A sexual health educator is facing backlash after referring to pedophiles as "minor-attracted persons" in a lecture to students at a high school on Vancouver Island.Kerri Isham, founder and operator of Power Up Sexual Health Education, was teaching Grade 9 students at Quamichan School in Duncan about how to avoid pedophiles online when she opted to use the term "MAP" instead."I did talk to the students in Grade 9 at the school about MAPs," Isham admitted in a video posted to Facebook. "A MAP is a person who's 'minor-attracted.' This is an identity usually for men."She went on to make it clear that, "MAPs are not part of the 2SLGBTQ+ community; they would like to be, but they'll never be accepted by the community because MAPs harm children.""Instead of using the word pedophile they want to legitimize what they are doing by changing their identity to MAP," Isham added, failing to explain why she had used their preferred term.She noted that during her talk, students were informed that "MAPs are everywhere," from Minecraft to TikTok, and that young people were "not encouraged to interact with people who identify in this way." .A number of parents expressed their outrage over the lecture, with many noting that their children reported feeling "uncomfortable.""Why do you continue referring to pedophiles in their preferred terminology?" Vancouver Island parent Bryony Dixon wrote in a comment before being blocked by Isham. "Even here. Fine to say that's what they call themselves, to raise awareness, but then you continue to use a term that downplays the severity? Some social taboos exist for a reason — to safeguard the vulnerable, and you are actively dismantling that, even here."Dixon went on to slam Isham for continuing to support "gender-affirming care" for minors, citing the Cass Review which found little evidence of long term benefits for medical and social interventions but plenty of evidence of such measures resulting in sterilisation."I have filed a complaint with the BC Office of the Ombudsperson for your violation of child boundaries by forcing kids to remain in a session that made them 'uncomfortable' due to its explicit sexual content, and your subsequent public celebration of this unacceptable approach to education," Dixon concluded. "I encourage others to do the same."
A sexual health educator is facing backlash after referring to pedophiles as "minor-attracted persons" in a lecture to students at a high school on Vancouver Island.Kerri Isham, founder and operator of Power Up Sexual Health Education, was teaching Grade 9 students at Quamichan School in Duncan about how to avoid pedophiles online when she opted to use the term "MAP" instead."I did talk to the students in Grade 9 at the school about MAPs," Isham admitted in a video posted to Facebook. "A MAP is a person who's 'minor-attracted.' This is an identity usually for men."She went on to make it clear that, "MAPs are not part of the 2SLGBTQ+ community; they would like to be, but they'll never be accepted by the community because MAPs harm children.""Instead of using the word pedophile they want to legitimize what they are doing by changing their identity to MAP," Isham added, failing to explain why she had used their preferred term.She noted that during her talk, students were informed that "MAPs are everywhere," from Minecraft to TikTok, and that young people were "not encouraged to interact with people who identify in this way." .A number of parents expressed their outrage over the lecture, with many noting that their children reported feeling "uncomfortable.""Why do you continue referring to pedophiles in their preferred terminology?" Vancouver Island parent Bryony Dixon wrote in a comment before being blocked by Isham. "Even here. Fine to say that's what they call themselves, to raise awareness, but then you continue to use a term that downplays the severity? Some social taboos exist for a reason — to safeguard the vulnerable, and you are actively dismantling that, even here."Dixon went on to slam Isham for continuing to support "gender-affirming care" for minors, citing the Cass Review which found little evidence of long term benefits for medical and social interventions but plenty of evidence of such measures resulting in sterilisation."I have filed a complaint with the BC Office of the Ombudsperson for your violation of child boundaries by forcing kids to remain in a session that made them 'uncomfortable' due to its explicit sexual content, and your subsequent public celebration of this unacceptable approach to education," Dixon concluded. "I encourage others to do the same."
