A group of alumni from one of Ontario's largest Christian summer camps is fighting to end an anti-gay policy that requires staff to condemn "homosexual and lesbian sexual conduct" if a camper asks them about it.
Volunteer and paid staff at Ontario Pioneer Camp in Port Sydney, Ont., must sign a code of conduct that says "homosexual and lesbian sexual conducts are not to be practised" and staff "should not in any way espouse, endorse or imply acceptance" of what the policy says "should be avoided."
"This very narrow, firm stance on homosexuality is wrong," argues Michelle Dowling, a former camper and staff member.
She helped start OnePioneer, the group pushing for LGBT inclusion at the camp they otherwise love.
"It really held me back for a number of years in accepting myself," Dowling told CBC Toronto. The 28-year-old was wrestling with her own sexuality the last time she signed the contract in 2011.
Anyone volunteering or working for Inter-Varsity, whether at a camp or as part of a campus group, has to sign the same code of conduct, according to Al Anderson, Inter-Varsity's vice-president of ministry for camp and campus.
Dowling and a friend decided to collect stories from former campers and staff about their experiences dealing with LGBT issues at camp.
"I can imagine the shame and the hopelessness that kids feel when they're told that, you know, 'God didn't make you this way' or 'You haven't done anything wrong yet,'" said Dowling, because that's what she was told.
Dowling and her friend submitted 45 personal stories to Inter-Varsity in January 2016.
"We thought that after reading about the hurt that members of the camp community were feeling because of this policy and potential future impacts of losing more staff ... we thought that Inter-Varsity would want to dialogue with us and try to improve the situation."
But Inter-Varsity wasn't interested, Dowling said, so she and seven other alumni formed OnePioneer nearly a year ago to keep the conversation going.
The group wants to see staff trained on how to support LGBT kids and youth, and greater transparency about the camp's stance on homosexuality, if Inter-Varsity refuses to change it.
We've come to the conclusion that we continue to affirm the values that we've had for the whole of our existence of Inter-Varsity — the traditional evangelical position," Anderson said. "There's no change coming."
So is Inter-Varsity's policy legal? Janina Fogels, senior counsel at the Human Rights Legal Support Centre, said............
Ontario Pioneer Camp alumni fight to end anti-gay staff policy - Toronto - CBC News
Volunteer and paid staff at Ontario Pioneer Camp in Port Sydney, Ont., must sign a code of conduct that says "homosexual and lesbian sexual conducts are not to be practised" and staff "should not in any way espouse, endorse or imply acceptance" of what the policy says "should be avoided."
"This very narrow, firm stance on homosexuality is wrong," argues Michelle Dowling, a former camper and staff member.
She helped start OnePioneer, the group pushing for LGBT inclusion at the camp they otherwise love.
"It really held me back for a number of years in accepting myself," Dowling told CBC Toronto. The 28-year-old was wrestling with her own sexuality the last time she signed the contract in 2011.
Anyone volunteering or working for Inter-Varsity, whether at a camp or as part of a campus group, has to sign the same code of conduct, according to Al Anderson, Inter-Varsity's vice-president of ministry for camp and campus.
Dowling and a friend decided to collect stories from former campers and staff about their experiences dealing with LGBT issues at camp.
"I can imagine the shame and the hopelessness that kids feel when they're told that, you know, 'God didn't make you this way' or 'You haven't done anything wrong yet,'" said Dowling, because that's what she was told.
Dowling and her friend submitted 45 personal stories to Inter-Varsity in January 2016.
"We thought that after reading about the hurt that members of the camp community were feeling because of this policy and potential future impacts of losing more staff ... we thought that Inter-Varsity would want to dialogue with us and try to improve the situation."
But Inter-Varsity wasn't interested, Dowling said, so she and seven other alumni formed OnePioneer nearly a year ago to keep the conversation going.
The group wants to see staff trained on how to support LGBT kids and youth, and greater transparency about the camp's stance on homosexuality, if Inter-Varsity refuses to change it.
We've come to the conclusion that we continue to affirm the values that we've had for the whole of our existence of Inter-Varsity — the traditional evangelical position," Anderson said. "There's no change coming."
So is Inter-Varsity's policy legal? Janina Fogels, senior counsel at the Human Rights Legal Support Centre, said............
Ontario Pioneer Camp alumni fight to end anti-gay staff policy - Toronto - CBC News