'People just don't understand': parent of transgender teen hoping to open debate on gender identity

Darren Kennedy's daughter was in Grade 10when she began her transition from male to female.

His biggest worry washowhis community in Chilliwackwould react.

"What are they going to think? All I could relate to was when I was in high school in the 80s," he said, worried his child would get harassed.

"She'sgoing to get teased, bullied, beaten, hurt. You have these visions in your head that someone is going to put her in the hospital or worse," he said.

But he says none of those things happened.

"[Because] the kids understand, the kids were cool with it ... Kids, nowadays, understand what's going on.It's the older people that have the problem," he said.

Kennedy says he's willing to to talk tothose who are against the B.C.sexual orientationand gender identity resource material (SOGI) available in the classroom, including long-servingChilliwackschool trustee Barry Neufeldwho has since apolgized for the way in which he denounced it in a Facebook post.

"Ithink the biggest problem is thatpeoplejustdon't understand and how do we solve that? Through debate and communication.

Neufeldsayshe's against implementingSOGIwithout a review that engages parents and teachers.

Trinity Western University education professor Matthew Etherington believes both sides need to be heard and understood, withoutbeing ignored or ridiculed.

But he saysthere needs to be an understanding that both sides will never fully agree on the topic.

"We will never [entirely] agree on this, ever.This will never be a topic we will all agree on, becauseit is an ethical issue," said Etherington.

However, Etherington saysboth sides share similar principles.

"Both believe in children's rights and believe in justice and care of the child believe in all the same thingsbut just lookat it very,very differently," he said.

Neither side, he says, is advocating for hate, but yet, each side sees the other as the enemy.

"There is a winner and loser."

He saysthe divisiveness and name calling needtoend.