B.C.’s human rights commissioner is urging leaders to reject disinformation and hateful narratives following the fatal shooting in Tumbler Ridge earlier this week.
In a statement issued Feb 12 in response to the Feb. 10 tragedy, Kasari Govender said the impact on the community, students and first responders is profound.
“What happened in Tumbler Ridge on February 10 is devastating beyond words,” Govender said. “To those mourning their loved ones, to the grieving community, to the students and staff at Tumbler Ridge Secondary School navigating through trauma, and to the first responders and care providers, our hearts are with you.”
Govender, speaking as a parent, said the incident has shaken confidence in school safety.
“We should be able to trust that our schools are safe places for our children, and that their rights to education and safety would be protected there,” she said.
She also criticized what she described as anti-trans mis- and disinformation circulating in the wake of the shooting.
“I am disappointed by the anti-trans disinformation and the hateful narratives that are being spread,” Govender said, adding that false claims can fuel discrimination and violence against trans people.
Govender said using the incident to link trans identities with violence is “incorrect, irresponsible and frankly dangerous,” pointing to data showing trans people are more likely to be victims than perpetrators of violent crime.
“Mis and disinformation damage our democracy,” she said. “If we are to come up with answers that actually make us safer, we must uncover and rely on real facts, not disinformation propagated for a political agenda.”
Govender said her office stands with Tumbler Ridge and with trans and LGBTQ2SAI+ communities, calling on leaders to act “from a place of principle, truth and respect” during the crisis.
