Pride flag to fly over Waterloo Catholic District School Board schools this June

The Waterloo Catholic District School Board (WCDSB) will fly the Pride flag for the first time this June.

Thedecision was announced during a board meeting Monday evening.

The board said the decision falls in line withits vision to create a "welcoming, safeand inclusive place for all,including the LGBTQ2+ community."

"Our Catholic schools are places where we educate young people to respect every person regardless of their differences,"said director of education,Loretta Notten,in a statement.

The Ontario English Catholic Teachers' Association Waterloo region office, the union which represents teachers employed by the WCDSB, said in a tweet that the decision was "along time coming."

In 2020,the WCDSBreceived criticisms from the community foroptingto fly a flag of its own design,rather than the traditional rainbowflag.

The design showeda group of multicoloured figures looking up at a figure of Jesus withthe words, "We are all wonderfully made we love because he first loved us."

Melanie Van Alphen, chair of the board, said in a statement she supportsthe decision to fly the Pride flag this June.

"Weproudlysupportthe decision to fly thePrideflag at all our schools in June. This is the right decision and a positive step forward," she said. "Kindness and unityareneeded now more than ever."