The Canadian province of Ontario has dealt a major blow to the Catholic Church's undisguised anti-gay discrimination by announcing that ALL schools in the province, including Catholic school which receive government funding, must host gay straight alliances. Needless to say the bitter old men in dresses in the bishoprics in Ontario have their patties in a major wad. To me it's a simply call: receive any form of government funds and you lose the right to discriminate based on alleged religious belief or otherwise. It is the same standard that should be applied in the USA to Catholic hospitals and universities all of which receive large amounts of state and federal tax derived dollars. It would make the greedy bastards in the bishops miters decide which they worship more: bigotry or money. If they opt for bigotry, then let their institutions wither and die. The statements of bigoted parents are noteworthy and likewise reflect an all too common desire to have special rights and privileges: taking government money and yet being free to discriminate and trample on the rights of others. Here are highlights from the National Post:
The Ontario provincial government has ignored months of behind-the-scenes negotiations by announcing Friday that all schools, religious or otherwise, will be required to host gay-straight alliances, Church sources say. As part of the original Bill 13, which was intended to curb bullying in schools, the province included a provision for organizations with the name “gay-straight alliance or another name.”
Ontario Education Minister Laurel Broten said there would be no compromises. “Schools need to be safe places for kids to be themselves — and for some kids, that means being able to name a club a gay-straight alliance,” Ms. Broten said. “I don’t think there’s anything radical about allowing students to name a club.”
Church sources said they were blindsided and disappointed by the announcement. Cardinal Thomas Collins, the head of the Archdiocese of Toronto, is expected to make a statement on Monday.
Teresa Pierre, who is part of a group of Catholic parents opposed to Bill 13, said forcing gay-straight alliances into the school would erode Church teaching. “Our concern is that this anti-bullying legislation is meant to bring a change in the Catholic curriculum,” said Ms. Pierre. “We are concerned about the potential erosion of Catholic principles. She added later: “The Church’s position on homosexuals is not different than any group struggling to abide by Catholic teaching. It is no different than straight teens that are sexually active. We wouldn’t have a club centred around birth control.”
The government hopes to pass the legislation before the legislature rises for the summer on June 7.
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