo says. “We’ll probably take a stance on not running it again.”
You can contact Advertising Standards Canada (14. Unacceptable Depictions and Portrayals)
Xtra:
The Canadian Values campaign is particularly disappointing given that the province has yet to restart consultations or reintroduce its new curriculum as it had promised when it postponed the launch last year.
I think Christians need to stand with GLBT and human rights activists in denouncing this latest attention grabber by McVety’s Institute for Canadian Values. No other media outlet in Canada ran this ad (think about that for a moment), nor has any media outlet promoted the running of this ad.* (*See comments – BD)
Update: Kudos. The National Post apologizes.
Update: The Toronto Sun runs McVety’s ad, slightly altered.
Update: During the Ontario provincial election the Tories put out flyers with similar claims to the McVety ads. The Toronto District School Board asked for an apology, the Conservatives say they won’t give one. A formal complaint will be filed, with the option of a lawsuit.
You wrote:
“nor has any media outlet promoted the running of this ad”
Actually, the Sun took a moment to signalboost McVety’s ad and campaign without discussing the controversy or critiquing it: http://www.torontosun.com/2011/09/29/mcguintys-busy-undoing-what-hes-done
Mercedes – thanks! I didn’t catch that in a search. Fixed.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Friday, September 30, 2011
We at the Institute For Canadian Values would like to extend our heart-felt apologies to our fellow Canadians. It has come to our attention that the Stop Corrupting Children campaign we were running against the inclusion of LGBT curriculum in Ontario’s public schools has upset many of you. Several Canadians first saw the campaign poster printed in the National Post earlier this week.
Concerned Canadians have enlightened us to the fact that removing LGBT curriculum from public schools puts children at a higher risk for becoming victims of hate crime. This alarms and concerns us because we wish Toronto’s children to have safe and enjoyable as well as educational and enriching experiences as they attend public school. We want to protect our children from isolation, bullying and suicide. We want our children to feel comfortable in and proud about who they are. We are concerned parents.
We also want to acknowledge our error in the use of the term Two Spirit. We now realize it does not apply to non-Aboriginal people. Further, as Canadian Citizens, we want the best for this country and as an organization with strong religious values we recognize the importance of supporting the growth of spiritual leaders, and this includes Two Spirit people.
We at the Institute would also like to correct our use of the terms Transgender, Transsexual and Intersex. We realize you cannot turn a child into any of these things, but rather that they are born as such. We would like to acknowledge that it is possible, however, to teach children Jesus’ central message of love and compassion for all. We hope the Ontario public schools and Mr. McGuinty, Mr. Hudak and Ms. Horwath will commit to instilling this message in Ontario’s children. We will commit to doing what we can to help make this happen.
We do not want to campaign against our children and their life chances, so to correct our most regrettable error, we are recalling the Stop Corrupting Children campaign and asking forgiveness from our fellow Canadians.
Contact: C.F Jacobson
Publicist
The Institute For Canadian Values
Canada Christian College 50 Gervais Drive Toronto, ON M3C 1Z3
Tel: 416.391.5000 EXT 344
Fax: 416-391-3969
It’s a hoax of course.
I expect McVety will come out screaming – he tried to mount a campaign when CTS dumped him (free speech, kangaroo courts) and threatened to sue.
He made noise but no one was listening.
This time he got Canadians attention and they talked back.
I think it’s important to note that the Nat Po apology was edited because of an error.
Still, classy considering.
I wonder if McVety’s money was worth it.
http://torontoist.com/2011/09/duly-quoted-national-post-editors/
McVety was on AM 640 this morning on the Oakley show going off about this issue.
The saddest part were many of the callers…
Once again another media outlet has buckled under political pressure!! The National Post should not have apologized for this add. The add is not offensive, or misleading, people need to read what is in the curriculum!!
Those in support of this curriculum want to keep the public in the dark and unaware until its passage!! Good Job Charles McVety for informing parents!!!
Friends, your charge of homophobia is against God Himself. Read Romans 1:26-27, 1 Timothy 1:9-11, 1 Corinthians 6:9-10 and many other passages. The call is to speak the TRUTH in LOVE — let’s not forget either of those!