A local 17 yr. old Catholic high school student is fighting to be allowed to bring his 21 yr. old boyfriend to the prom. Article in Xtra--Toronto's gay newspaper

He has set-up a website proclaiming that gay students are being "segregated like blacks were in the early to mid 1900's"

Still, I can't help wondering why he's going to a Catholic school in the first place. A Catholic school is a religion-based institution and has the right to set whatever rules it wants. If this was a public school prom I would support him, but because it's a Catholic school I'm a little wary.

Opinions?

I support him 100%. He should have the right.

whether the school is catholic or not is immaterial vis-a-vis compliance with statutes and laws concerning non-discrimination and equal protection under the law as they receive governmental funding and support.

Also you're basically asking "why is he catholic if he's gay?" There are many gays who are also religious. they are not mutually exclusive.

I just wanted to add. I love this website and I love this message board.

Specifically, the sports oriented nature (I believe) brings a certain kind of personalities to the site and we seem to know how to work with differences of opinion (possibly from working as a team while playing sports) much better than those I've seen in other boards. (you know. those that spin out of control with everyone attacking each other about who has the absolute answer)

I'm just real glad I found this site, the kind of men who have been posting, the sports angle and of course all the hot guys of the sports world.

To the site organizers and all the readers, I wanna say a big thank you.

I'd be more concerned with the law than prom. He's underage and the 21-year-old can be thrown in jail. This isn't an episode of Queer as Folk, if school administration wanted to get nasty, they could request a police investigation. I'd tread lightly with this for that reason only.

Z

You're assuming they have proof of sexual relations between the two. (although I'm sure there is a sexual relationship) Proof would have to be furnished of sex between the two and also in canada, the age of consent may be lower than 18. anyone know?

From Rosie DiManno's column in the Toronto Star, which I believe has a ring of sensibility to it:

[quote] So let's drag a couple of Jesuits into the now raging debate over 17-year-old Marc Hall's intemperate demand to bring his 21-year-old boyfriend to the prom.

Hall is a self-proclaimed homosexual. For unfathomable reasons — never explained — he's also a student at Monsignor John Pereyma Catholic Secondary School in Oshawa.

One might think that a gay student — and enthusiastic, practising homosexual — would give a wide berth to any Catholic school, since all Catholic learning institutions that are administered by a Catholic school board would be compelled to follow and promote the teachings, the dogmatic strictures, of the Catholic church.

"This is a tricky one," mused Father Jean-Marc Laporte, a professor of "systemic theology" — conventional dogma — at Regis College, which is part of the University of Toronto. He's also "switch-hitting," temporarily, as moral theologian for the college, during the sabbatical leave of the school's full-time moral whip.

"It's not something you can look up in a rulebook. Actually, I don't think any clear guidelines would exist in Catholic dogma. Obviously, no matter what the decision, someone is going to disagree."

But Father Laporte agreed to take a run at it.

"Speaking personally, I think you would have to know the context. Is he making some kind of definitive statement — as in 'I am an active homosexual'? Or is it simple a matter of, 'I'm bringing someone, this other boy, to the prom,' in which case I think the prudent thing would be to just let the thing go."

Clearly, Hall is being, well, dogmatic. Had he brought a male friend to the prom, no one would have objected. We're well beyond the point where a "date" is required to attend one's prom (a silly social convention in itself, frankly, but that comes from someone who came of age in an era where proms were hugely uncool, which is why my high school voted against having one.)

But young Hall deliberately made an issue of it. It's not that he wanted his boyfriend on his arm, it's that he wanted everyone else to acknowledge it, accept it, even applaud it. And that's either naïve or deliberately reckless. Hall wanted to create a stink, and he has.

Most commentators have vigorously defended Hall's right to bring a same-sex date to his prom. Such a brave boy and all, standing up for his rights, admitting — bellowing, in fact, crowing about it — what he is, which must be a difficult thing indeed for any teenager. Except this does not seem in the least bit difficult for Hall, a most self-confident young man, media-hip and wise beyond his years to the litigious way of the world.

On Monday night, a Durham Catholic board meeting degenerated into caterwauling after the board chair refused to discuss Hall's situation publicly. The issue wasn't on the agenda, she claimed, not that she would necessarily have permitted debate on the subject even if it had been properly presented.

Hall was then quick to declare his intention of ratcheting up his grievance a couple of notches: "I'm taking legal action now — lawyers, human rights commission, whatever I can do. I don't want this to happen to anyone else. I'm trying to fight this for everybody else, not just for myself."

Hall is assuming the martyr's pose, I suppose, which is an insult to the martyrs through the ages who've died for love of their faith. I've seen no evidence that Hall either loves or respects his faith. Rather, he is seeking to discredit and abase it.

I don't favour the church's view on homosexuality — condemn the "sin", embrace the "sinner." But it's certainly well known where the church stands on the matter. Says Laporte: "The official position is that homosexuality is sinful, but a homosexual tendency is not. To wit: Homosexuals are welcome in the church, indeed welcome in the priesthood, if they abstain from homosexual activity. Without splitting hairs, this means, as Laporte plainly puts it, "homosexual genital activity."

Many non-Catholics (and Catholics too, for that matter) cannot comprehend this position. But that's not the issue. Religious observance entails obedience to a great extent. In the moral relativism of the 21st century, many of us — Catholics, I mean — have adopted what Laporte calls "cafeteria service Catholicism": pick what you like, leave the rest. That makes it easy to be a good Catholic, but we're not actually being Catholic, if you take my meaning.

However, rejecting certain elements of Catholicism for example, the ban on contraception, does not necessarily leave Catholics out in the secular cold, unfit to take Communion. "There are some make-or-break issues," says Laporte. "Abortion would be one of those." But in practice, it's common and generally acceptable for Catholics in good conscience to merely "not take a violent stand" on an issue of moral conflict, such as abortion.

In the Marc Hall case, the heart of the matter is homosexuality, because the boy has chosen to make it so. He has taken a violent stand. To do otherwise — to be quietly gay, in his case — may have been viewed as hypocritical, even dishonest. But it would have been practical.

This isn't the army — a secular institution and a civil service. It isn't the workplace. It's a Catholic high school, an extension of the Catholic Church and thus, like all religious institutions, regardless of faith, exempt from most human rights legislation.

Young Hall chose to make a great fuss. He chose to turn himself into a public spectacle. He would not deny his own homosexuality but now demands that the Catholic Church deny its core beliefs.

As Laporte suggests, not unkindly: "Perhaps that kid is out of whack with the basic values of the Catholic church."

---

I was a mere 12 years old when I came to the realization that there was something inconsistent between my pseudo-catholic upbringing and the things I felt at my very core. That was the last time they've seen me darken their door.

The radical part of me says "Good for him! The Catholic Church needs to have its outdated value system tested again and again."

The practical part of me echoes what several of you have already said: "Why is he even in a Catholic school? Isn't there an age of consent issue here? And...IS HE NUTS?"

I don't know. I was not nearly as certain or comfortable with me sexuality at that age to make the kind of decision he has made, so it's hard for me to judge. But part of me is just cheering him on, tilting at the archaic windmill that is the Papal Empire.

With respect to the age of consent issue, it depends on the state and province. In New York, the age of consent is 17. In Maryland, if at least one of the persons is under 18, a sexual relationship is legal if there is no more than 4 years difference in age.

with regards to the gay dude at jesuit school issue. I'm a hoya. Georgetown is a jesuit university. Yes in recent weeks we have had controversy on campus about the proposed gay/lesbian center being defeated. But the fact of the matter is being homosexual is not mutually exclusive to catholic EDUCATION. There are many students who are students at GU or any other of numerous jesuit/catholic schools.

That is not an issue here. He is not asking the catholic church or the the society of jesus (jesuits) to accept his view of gays. He's merely asking for freedom of association in bringing another man to a dance.

by the way, religious institutions are NOT exempt from human rights legislations. (in Canada and in the US) as long as they receive governmental benefits and/or grants (and they do as most schools do) they must comply to qualify for governmental assistance.

[quote]Originally posted by canmark:
From Rosie DiManno's column in the Toronto Star, which I believe has a ring of sensibility to it:

self-proclaimed
deliberately made an issue of it
he wanted everyone else to acknowledge it, accept it, even applaud it
Hall wanted to create a stink
bellowing, in fact, crowing about it
ratcheting up his grievance
Hall is assuming the martyr's pose
the heart of the matter is homosexuality, because the boy has chosen to make it so
Young Hall chose to make a great fuss. He chose to turn himself into a public spectacle. He would not deny his own homosexuality but now demands that the Catholic Church deny its core beliefs.

---

Now we know the name Pat Buchanan uses when he writes for the _Toronto Star_.

Why is Marc Hall in Catholic school? Because that's where his parents are making him go.

I find the question, coupled with the what-an-idiot attitude, of why this kid is going to Catholic school a bit odd. First of all, yeah, my guess is that's where his parents wanted him to go. There could be all sorts of other reasons too. The Jesuit high school back in Kansas City was an excellent school, situated in the middle of what was then a horrible school district. I knew a guy who went to a certain Catholic HS in Cincinnati because it had an outstanding football program. Also, like me and many many others, this kid might have started in the Catholic school system long before he had any inkling that he was gay!

In Catholics' defense ... while there is still plenty of homophobia in the Catholic Church, you'd be surprised by how accepting most lay Catholics are about gays/lesbians. And I have yet to meet a member of the clergy under 40 who wasn't terrifically accepting and supportive of gays/lesbians (even a few of the "old school" set, too).

Forget about wondering what this kid is doing in Catholic school, and just accept it as a given that he is. While I doubt this guy will win this battle, I'm so damn happy and proud that he's fighting the good fight. He's making homosexuality visible, getting people talking, and drumming up support. No matter what the actual outcome, this kid will have won.

I found Rosie DiManno's column to be extremely insulting, closed minded, and downright bigoted....what will her column be about next week? -- all the noble, long standing merits of the KKK?....Marc Hall should be commended for having the courage to stand up for what is right in spite of the idiocy displayed by people like DiManno, Pat Robertson, and Jerry Falwell.

Whether Marc is 17 or 70 that should have no bearing upon his right to bring the person/friend of his choice to a public gathering....from all accounts, he has NEVER given any indication of any inappropriate conduct that would merit such a decision based upon bigotry and hate....the letter that Marc wrote to his high school principal (which appears on the link in his website referenced in an earlier post) conveyed his thoughts in a highly professional and articulate manner....the implication made by DiManno of "sexual misconduct" along her referring to Hall as a martyr is ludicrous....in this day and age when so many gay youth are "forced" to remain in the closet due to fear of reprisal or harrassment it is encouraging to see an obviously intelligent, well behaved teen (as referenced by his past track record) display such courage which hopefully will serve as another step on the road to eliminating such fear in the minds of millions of gay youth worldwide....even with all the strides we have left to make, I would hate to think where we would be if individuals like Marc Hall did not publicly speak out and take a stand when such gross injustices were taking place.

Speaking as someone who attended Catholic school in NYC for six years (well before I became aware of my true self) that high school principal in Toronto has unquestionably overstepped his boundaries and is now using the highly hypocritical doctrine of catholicism as his "defense"! ...I have visited Toronto on several occasions and have always been tremendously impressed by the friendliness that is so apparent there among its residents (which is highly indicative of Canadians as a whole, I might add)....Marc is certainly deserving of the widespread support (and publicity) that he is apparently receiving and let's only hope that his actions continue to serve as inspiration and encouragement for countless others worldwide -- IMHO this young man has a bright future ahead of him.

[ March 29, 2002: Message edited by: gamecock ]

Well...I can't answer for the guy at the Catholic high school, but I would have dug to take a boyfriend to my prom.

So what's a gay high school athlete supposed to do: 1.) Take one of his female friends that mistakes his attention as "something more;" 2.) Take a cheerleader (female), especially if her dad is the football coach (that's what I did); or 3.) Proclaim you've had a religious conversion! Tell everyone that dancing is condemned by your new church and stay home (that's what my boyfriend did).

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Marty:
[QB]So what's a gay high school athlete supposed to do: 1.) Take one of his female friends that mistakes his attention as "something more;" -
How about take a female "friend" and go as "friends" - THATS what I did .

A Catholic school is a religion-based institution and has the right to set whatever rules it wants. If this was a public school prom I would support him, but because it's a Catholic school I'm a little wary.

Opinions?[/QB][/QUOTE]


I tend to agree, the student is attending a private, religious based instituition. The institution, being a private enitity has the right to create and enforce rules as they apply to ther beliefs. The student has no right to have the rules bend or change to suit him, least above the Catholic Church. The Chruch just doesn't work that way.

Of course many say if the school is receiving federal fund, etc... I find that a valid agrument to a point. Surely, federal money should not be given to organization that violate the law or human rights. However, a religious organization is a based upon their unquie beliefs and creed. The constitution seperates chruch and state, thus, the government can not force a religioius organization to change their core bielifs so that said organization is inline with the governments view of fair play.

The young man needs to realize that as long as he is under the charge of his parents, and a student at that Catholic high school, he must follow their rules. Once he is graduated and makes his way onto his own, then, he has the right to live his life according to his rules.

When such a realization comes he'll prove to others and more importantly, realize himself he truely reached a level of maturity which says ....I"m grown up and I can live my life on my own terms and how I see fit. Until then, all this demanding of "rights" is just a kid asking permission and the answer is NO.

I know this sounds very conservative, epecially from me...lol, and it probably exposes my own Catholic school experience from 1st to graduate degree level. Yet,I feel that this is a realization all teenagers must reach in order to "come into their own" and become adults.

In time, I bet, the things this student learned in his years under the charge of the good brothers and sisters will benefit him in ways he may not even recognize. The mere fact he is standing up for what he see is his right shows that somewhere along the line, a good dose of self esteem, courage, and moral fiber was instilled.

He's on the right track.....just I don't think the train is finished traveling yet.

Well, according to the Catholic Church any sex outside of marriage is sinful. So if his public expression of sinfulness offends them, anyone going to the prom who is either having sex, or has thought about having sex with their date (committing adultery in their hearts), should also be banned from attendance.

Whether they're legally required to allow it is doubtful--after all, they're permitted to discriminate against women in employment. But to argue that they're disallowing the date for purely religious reasons is, I think, dishonest.

[quote]Originally posted by JC:
Well, according to the Catholic Church any sex outside of marriage is sinful.

---

You bring up a good point, JC. Actually, in the eyes of the Church, any sex not for the express purpose of procreation is sinful. So technically, a married couple's use of birth control is as much a sin as sex between two men. Of course, you'll never see the Church excluding a married couple with just two children (sorry, but that doesn't happen naturally). And technically, since they don't demand proof of virginity for the heterosexual couples, you could go off on a "Footloose" tirade and argue that the whole damn prom is sinful.

But let's get back to the real world for a moment, shall we? No, this guy won't be able to bring his 21-year-old boyfriend to the prom. While I'm not familiar with Canadian law, I'm guessing it's probably legal. And I guess I'm also revealing my Catholic school background when I say I don't necessarily disagree with that decision. But that probable outcome doesn't diminish what this kid is doing. If nothing else, he's making a whole lot of people ask themselves "what's wrong with it?", something they might not have done otherwise.

satxbuddy1, I loved your post, and you hit the nail on the head: "Until then, all this demanding of 'rights' is just a kid asking permission and the answer is NO." But one day, who knows when, don't be too shocked if a Catholic schoolboy actually gets to bring his boyfriend to his prom. I know what you're thinking, "you so crazy!!!" There's that great baseball quote -- "You can sum up baseball in one word: 'you never know'" ... I always thought you could apply it to life in general.

Lots of good comments and ideas here. Some I agree with, some I don't. Now I'll open a new can of worms: It seems the Catholic Church should worry a little more about the Priests molesting kids right and left, the coverup and the denials and the protection of the priests over the protection of the innocent victims, and quit worrying about some kid who wants to bring another guy to the prom. Are the local male leaders just jealous?

[quote] Actually, in the eyes of the Church, any sex not for the express purpose of procreation is sinful. So technically, a married couple's use of birth control is as much a sin as sex between two men.

---

Off-topic, but...

Well actually, the Church allows natural methods of birth control--rhythm method, calendar method, basal body temperature, etc.

Originally posted by utahman4u:
It seems the Catholic Church should worry a little more about the Priests molesting kids right and left, the coverup and the denials and the protection of the priests over the protection of the innocent victims, and quit worrying about some kid who wants to bring another guy to the prom.

Well said, utahman....I have been convinced that the catholic church has had their priorities screwed up for decades and this has never been more true IMHO than the issue involving Marc Hall in Toronto -- and these viewpoints come from someone who had the "pleasure" of attending catholic school in Queens Village, NY for six years as a young boy....too bad I didn't have the knowledge, age or wisdom to tell some of those "good brothers and sisters" (as satx referred to them in an earlier post) what I really thought of some of their tactics and teaching principles....while I believe that this Toronto school will "cave in" and allow Marc to rightfully bring the date of his choice to the prom what is truly shameful is that the "administrators" of this school district deemed it necessary to exercise (and ABUSE) their power so unnecessarily....then again, I probably shouldn't be surprised given the fact that SO MANY other men associated with the "revered" catholic church have a LONG history of abusing their power, which is only now coming to light over the past few months.

Do you know what you call Catholics who practice the rhythm method?

Mommy and Daddy

Yeah, but it's still a FORM of birth control.

I'll say it again, Garry Wills, in his excellent esasy on the Jesuits in a recent NEW YORK REVIEW OF BOOKS, points out that the Jesuits are known for harboring a large number of self-described "gay" priests, and that these gay cabals actually are sources of solidarity for Jesuits across the U.S., so much so that "straight" priests feel frozen out. I wasn't surprised by this at all--one of my childhood buddies, who was "gayer" than I was, became a Jesuit. I always thought about him, either the seminary or San Francisco....

I went to Catholic school for my entire life, not out of my own choosing, but because my parents deemed it necessary for a good education. And it was--I was in a Benedictine school for six years (7-12), and the academic training was rigorous. I have known a number of gay priests, some of them who actually left the priesthood because they could not deal with the hypocrisy and their own sexual issues vis-à-vis celibacy and homosexuality.

While a private organization has the right to set its own prerogatives, I wish more Catholic prelates and clergy would not be so hypocritical and acknowledge the presence of homosexuals, both in their ranks and among student populations. This young man should have the right to bring the date of his choice to his prom. But it's likely that even if they bar him from doing so, he'll run into one of those hypocritical priests in a local bar or bathhouse or club--it happens all the time.

"How about take a female "friend" and go as "friends" - THATS what I did . "

That one's good Copman. I've never really had a lot of friends that were girls, or even have too many women friends now.

But that's a great idea! Both parties understanding exactly what the deal is. So honest. I like that!

Now it seems the young man is indeed going to court. This is from the Globe and Mail (April 11th):

[quote] A few months ago, 17-year-old Marc Hall was planning his Grade 12 prom night with his boyfriend. Mr. Hall envisioned himself stepping out of a limo in a white tuxedo, his hair dyed baby blue to match his shirt. His 21-year-old date would be standing beside him, dressed in black.

Yesterday, the gay Oshawa student took legal action in a bid to force the Durham Catholic District School Board to let him attend the prom with his boyfriend, Jean-Paul Dumond.

Mr. Hall, a student of Monsignor John Pereyma Catholic Secondary School, announced that he is seeking an injunction from Ontario Superior Court to compel the board to change its decision barring him from bringing Mr. Dumond to the May 10 event.

He is also seeking $100,000 in damages.

"The school board says that they cannot condone a homosexual lifestyle. I'm sorry, I don't have a lifestyle. I have a life," Mr. Hall said yesterday at a packed news conference at Queen's Park.

"It seems like it's okay to be gay but not to act gay."

The board has stated that it is against the teachings of the Catholic Church to allow Mr. Hall to attend the prom with a same-sex date. Board chairwoman Mary Ann Martin said that those who force their views on the board or request that the board ignore the teachings of the church are intolerant of the Roman Catholic religion.

Human-rights lawyer David Corbett, who is representing Mr. Hall pro bono, said the board has violated Mr. Hall's right to freedom of association and freedom of speech under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

It has also breached a code of conduct in the province's Education Act, which states that schools shall treat students fairly regardless of sexual orientation, Mr. Corbett said. The board also has an obligation to look out for its students, he added.

---

[quote]Originally posted by Marty:
[QB I've never really had a lot of friends that were girls, or even have too many women friends now.[/QB]

---

I always have had female friends. Maybe cuz I like to shop ??? Its sad but true!

It's amazing that this sole private Catholic school in Toronto has continued to steadfastly ignore all the support that Marc Hall is rightfully receiving from political and social leaders locally, nationally, and internationally and stand behind their "position" of bigotry and discrimination....with the hundreds of millions of dollars that the Catholic church is having to pay out in settlements to victims of abuse by priests (some of which go back 30+ years and are finally surfacing now), you would think that at least one person associated with that church/school would be able to come to a rational and fair decision....I hope Marc and his huge throng of supporters make the school/church pay far more than 100K so that, as Marc stated Monday after his request was denied a "final" time, no other student in the future has to go through this -- just imagine if this decision involved blacks or any other minority as opposed to gays -- the outcry would be far greater than it already is....hopefully Marc Hall will go down in history as the Rosa Parks of gay teens for having the courage to stand up and fight for what is right as he is simply asking for the same decency that any of his straight classmates are entitled to.

[ April 12, 2002: Message edited by: gamecock ]

This story smells of parental intervention!!! I can't help but feel that mr. hall's parents fearing he might be gay have sent him to Catholic School, where he will learn the evils of his way and will learn the virues of a good catholic up bringing. ( goodness knows they couldn't send him to military school- putting the fox in the hen house or in this case cock house) What better way for a gay teenager to get back at repressive parents than to embaress them on an international level? At the same time, brining negative attention to the instrument through which they are imposing their treatment. The timing could not have been worse for the Catholic Church as it already is getting it's balls busted by the rampant child molesting accusations and charges being tossed about. The parents could be feeling pretty dumb now too as people might ask: You sent your homosexual child to repress his feelings and hide within the Catholic church? Hmmm, sounds like a bad senario to me.

Just something to think about.

BOTTOM and TOP of the week:

BOTTOM
No talk of gay parents. In a discussion of a proposed 300 million dollar program to promote families so that children could

1. have two adults raising them and

2. have a gender-appropriate role model

no mention was made of the possibility of promoting same-sex parents for same-sex children.

TOP

These kids are great.

I like to end on a positive note.

The prom is tonight and this is the judge's decision:

[quote] Gay Oshawa teenager Marc Hall cannot be banned from taking his boyfriend to the prom at a Roman Catholic high school, a judge ruled today.
Hall, 17, was granted an injunction by the Superior Court of Justice allowing him to take his boyfriend, Jean-Paul Dumond, 21, to his prom tonight at Monsignor John Pereyma Catholic high school in Oshawa.

In his ruling, MacKinnon wrote that "the idea of equality speaks to the conscience of all humanity dignity and worth.

"Marc Hall is a Roman Catholic Canadian trying to be himself. He is gay. It's not an answer to Section 15 Charter rights on these facts to deny permission to attend a school function to celebrate the end of his high school career with his classmates."

Hall beamed broadly as he and his date set off for the dance this afternoon.

"I (took) it to trial in order to set a precedent so that nobody else will have to go through what I had to go through," he said.

"I feel at ease now, just knowing that we're getting free of discrimination."

Dumond, who works as a manager at Radio Shack, said he felt the ruling gave legitimacy to the couple's relationship.

"When all this started, it kind of felt like they were putting down our relationship and that we weren't worth anything to anyone.

"This just proves them wrong."

Hall's lawyer David Corbett said the ruling tells Catholic schools "you can't disciminate on the basis of sexual orientation when you're dealing with young people. You shouldn't be able to do that with anybody, but especially not young people in their care."

Corbett said the judge's decision is only an interim ruling, but that the board has indicated it wants to argue its position in a trial. Corbett said Hall is prepared to do the same.

"We'll take it all the way to trial to get a clear precedent. We'll take it all the way to the Supreme Court of Canada if we have to."

Roger Hutchinson, a professor emeritus of theology at the University of Toronto, said he didn't think the decision would "open the flood gates" and make way for concrete change. But he said it would send a strong message that gay people have basic human rights that must be protected by public institutions.

"It will make all Catholic schools think twice before they make anti-gay decisions."

Hutchinson said Hall's case shows the climate for gays in the church is improving.

"The fact that the young person has streghth of conviction to take it this far, he must think he has a reasonable chance of winning. It's hard to imagine this happening 10 or 15 years ago."

Earlier this week, Peter Lauwers, a lawyer for the Durham Catholic School Board, told court the school board has the right under the Constitution to run its schools in accordance with Catholic teachings and if Hall doesn't like it he can go to a public school.

Lauwers called Hall a bad example, and said while the school board accepts gay people, they can't condone or allow homosexual behaviour at a school function.

Hall's lawyer David Corbett argued the board violated the Ontario Human Rights Code, the Education Act and the provincial Code of Conduct, which all bar discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation.

Corbett argued the church's right to consider religious values when regulating students' conduct doesn't trump Hall's human rights.

His fight has drawn high-profile support from politicians, TV stars and union bosses.

Industry Minister Allan Rock wrote an open letter to the school board asking trustees to reverse the ban.

"I encourage you to set an example, for all Canadians, of social justice in action by not discriminating against a student based on sexual orientation," Rock wrote.

Hall was feted at a gay rights group gala on Parliament Hill last month.

Guy Gagnier, host of PrideVision TV's current affairs show Shout!, and actors Jack Wetherall and Sherry Miller from the popular television series Queer as Folk were there to offer support.

The cause has even vaulted Hall onto the small screen, with appearances on the reality show The Lofters and an upcoming episode of Queer as Folk.

---

It appears the Canadian courts have made a ruling affecting how a private organziation (the Catholic Church) can set rules and standards. Or is it that they can't set rules and standards?

Is it possible now, based on this ruling, for a gay/lesbian private organization to be forced to accede to the demands of a heterosexual or a group of heterosexuals?

Actually it is a PUBLIC Catholic school board. In Ontario (as part of the British North America act which founded Canada) the Catholics where given their own school system. This was also carried over to our patriated constitution. This means that Catholics get a school system funded by public money. If there was no public money going into the system I would say fine let them discriminate but that isn't the case here. Personally the idea of public money going to religious indoctrination sickens me.

I would be surprised if the Catholics complain a whole lot about this. It would be a perfect excuse for a referendum to get rid of this bit of religious inequality. There are a lot of other religious groups in Ontario who have been begging for cash for their own school systems. I believe Newfoundland had a similar school system for protestants and catholics, it was costing too much money and the provincial government canned it after winning a referendum.

The happy couple were the lead story on the nightly news and on the front page of the paper.

[Lengthy dead URL deleted.]

[ June 11, 2002: Message edited by: m1 ]

rbinweho,

as stated in earlier posts (MUCH earlier), the contention was never the government setting standards for totally private otganizations.

The point of the earlier arguments and the ruling is that when a PRIVATE org wilingly accepts PUBLIC funds, then they are obliged to follow the same standards of non-discrimination as stipulated in the law of the land. So then,if the Canadian KKK (is there such a thing?) decided to accept public funding, they must accept black members.

The Canadian equivalent of the KKK is probably the Aryan Nations--I don't think they receive public funding though, since the Reform Party hasn't formed the government yet.