Homoparental families and non-binary parents all over Quebec are fed up with the school forms or appointment forms for their child’s vaccination only offering the “father” and “mother” option. They are calling for more inclusive documents.
“Honestly, in 2021, on such a recent form, with no possibility of crossing out or modifying, it’s discouraging,” says Stéphanie Ahern, who, with her spouse, recently made an appointment on the Clic Santé web portal to that their two children get a dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.
On the form, two lines are displayed: one for the mother’s information and another for the father’s information. “I was really surprised, it’s not an old form,” says Carole Sinou, who registered her spouse as “father” on Clic Santé. “It’s not the father, it’s the mother,” she says, a little exasperated.
Like others, Stéphanie Ahern wrote to Clic Santé to complain about the form, which she describes as archaic. “Our conception of what a family and a parent are may not have changed that much,” she thinks. Although it is difficult to have precise figures, there are now tens of thousands of children living in homoparental families, says Martin Blais, professor and researcher at UQAM.
Contacted by The duty, the Ministry of Health and Social Services (MSSS) indicates that “the forms available in Clic Santé reflect what is found in the standardized forms”, which use “father” and “mother”.
The ministry adds that Bill 2 on the reform of family law proposes to amend some 30 laws to ensure equality for parents of sexual minorities.
At school too
These same parents are sometimes limited to the “father” and “mother” options in forms that they must fill out at school, including the one at registration. Many have taken it upon themselves to ask their school or their school service center (CSS) to change the documents.
“There are forms that our children see. The first few years at school, in their diary, it was father and mother on the first page. They don’t get bothered by other children, but that accentuates the feeling of being different, ”says Carole Sinou, who lives in Longueuil. She adds that her school was very open to the idea of modifying the documents within its purview when she suggested that they do so. Those produced by CSS Marie-Victorin, on the other hand, have not yet been changed. There will be modification next February, said the CSS to To have to.
When Caroline Larrivée made contact, three years ago, with the CSS René-Lévesque in the Gaspé to request changes, she was told that, since “it does not come from the Ministry of Education, we will not do anything. changes ”.
However, the CSS has changed its mind. Next winter, it will be possible to check “non-binary” or “indeterminate” for the student’s gender. “We have had more and more requests, we have to adapt our systems in the interests of diversity,” says Monica Pichette, Director of Educational Services. The terms for parents will be changed later, in a second phase.
On the bulletin of Annie Brisebois Cabana’s son, who goes to Sainte-Marie school, in Chambly, and which she showed to To have to, it is the terms “father” and “mother” that appear. The same goes for the registration form for the daycare service. “I’m not shy about crossing out father in big and writing mother in capital letters,” she says, adding that she plans to send a letter to her school. The CSS des Patriotes did not respond to our messages.
Some CSS, such as Montreal, de la Capitale à Québec, Marguerite-Bourgeoys, Jonquière, des Chênes, des Sommets, des Découvreurs, des Trois-Lacs and des Draveurs, have already changed their forms to make them more inclusive.
Changes are expected in other CSS for the next big registration period, next February. “We are currently carrying out work on our computer systems to make them more inclusive,” the CSS de Laval mentions by email.
I am not shy about striking out father in large and capitalizing mother.
Same story with the CSS des Samares, which will use the term “parent”. “In addition, the field“ gender of the student or sex ”will offer four possibilities: F (female) M (male) X (non-binary) and I (undetermined)”, specifies Steve Lapierre, communications coordinator.
Standardization?
In this reality of piecemeal changes, should the government act to standardize documents? Asked by The duty, the office of the Minister of Education replies that it is up to the CSS to do so. “It is up to them to make their own choices. They have the latitude to do so, ”says press officer Florent Tanlet.
The ministry, for its part, intends to change the bulletins, one of the few documents it produces that has not yet been amended. “We are dependent on Bill 2 to know when we will do it”, specifies Florent Tanlet.
The school environment uses the GRICS software for the management of student data. Contacted by The duty, the company indicates that it modified its systems two years ago to allow the display of “multiple parenting options, whether it is“ mother ”,“ father ”,“ parent 1 ”or“ parent 2 ””. “It’s all about the choice of software configuration. It should be noted that the software is flexible and that users can customize their forms and reports ”, it is mentioned.
Changes are expected in a few months. There will be a “parent” option, without a number.
For the Coalition of LGBT + Families of Quebec, we must take into consideration non-binary parents and multi-parent families. “There should be three choices: mother, father or parent”, thinks the director, Mona Greenbaum. She hopes Bill 2 will help make the documents more consistent.