opinion & features

Charles MelvinHalton, We Have a Problem

Thanks to some school board members who don’t know how good they have it, a long-standing issue in Ontario has been rekindled. Why do Catholics continue to enjoy the privilege of a segregated and fully publicly funded school system; a costly duplication of services in which one school system discriminates in enrolment and hiring practices?

The answer is not encouraging.

“Denominational school rights” were added to the Canadian constitution in 1867. To change the constitution is near impossible. It would require almost nationwide consensus from a majority of voters. The only hope is that the Catholic School system changes from the inside.

In April 2009, the Ontario Ministry of Education circulated a policy framework to all school boards to guide them in creating policies to deal with bullying and discrimination in schools. It states “homophobia has risen to the forefront of discussion.” It also includes sexual orientation as one bases of discrimination.

The Halton Catholic District School Board (HCDSB) submitted its policy in November 2010. Somebody didn’t do their homework. They banned the formation of gay straight alliances (GSAs) on school property, a decision contrary to the provincial guidelines.

A GSA is a supervised, school-sanctioned group where LGBT kids can meet and socialize with straight peers on school property. It’s a countermeasure to the degrading conditions of what is, all too often, a hostile environment.

those who identify as non-straight have a community in their school; an institution where they spend half of their young lives

In January, Xtra magazine broke the story about the HCDSB ban and questioned board chair Alice Anne LeMay. She justified the ban by saying, “We don’t have Nazi groups either.” Her comment exploded in the press. The HCDSB later rescinded the ban.

On Feb. 15, the board passed a new policy called S.I.D.E. Spaces (Safety, Inclusivity, Diversity, Equity). It advises teachers to enforce anti-discrimination policies, but it makes no mention of homophobia or sexual orientation. Paul Marai, a gay trustee who joined the board in January, described the policy to The Globe and Mail: “The problem is this sends a strongly negative message to gay students that you can congregate but you can’t really be visible.” The policy is expected to go to final reading in late March.

Outwords contacted the Halton Organization for Pride & Education (HOPE), a not-for-profit, volunteer-run organization serving the LGBTQ community in the district. The chair of HOPE, Elizabeth Barnett, sees S.I.D.E. Spaces as an unacceptable substitute for a GSA. “[It doesn’t] offer a safe space for LGBTQ youth. GSAs create a haven for the ‘invisible minority’ of LGBTQ youth and teens, which means that those who identify as non-straight have a community in their school; an institution where they spend half of their young lives.”

Because religious schooling is entrenched in the constitution, LGBT kids born into Catholic families in Ontario risk being trapped in a process of religious indoctrination inside a homophobic institution. The only available advice for Catholic teachers on dealing with gay or lesbian youth is a pastoral care guide that treats homosexuality as a condition that should not be normalized. Allies are the best hope for change.

“HOPE likes to think of the communities of Halton as one large gay-straight alliance,” Barnett says, “a place where all people – no matter their religion, culture, background, gender or sexual orientation – can find acceptance and peace.” Until Catholic LGBT kids can find a safe place inside their own religious community, it’s good to know there’s someone close to home, ready and willing to help.

– Charles Melvin is a Toronto-based freelance writer. Find out what he really thinks about HCDSB at quink.ca. To comment on this or any other article in Outwords, write to editor@outwords.ca