Toronto’s Catholic Schools Bow to the Rainbow Mafia, by Donald DeMarco

On the night of November 8, 2019, the Toronto Catholic District School Board, after a long and heated debate, voted to adopt four gender terms into its code of conduct: “gender identity,” “gender expression,” “family status,” and “marriage status”. The board chair, who supported the 8 to 4 vote, stated that “we need to celebrate our differences and make sure our children from the LGBTQ community and families from the LGBTQ community are supported and welcomed”. This view, however, is contrary to that of the archdiocese, which responded: “We do not accept the view of the human person which underlies this terminology, since that view is not compatible with our faith.”

This is a case of too many cooks spoiling the broth. Students at Catholic schools are equally protected by law and school policy from unjust discrimination, ridicule, and assault and battery. Since everyone is equally protected, there is no need to give special attention to any specific group. Bullying is, fundamentally, indiscriminate. Students are better protected by the enforcement of the regulations that are already in the book, and not by the school adding controversial terms to its code of conduct. Here, the responsibility lies with the administration and its teachers. ….