Trustee Garry Tanuan, pictured, moved the motion to ignore the year-old Accepting Schools Act at the May 23 Toronto Catholic District School Board meeting. Trustees with the Toronto Catholic District School Board voted 7-4 against the motion.
Trustee Garry Tanuan, pictured, moved the motion to ignore the year-old Accepting Schools Act at the May 23 Toronto Catholic District School Board meeting. Trustees with the Toronto Catholic District School Board voted 7-4 against the motion.

Toronto Catholic board rejects ban on GSAs

By 
  • May 24, 2013

TORONTO - An attempt to ban gay-straight alliances in Toronto Catholic schools has failed.

Trustees with the Toronto Catholic District School Board voted 7-4 against a call by two trustees to defy the provincial legislation that allows students in Catholic schools to set up gay-straight alliances (GSAs) in their schools.

Trustee Garry Tanuan moved the motion to ignore the year-old Accepting Schools Act at the May 23 board meeting. It was seconded by John Del Grande. The motion said GSAs undermine Catholic teaching by promoting a positive view of homosexual behaviour.

Students from two GSAs in Toronto Catholic schools were among those who argued against the motion during two hours of presentations to the board before trustees debated the motion.

Tanuan argued the Accepting Schools Act infringes upon Catholic boards' constitutional right to provide an education based on Catholic values. It's the same argument that had been brought forth by many Catholic stakeholders before the act passed last year.

Tanuan said the anti-bullying clubs should follow guidelines set by Respecting Difference, the document released by the Ontario Catholic School Trustees' Association in response to government demands that school boards enact anti-bullying programs.

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