Halton Catholic schools ban gay-straight alliance groups
Outrageous.
Halton Catholic schools ban gay-straight alliance groupsWith the world's spotlight on the It Gets Better campaign and gay teen suicides, the urgency for schools to create gay-straight alliance (GSA) groups seems obvious.
But while the Ontario Ministry of Education thinks GSAs are important, the Halton Catholic District School Board (HCDSB) takes a different view. The HCDSB feels the groups are harmful and has issued a ban on GSAs altogether.
"We don't have Nazi groups either," rationalizes board chair Alice Anne LeMay. "Gay-straight alliances are banned because they are not within the teachings of the Catholic Church."
"If a gay student requests a gay-straight alliance they would be denied," she says flatly. "It's not in accordance with the teachings of the church. If they wanted to have a club outside of school, fine, just not in school."
“Schools that have GSAs are a lot more open, caring, welcoming and a whole lot safer,” says Helen Kennedy, executive director of Egale Canada, who has been involved in the fight against homophobia and transphobia in schools for the past two years. She is quick to point out that many other Catholic schools in Ontario have GSA groups.
Apparently students can create groups, just none that have the word “gay” in the title.
From an impromptu note on Facebook, please email to protest this despicable homophobia.
Premier: dmcguinty.mpp.co@liberal.ola.org
Minister of Education: ldombrowsky.mpp@liberal.ola.org
The main point is that it is outrageous.
But I would think they will lose this on a challenge, even if the government does nothing to force them first. But even assuming that, the school board gets to put the burden on others to get their rights.
The word "Nazi" spilled out of her face for good reason. Takes one to know one.
Here's what I found almost as offensive:
So Ms. Kennedy is arguing that it's a good idea, not an issue of fundamental human rights.
Imagine, if you will, making such an argument in favour of allowing whites and blacks to form alliance groups.
The public should stop funding these religious hate groups.
Unionist. Arguing fundamental human rights doesn't change policy in the real world. Try it.
Changing policy and challenging oppressive policy means that schools that don't follow it can be held accountable. Like with this complaint which could turn into a class action-style complaint. No "rights" are ever just given. They must be fought for.
Putting down Helen Kennedy (not the NDP Helen Kennedy) is fucked up. Mod hat off for that one.
If you guys could start a new thread on the evils of public funding of Catholic schools that would be great. There are so few threads on LGBTQ issues, and that is the forum we're in right now. Thanks.
Sorry I meant Helen Kennedy, CUPE versus Helen Kennedy, Egale who is of course the former Olivia Chow staffer. Looks like I got confused. Oops.
.....
Yes I too have many political issues with Egale.
However at this point so early in the thread, I'm interested in what LGBTQ babblers think of this disgrace, and would like to hear any suggested approaches to countering this bullshit. From LGBTQ babblers.
Yea, lots of people love comparing anything they don't like or agree with to the Nazi's. It's pretty much standard on the internets.
In a sence I agree with her
"It's not in accordance with the teachings of the church"
She's got a point, it's not. So what we need to do is start taking away all the power that the church wields.
if they don't want to allow it in the school then simply start reducing all the funding these schools get and give it to more open minded schools that are probably cash strapped.
Practically speaking, and probably more enlightened to begin with, is to support some sort of Student BIll of Rights for all students in schools that receive public funding. Hell, public school kids get crapped on for all sorts of things as well. Help them too at the same time, no?
Carrot vs stick, eh?
It appears the matter is going to be reconsidered at a meeting tonight (Tuesday 11 January 2011). I have been wondering what the position of the relevant teachers' union is on this - I am quite surprised not to see them quoted anywhere (or are teachers in the Catholic system in Ontario not unionized?)
I think a student needs to try to start a club, be rejected and then either bring a human rights complaint or begin legal action.
Ontario English Catholic Teachers Ass.
It seems the union itself supports them as they were under attention last month for making a donation to EGALE in support of this specific initiative. Not surprisingly, a few individual members aren't.
http://www.lifesitenews.com/news/teachers-union-vs-ontario-bishops-who-w...
Thanks for the link RP. It kind of confirms the model I carry around with me to explain "Catholic" reactions to certain social issues... on one end of the spectrum are the "more Catholic than the pope" crowd (who are vastly over-represented on school boards), then the Pope, then the various bishops, then the clergy and then, at the other end of the spectrum, the rank and file Catholics. I am not the least bit surprised that the union is on the common sense end of that spectrum.
I would modify Caissa's scenario slightly: I think the greatest good would arise from students forming a club, having recognition of it refused, continuing to run it anyway - and any judicial or quasi-judicial appeal coming up only as a result of any disciplinary action taken against them. I think setting up and running such a group as a "rebellion" against the authoritarian model of most school policies would resonate with a much larger number of students (gay and straight) and create a much more honest discussion amongst peers. I would much prefer seeing that sort of scenario unfold than slotting a "Gay-Straight Alliance" into a bureaucratically defined niche.
{thread drift} What I meant by that is that she is being the Nazi by trying to alienate a group that isn't considered one of the "superior race" yet she says that they don't have Nazi groups {/thread drift}
Letter from CAW president Ken Lewenza to Halton school board members - Jan. 11, 2011
CAW executive statement on homophobic bullying - Oct. 15, 2010
Ban overturned.
http://www.parentcentral.ca/parent/education/article/924271--halton-cath...
Let's not break out the bubbly just quite yet:
As Xtra reports:
At the risk of comparing disparate fruit, sounds to me like the decision yesterday was more like decriminalization than legalization.
Don't ask and don't tell. What an original approach.
Perhaps they don't want to rush the change. They may be planning to start with Straight Alliances, and introduce the Gay part at some later date...
Maybe they are having a hard time finding chaperones... it is so uncouth to make introductions without a chaperone.
Maybe its like the DADT repeal. You kick around the idea for a few years until you figure out if it will work or not. And eventually when pushed, you will conclude... not.
Is there no movement to shut down these homophobic institutions? Or at least starve them of public funding??
Catholic bishops prohibit gay-straight alliances in Ontario schools
Anti-human monsters collecting public money and running schools in Ontario. This is happening in a country which is trying to bomb Libya into respect for human rights. No political party demands that these religious fanatics be starved of public money, just as no political party demands that Canada stop bombing Libya. This country needs a better set of values.
Mississauga high school bans gay-straight alliance
Filthy scum.
It's easy (common?) to believe Nazi's (well their soldiers) were all 6'2 white, blond hair blue eyed men but the Nazi's were surprisingly diverse. Probably one of the most diverse armies in WW2. If you're interested I can dig up the paper I read on all the actual different races.
I'm glad the ban was ovberturned. In North America a religious person has more rights than an athiest. We need to seperate church and government.
The ban was not "overturned" in any English sense of the word. These fanatical homphobes simply pulled a PR stunt to fool the gullible:
Halton Catholic Board SIDE-steps gay-straight alliances
Instead of marching these hateful bastards off to some enclosed area where they can't harm society, Ontario continues to fund them and call them "public schools". And no one of any importance dares challenge these crimes.
Maybe Ontarians don't fully understand what kind of fascist "education" they are funding:
Hmm, as a product of the catholic school system in Ontario and a queer guy I have mixed feelings. Of course I ahbor this homophobia and small-mindedness, but I also don't feel right about calls for the system to be shut down completely, as it does offer a different cultural view than the public school systems--not necessarily along religious lines but more of a Franco-Ontarian perspective, at least in Eastern Ontario where I grew up.
Surely as someone who has defended bad goings-on in Quebec from generalized Quebec-bashing you can appreciate a parallel situation in the catholic, franco-Ontarian world?
I never said that. Just do what others have done - stop calling them public schools. If Québec and Newfoundland and Labrador could get the Constitution amended in order to get religion out of public schools, so can Ontario. And as for those who spread hate, they should be individually condemned, whether they do so from a public or private school podium. Agreed?
So change them to linguistic school boards, as we have done here. Just get the religion out - particularly the homophobic anti-human aspects. Anyway, don't you have French school boards already? Why would you need French homophobic school boards?
That's a peculiar ad hominem type of argument. When you catch me defending religious homophobia in Québec, let me know and I'll stop. Promise.