Kathleen Wynne sees homophobia amid sex-ed protests

Premier Kathleen Wynne says she has no doubt homophobia motivated some of the hundreds of people who protested Ontario's new sex education curriculum this week.

Wynne, who is gay, says she looked at the protest on the front lawn of Queen's Park and social media comments on the revised curriculum and concluded some of the opposition is homophobic.

Many of those at Tuesday's protest said the government was introducing ideas like same sex relationships and masturbation too early for some kids, but others brandished signs with more extreme messages.

• New sex-ed curriculum 'most up-to-date' in the country
• STORIFY | Sex-ed overhaul gets mixed reaction online
• Sex ed in Ontario: Kathleen Wynne fires back at PC critic

Wynne told The Canadian Press that there's no doubt in her mind that homophobia "is part of the motivating drive behind some of the protests."

Wynne says people will have to draw their own conclusions about why Progressive Conservative leadership candidate Monte McNaughton says she is not qualified to propose a new sex-ed curriculum.

McNaughton was fuming after Wynne suggested his questions were homophobic, calling it "the lowest thing a premier could say about another legislator."

He says the only point he's raised is that the Liberals failed to consult enough parents before introducing the revised sex-ed curriculum, which the government says will be implemented this fall without any changes.

"It's not the premier of Ontario's job, especially Kathleen Wynne, to tell parents what's age-appropriate for their children," McNaughton had said after the changes were announced.

Wynne also admits she was surprised when Conservative MPP Rick Nicholls responded to a "joke" by Education Minister Liz Sandals by saying it wasn't a bad idea to stop teaching evolution in schools.

Nicholls admitted Wednesday that he doesn't believe in evolution, something Wynne said took her by surprise because she thought every member of the legislature believed in the science that was being taught in Ontario schools.