An email from Superintendent of Education Tom Hickey to the principals of Saskatoon Catholic elementary schools says teachers and parent chaperones are not to take students to the “Rainbow Tent” at the Nutrien Children’s Festival this year.
Based on the description on the festival website, engagement and participation by our students in that particular onsite offering would not be supported, Hickey wrote on May 17.
The Rainbow Tent is one of many activities offered at the Children’s Festival, which takes place in Kinsmen Park from June 1 to 4.
From Drag Queen Storytime to inclusive dress up performances filled with colour and fun, this tent is full of rainbows, was the entire description of the Rainbow Tent on the festival website at the time Hickey’s email was sent.
It advised principals to speak personally to teachers and parent chaperones taking students to the festival, and inform them that the Rainbow Tent should not be part of their visit.
Former student Kate Hofstra said she was “gutted” when she saw Hickey’s email, which has been circulating on social media. Hofstra and her wife have a four-year-old son who starts school in the fall.
I grew up Catholic, and I like the traditions of being in a Catholic school — but these specific reasons are the reasons he’s not going to a Catholic school, she said.
To be going to a children’s festival and being told you’re not allowed to go in that tent because of the potential that you might see some representation of what you live every day is so scary to think about, said Hofstra. It’s scary to think that a totally normal family like ours would be under attack in such an innocent atmosphere.
