I was surprised to hear that BC Premier Gordon Campbell named Mary Polak to his cabinet as the Minister of Healthy Living and Sport. Whenever I hear her name I remember that she was the the Surrey School Board Chair who supported banning three kids picture books that had representations of gay and lesbian parents: One Dad Two Dads Brown Dads Blue Dads by Johnny Valentine, Asha’s Mums by Rosamund Elwin and Michel Paulse, and Belinda’s Bouquet by Leslea Newman and Michael Willhoite. This decision was eventually overturned by the Supreme Court of Canada. This legal challenge cost the Surrey taxpayers over $1.3 million (I realize that it’s not how civic budgets work, but imagine if that money was instead given to school or public libraries in Surrey).
I’m glad she’s not the the new Minister of Education.
Even if I wasn’t a homo I would be disgusted by her homophobic “pro-family” beliefs and practices of banning diverse representations of families.
Read more about the book bannings in Surrey schools:
intellectual freedom committee - bcla 