No special treatment for LGBT groups and non-Catholics

No special treatment for LGBT groups and non-Catholics

Follow me on Twitter:
@MariaAssaf

Emmanuel “Manny” Yanga: For Catholic Trustee, Ward 7

By Maria Assaf

Manny Yanga, a senior product advisor at a Toyota dealership in Scarborough, is running for Catholic Trustee in Toronto’s Ward 7. Born in Malabon, Rizal, he has a bachelor’s degree in business administration and a masters in marketing. He decided to run for trustee when he realized that some board members and teachers did not follow the teachings of the Bible.

His main goals are to restore what he sees as the fading Catholicism in schools in his ward and also to challenge the existence of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transvestite (LGBT) groups. He says his experience with religious organizations such as the Assembly of Jesus, the Knights of Columbus, Our Lady of Assumption and his ties with charismatic renewal groups in the city, will help him win these elections.

TPR: What inspired you to run?

YANGA: I just attended one town hall meeting at the head office of the Catholic School Board on Sheppard and really I was surprised to find out first-hand that the beliefs of some Catholic Trustees are opposed to the Catholic faith. They are supposed to be practicing Catholics, but they are not. I learned that even teachers in Catholic schools don’t go to mass on Sundays, so how can we expect them to teach our children about their faith and belief?

TPR: What do you consider to be the main issues affecting youth education at present?

YANGA: One of the problems is racial discrimination, another problem is gay and lesbian conflicts in schools and, of course, one of the topics always is the issue of abortion.

TPR: What is your position on racism and what would you do to address this problem in Catholic schools in your ward?

YANGA: Most of the groups in school are clannish. If you are black, you go with the black ones; if you are Asian, you go with the Asian students. There’s always a discrimination against colour. You see it in the malls, people who are bullying others who are not of the same colour and people who feel superior because of their colour. We should eliminate all those things in school. I am thinking of doing seminars and teachings about, you know, being yourself, having good manners and good conduct, all of those things.

TPR: Why do you think LGBT groups represent a problem in Catholic schools? What would you do to stop them?

YANGA: We love them, but not to the extent of giving them extra privileges. That’s a thing that we don’t want, because sometimes you can’t prevent them from doing immoral acts, like kissing in school. If it’s a man and a woman kissing that’s okay, but not gays or lesbians. I would try to inject some learnings on faith and religion that I’ve known and have studied. One of the biggest problems I see, is that some of the elected trustees are themselves lesbians and gays. So if they are proposing some legislation that is opposed to the Catholic faith, culture and traditions, I would definitely fight for our rights in the practice of our traditions.

TPR: What is your position on having non-Catholic students and teachers in the Catholic schools in your ward and what would you do about it?

YANGA: We have to be very strict about religion. I will be more hands-on when it comes to hiring applicants for teachers. We have to check their background to see if they are really practicing Catholics. I plan to do seminars and teachings under my guidance.

TPR: What do you think about students of different religions enrolling in Catholic schools?

YANGA: I think this will become a problem later. There was an instance in Markham, where a Muslim was admitted. Now his mother is asking to have a praying room for her child. We don’t have a praying room for anybody. You can pray in your seat if you really want to pray. But these people want to get an extra thing. They want to show that they are something else and that they are more religious than the Catholics. Why would you even go to a Catholic school if you are not Catholic? I’m not against them, but if you come to our house you follow what we do. Not us following what you want. That’s why I’m really serious about doing this. And I hope I get elected.

(This interview has been edited and condensed)