Should poppies be updated to reflect changing times?

What’s happening

The most ubiquitous symbol of Remembrance Day—when the country honours fallen Canadian soldiers on Nov. 11—is the red poppy. The flower was made famous by Canadian physician Lieutenant-Colonel John McCrae in the poem In Flanders Field. Replicas of the poppy are now pinned to clothing as a reminder of those who sacrificed their lives. But poppies are subject to strict rules, from how they can be worn to what colour they can be, which has turned into an international argument.

Why there’s debate

The red poppy has been used leading up to and on Remembrance Day since 1921. The Royal Canadian Legion, in charge of distributing them in Canada, says they should be worn on the left side over the heart. They can be worn starting on the last Friday of October until Remembrance Day, or for other commemorative events, like funerals of veterans or memorial services. There are even instructions on how to remove a poppy appropriately. In Canada, only red ones are given out.

Poppies have remained largely unchanged for almost a century, but a viral story stemming from the UK has Canadians disagreeing on social media. A rainbow poppy-style badge was up for sale on eBay, which sparked the heated discussion. Some concluded that the LGBTQ+ community was behind the move and deemed it “disgraceful” to veterans, despite the fact that the poppy on sale was not affiliated with any groups. Others said the colourful poppy would be a move in the right direction to show inclusion and respect for LGBTQ+ members who fought for Canada.

The issue became even more contentious as a story circulated about students in Manitoba being suspended after telling a teacher they would not wear rainbow poppies. The school’s board later denied that event occured. The debate, however, continued despite the misinformation. A change.org petition was launched in an effort to stop rainbow poppies, although the legion does not distribute them.

This isn’t the first time the poppy has been part of a public controversy. One group, called Peace Poppies, made white poppies and advocated for Canadians to wear them in honour of civilians who died as a result of war. And even before the rainbow poppy went viral this month, a British poet suggested it in 2016.

What’s next

There are no foreseeable changes when it comes to the colour of the poppy, but the Canadian legion is considering alterations to its material. Millions made of polyester and nylon are distributed each year. The legion’s Nujma Bond told CityNews they are recyclable, but they often end up littering the streets after Nov. 11. Bond said researchers are looking into making them more eco-friendly.

Perspectives

Against:

Poppies stand for unity.

“We are supposed to be united in support of our troops and remembrance of those who died fighting for Canada. To attempt to separate out certain groups, regardless of that group, is to elevate that group above others and that is not what our soldiers fight for.” — Columnist Josh Alrich, Winnipeg Sun

It’s only for one day.

“If your [sic] gay, bi, trans or whatever, I don’t care. You have a pride month to celebrate who you are. Please don’t take over the one day a year where I get to remember my friends and all those that died for this country. Leave the poppy alone and have some respect.” — War veteran Trevor Coult, Twitter

For:

The proper way to be inclusive.

“A rainbow poppy to remember all those who gave the ultimate sacrifice for their country while being simultaneously hunted down by their country for being a homosexual. One name for you .... Alan Turing.” — Comedian Susie McCabe, Twitter

Other colours are welcomed.

“To think people are accepting of the purple poppy, which represents remembrance towards animals who died at war, yet are outraged by black & rainbow poppys [sic], which remembers blacks & those of LGBT respectively, tells me that people put animals on top of black people & gay people.” — @Marlinstarz, Twitter