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For Immediate Release

CATHOLIC RESPONSE TO GSAs GETS FAILING GRADE

Toronto, ON – May 18, 2011 – The Assembly of Catholic Bishops of Ontario


(ACBO) and the Ontario Catholic School Trustees’ Association (OCSTA) recently
released a memoi in response to the ongoing controversy regarding student requests to
set up and operate Gay Straight Alliances (GSAs) within Ontario’s publicly funded
Catholic secondary school system. Unfortunately, the framework and initiative being
developed fails to address the requests of queer-identified and straight supportive
students, provincial policy on the matter and protections in the Ontario Human Rights
Code.

ACBO and OCSTA are currently working in collaboration with the Institute for
Catholic Education (ICE) on a nameless framework featuring an anti-bullying initiative
that focuses on sexual orientation. The emphasis is on enhancing existing resources on
anti-bullying within Catholic School Boards, with a particular focus on sexual
orientation, yet guided by the Catholic faith.

Although details of this plan are yet to be released, this stated emphasis is problematic
on numerous fronts. First and foremost, despite ACBO and OCSTA’s claim that this
initiative will address the current needs of students, it is in fact a drastic curtailing of the
actual needs of students requesting GSAs. GSAs provide supportive environments in
which students gather to address not only bullying and safety concerns, but also to
develop welcoming environments, raise public awareness by participating in national
LGBTQ-positive campaigns and local initiatives, networking and linking to community
resources and training for youth leadership – all of which is focused both on sexual
orientation and gender identity. The ACBO and OCSTA framework is narrowly
restricted to anti-bullying and sexual orientation. This framework prohibits any
discussion of diversity in relationships and lifestyle and completely omits the needs of
students dealing with issues of gender identity and gender expression.

If ACBO and OCSTA are positing this initiative as a compromise, it fails to measure up
to provincial policy on the subject that explicitly states, “Boards must also help school
staff to give support to students who wish to participate in gay-straight alliances and in
other student-led activities that promote understanding and development of healthy
relationships" (PPM 145).ii Yet, despite this, the provincial Ministry of Education has
neither indicated whether they will implement their policy nor publicly endorse the
ACBO-OCSTA initiative. In an accompanying messageiii to their memo, ACBO and
OCSTA state, “Catholic schools are known as places that embrace inclusivity, equity
and the acceptance of all people”, yet this is clearly contradicted by the Pastoral
Guidelines to Assist Students of Same-Sex Orientationiv, a document the Institute for
Catholic Education was involved in the production of, in which same-sex attractions
and desires are discouraged, seen as unnatural and denigrated. We see the position
taken on same-sex attractions in the pastoral guidelines as an active disavowal of the
humanity and dignity of an equity-seeking group in Canada, especially in a Charter era
in Canada. We maintain that compelling Catholic educators to follow such guidelines

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represents a grievous contravention of the Ontario Human Rights Code, particularly
given that the Catholic school system is publicly funded in this province.

As well, in an April 27th interview with the Toronto Star, Nancy Kirby, President of the
OCSTA asserts that GSAs will continue to be banned because they are “associated with
activist groups, and the purpose of our clubs will be to provide support, not activism”.
We challenge this not only because any work that is done to demystify stereotypes and
eliminate discrimination/oppression is a form of activism but also, there is a clear
inequity being exposed here in what types of activism are considered acceptable versus
unacceptable by Catholic school boards. Every year, Catholic schools pack busloads of
students and head to Ottawa for the Canada National March for Life- an anti-abortion
rights rally. If this type of activism which seeks to limit the reproductive choices of
women is acceptable, we question how activism that seeks to improve the learning
environments for all students is considered ‘bad’ activism? Queer Ontario views this
not only as an affront to the rights of youth to assemble and voice their agency but also,
a systemic condoning of activism that suits the church while leveraging discriminatory
activism where the church’s needs are not suited.

Therefore, it is Queer Ontario’s position that the ACBO and OCSTA anti-bullying
related sexual orientation initiative will not adequately provide all that can be provided
by the establishment of GSAs, that it does not meet the standards of provincial policy,
and that in combination with the Pastoral Guidelines contravenes the Ontario Human
Rights Code. Most importantly, this initiative fails to address the actual needs of
LGBTQ-identified and straight supporting students to have the GSAs they requested
and for these reasons, Queer Ontario feels this initiative is a failed attempt at addressing
an important issue.

Queer Ontario is a provincially based network of individuals who are members of the
gender and sexually diverse populations and their allies committed to liberationist and
sex positive principles that focus on questioning, challenging and seeking reform to
social norms and laws that regulate queer people. Queer Ontario engages in public
education, political action, promoting access and diversity and coalition building.

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For interviews, please contact:

Nick Mulé Casey Oraa


Chairperson Chairperson, Political Action Committee
Queer Ontario Queer Ontario
416.926.9135 647.235.8190
nickm@look.ca caseyoraa@gmail.com

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i
ABCO – OCSTA Memorandum: “Enhancement of Caring for All Students in the Spirit of the Gospel” (April 15,
2011)
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2011_docs/OCSTA-ACBO-CatholicStudentGroups-April15-2011.pdf

ii
Ontario Ministry of Education: Program and Policy Memorandum 145 (October 19, 2009)
http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/extra/eng/ppm/145.html

iii
ABCO – OCSTA Accompanying Message: Messaging to Support the Enhancement of Caring in Catholic Schools to
Address Bullying Related to Sexual Orientation (April 15, 2011)
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2011_docs/CatholicSchStudentSupport-Messaging-April15-2011.pdf

iv
Ontario Conference of Catholic Bishops: Pastoral Guidelines to Assist Students of Same-Sex Orientation (2004)
http://www.hcdsb.org/Board/Equity/Documents/Pastoral%20Guidelines%20to%20Assist%20Students%20of%20Same-
Sex%20Orientation.pdf

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