National Post takes heat for running apparent anti-gay advertisement

The National Post was called out by a popular American website this week for running what it argues is an anti-gay advertisement.

The black and white ad titled "Please! Don't confuse me" features an attractive young girl staring out from the page while underneath is written, "I'm a girl. Don't teach me to question if I'm a boy, transexual, transgendered, intersexed or 'two' spirited."

The ad is directed at the Ontario election and suggests children are being taught the topics in school despite "Mr. McGuinty" promising to remove them and at the same time noting "my mommy says she is not allowed to withdraw me from class."

Gawker.com drips in sarcasm about the ad. "Yeah, that's exactly what turns kids into gay people and gives them gender dysmorphia.

"I mean, I didn't turn gay until my high school geometry teacher Mr. Roy — well, she was only Mr. Roy after the surgery, but before he was Ms. Roy, the girl's tennis coach — showed RuPaul's "Supermodel" video in class one day to teach us about conical structures. Now, I'm gay! And I don't know what gender I am! "

Kidding aside, the writer points out the kids in South Park have a teacher who had "gender reassignment" and "they're still OK."

But seriously, the Gawker writer points out Canadian schools teaching these subjects will do nothing but good for the students, showing them tolerance and acceptance.

The ad, apparently set up by a member of Canada's Christian right, was reported in OpenFile after the editor of the The Dalhousie Gazette received a press release about it urging the paper to promote the campaign.

The press release states, "The Institute for Canadian Values, its 52,000 members and like minded citizens call on Dalton McGuinty, Tim Hudak and Andrea Horwath to commit to removing age inappropriate gender teaching from the school curriculum."

It also states organization president Charles McVety said parents across Ontario are outraged children are still being taught these subjects while being forced to gender role play and make posters for Pride parades.

Gawker adds, "Apparently the Post is reacting to their readers' outrage by investigating just who approved the ad. I hope when they find them, they are forced to watch Tootsie on a loop for a whole week straight. That will teach them!"