Halton Catholic board drops ban on gay group

Fintan · Jan 19, 2011

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news...-board-drops-ban-on-gay-group/article1875204/

Halton Catholic board drops ban on gay group
KATE HAMMER
Globe and Mail Update
Published Tuesday, Jan. 18, 2011 11:38PM EST

The Halton Catholic District School Board voted Tuesday night to overturn a ban on gay-straight alliances until a new policy can be crafted. The board’s controversial decision earlier this month to exclude the groups from an inclusion policy drafted by the Ontario Ministry of Education earned them international notoriety.

The recommendation to end the ban passed in a 6 to 2 vote. It undid a decision made by the previous board of trustees in November shortly before their terms ended. As board chair, trustee Alice Anne LeMay, who was quoted in a national gay and lesbian newspaper listing gay-straight alliances alongside Nazi groups, was not required to vote.

“The trustees of our board have decided to adopt the [ministry-drafted] Catholic template policy as an interim measure, because it better reflects the intent and objectives of the newly elected board,” Ms. LeMay said in a statement released by the board. The board’s draft of the inclusion policy that included the ban “was too restrictive and narrow in focus, and the board’s decision to rescind the policy, which included a ban on gay-straight alliances, is based on this acknowledgment.”

The ministry version of the policy was drafted with input from Catholic church leaders but Halton’s board had taken it upon themselves to make further amendments. Their decision to outlaw gay-straight alliances divided the Catholic community and re-ignited criticism of publicly funded Catholic education.

The board recently elected its first openly gay trustee, 22-year-old Paul Marai. A conservative Christian website has labelled Mr. Marai a “homosexual activist” and accused him of hiding his sexuality during the campaign.

Mr. Marai has said he feels Halton is a welcoming and accepting community and that the ban damaged its reputation.
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Isn't it interesting that the Ontario Ministry of Education's policy "was drafted with input from Catholic Leaders" but the Board decided to change it, to exclude Gay-Straight Alliances?

midwestblues · Jan 19, 2011

Fintan said: ↑

The Halton Catholic District School Board voted Tuesday night to overturn a ban on gay-straight alliances until a new policy can be crafted.
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I'll be eager to see what exactly that "new policy" will entail.

Nomad187 · Jan 19, 2011

I am originally from this district and my school was the only one with an organized GSA which I helped make. But anyways, people from the other schools would come to our school to take part in it. These resources need to be available to everyone. And if you are publicly funded then your religion doesn't really matter

Fintan · Jan 19, 2011

It absolutely kills me that the "Roman Catholic School System in Ontario" was added to the Canadian Constitution to protect Roman Catholic minority rights in Ontario from the Protestants. And now they threatened to limit another minority's rights.

Nomad187 · Jan 19, 2011

Fintan said: ↑

It absolutely kills me that the "Roman Catholic School System in Ontario" was added to the Canadian Constitution to protect Roman Catholic minority rights in Ontario from the Protestants. And now they threatened to limit another minority's rights.
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Religion, hypocrisy and double standards go hand in hand

Revan · Jan 19, 2011

Still glad the ban was overturned.

Halton Catholic board drops ban on gay group

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Halton Catholic board drops ban on gay group

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