Mutchmor Public School cancels drag storytime event during Pride month

Mutchmor Public School on Fifth Avenue had been scheduled to hold a drag storytime event on June 19, but that event has been cancelled. Photo by Michael McBean /POSTMEDIA

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Mutchmor Public School has cancelled a planned drag storytime event, saying the presentation had “raised questions about curricular alignment.”

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The event had been scheduled for June 19 during Pride month. In a letter sent to families and obtained by the Ottawa Citizen, principal Sandy Miller and vice-principal Marc Laliberté said the presentation had been intended “to promote literacy and themes of equity, diversity, and visibility in a unique and memorable way.”

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The letter did not elaborate on why the event was cancelled.

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The administrators said the school remained “deeply committed to fostering an inclusive and welcoming environment where all students feel accepted and celebrated” and said themes of acceptance and belonging would continue to be reinforced throughout the school year.

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An Ottawa-Carleton District School Board Pride flag flies outside Mutchmor Public School on Friday. Photo by Michael McBean /POSTMEDIA

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The decision left some parents of Mutchmor students questioning its rationale.

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“I was disappointed and a bit confused by the decision,” parent Chris Kamel said. “This was an event that had been put on before, was approved by school administrators and was intended to promote literacy and inclusive values. It was unclear in what way this ‘raised questions about curricular alignment.’”

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Chris Longtin, vice-chair of Pflag Canada, a national LGBTQ+ advocacy and support group, said drag storytime events promoted literacy and exposed students to a wider range of identities.

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“Providing visibility into multiple identities is important, and literacy is important,” Longtin said. “Anything that can achieve those goals just makes us a better Canada.”

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Longtin added that cancelling such events “sends a message about who is or is not welcome in a school.”

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Mutchmor, located on Fifth Avenue in the Glebe, is part of the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board, which did not respond to a request for comment from the Citizen before publication of this article.

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