Xtra

The provincial Ministry of Education thinks GSA’s are pretty important. They are encouraged as one of the best ways to fight homophobia in schools and build bridges between all students. But the Halton Catholic District School Board (HCDSB) takes a different view. The board feels the groups are harmful, and has issued a ban on GSA’s 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. ”Even if a student asks to start up a GSA, a wall of opposition from the principal to the education director points to a blanket board-wide policy. “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.”