Camp Qwanoes, a popular summer camp on Vancouver Island, has been terminated by multiple school districts over homophobic discrimination.
The trigger was a confession made in local media by 16-year-old Duncan resident Ryland Racicot. Racicot, who has attended the camp for many years, was looking forward to joining as a staff member, but he was deterred by the staff agreement. He says that the contract stated that he would not do anything that God would condemn, and that included “homosexual behaviour” as a “sexual sin.”
The camp is held in Crofton, about an hour’s drive from Victoria, the state capital, on the southern tip of the island, and is attended by thousands of students each year.
However, following the confession, the Cowichan Valley School District on Vancouver Island ended its relationship with the camp Sooke School District Superintendent Scott Stinson told CTV Electronics that the anti-gay language does not align with the district’s values.
Public schools in British Columbia are required to adhere to the province’s School Sexuality and Gender Identity Policy, which aims to prevent discrimination and harm against LGBTQ students.
Camp Qwanoes Executive Director Scott Bayley issued a statement stressing the legality of requiring Christian beliefs as a condition of employment and the importance of religious freedom. But Racicot’s mother, Sylvia Webb, who is also a Christian, told CTV News: “There is a huge gap between religious freedom and discrimination.”