AMHERSTBURG, ONT.—Tory Leader Tim Hudak on Monday defended a controversial “homophobic” flyer distributed in Brampton by the Progressive Conservative campaign.

The flyer, distributed online Sunday, depicts a child writing on a chalkboard, and quotes the Toronto District School Board’s guidebook on dealing with homophobia in the classroom under the heading, “Actual parts of the K-12 curriculum.”

The flyer claims the curriculum requires 6-year-olds to cross-dress and suggests teachers should “celebrate sexual diversity (with a) kissing booth.”

Rather than denouncing the flyer, Hudak told reporters they rightly reflected bad Liberal policy and that the now abandoned Liberal policy that would have taught detailed sex education to Grade 1 students.

“I think they reflect Dalton McGuinty’s out of the mainstream policy ideas to have a sex ed curriculum that would begin with Grade 1s,” he said, adding he could not even consider the notion of his little girl Miller be taught about sex education “when they should be learning their ABCs or math skills or tying their shoes.”

In Vaughan, Liberal Leader Dalton McGuinty said Hudak is doing so poorly in the campaign that “you’re going to grasp at whatever straws you can get your hands on” to find votes.

“It’s rather disappointing. Mr. Hudak started off his campaign on a divisive note,” McGuinty told reporters, referring to the PC leader’s shots at “foreign” workers.”

“Now he’s winding up his campaign on yet another divisive note.”

Liberals noted the guidebook only lists suggested activities, and the “kissing booth” refers to students giving each other chocolate Hershey’s Kisses in exchange for filling out a survey about classroom attitudes on homophobia.

Liberal candidate Vic Dhillon tweeted on Sunday that Tory rival Ben Shenouda in Brampton West was distributing homophobic flyers in the riding in English and Punjabi.

According to the Liberals, Willowdale Tory candidate Vince Agovino was distributing by mail and door-to-door material similar to a transphobic ad from the Institute for Canadian Values, which ran in the National Post last week, and for which the Post apologized after a massive outcry by queer activists online.

In the accompanying letter, according to reports, Agovino states he will “defend” Catholic schools from “queer issues.” He quotes extensively from an interview Liberal Kathleen Wynne, a lesbian, gave to Xtra last month on the subject of gay-straight alliances in Catholic schools, accusing her of having a radical agenda.

“Unfortunately, we cannot dismiss these comments as the musings of but one Liberal cabinet minister who is pushing her agenda from inside the Dalton McGuinty Liberal cabinet,” Agovino said.

“Ontario schools continue to be forced into accepting Kathleen Wynne’s agenda to ensure that certain radical ‘opportunities exist’ in our ‘kids’ lives through their formative years.’ ”

In London, during a brief campaign stop, Hudak was a confronted by a couple of transgendered protesters carrying a rainbow flag. They accused the Tory leader’s campaign of promoting hatred because of the flyers being distributed in Brampton.

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“Tim Hudak and his PC party (have) just put out hate propaganda all over Toronto that has . . . hateful material against trans populations and there is not a premier in this that I want representing me that is going to put out any hate propaganda against any marginalized community,” Michelle Boyce, executive director of London’s Alphabet Community Centre, told reporters.

With files from Rob Ferguson

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