The problem with Father’s Day: A look at parental figures

With Hamilton’s Pride Week opening next Saturday, September 7, there is room to adapt what Father’s Day means to everyone.

The Oxford Dictionary defines father as “a male parent of a child or an animal; a person who is acting as the father to a child; Ben is a wonderful father.”

In this day and age, not every child has a ‘male’ parent.

There are same sex couples, parents who come out as transgender and may transition from being a child’s father to their mother, or vice versa.

Not only is the idea of Father’s Day potentially damaging to a LGBTQ+ parent’s mental health but the child’s health is also at risk.

Common classroom activities on the week leading up to Father’s Day include making small arts and crafts to take home to your dad for Sunday.

A child who comes from a non-heterosexual family can be particularly vulnerable to bullying that stems from uneducated or conservative-minded peers.

Change doesn’t happen overnight, but acceptance, tolerance and perseverance are all virtues a healthy community needs.

Change often starts with education and a problem that needs solving.

Education in schools that teaches kids about the different types of people and families in their community is key to implementing change and creating a safe future for our children.