One Of Three Halton Ontario Catholic District Trustees Who Voted Against Revised Equity Policy That Prohibits Use Of Word “Gay” Paul Marai Says Revision Deliberately Puts Negative Connotation On Homosexuality; Prior To Vote Ex-Gay Says She Supports Creation Of Any Support Group To “Aid Those Struggling From Homosexual Orientation If It Is Set Up As AA For Alcoholics”

As previously posted, Tuesday, the Halton Ontario Catholic District School Board announced a revision of its equity and inclusivity policy that is anything but, and now the InsideHalton.com reports that one the three trustees who voted against the proposal, Paul Marai is criticizing the inane policy that prohibits the use of “gay,” “lesbian,” or “homosexual” but purports to be an appropriate substitute for gay-straight alliances. The board has been operating under an interim equity policy after rescinding its previous one that was passed in November, 2010 In January, the new board of trustees determined that the new policy was too restrictive and narrow in focus and rescinded the policy, which included a ban on gay-straight alliances, after a public outcry. A revised version of the current interim policy — the Ontario Education Services Corporation’s (OESC) Catholic template policy — is what trustees voted on Tuesday, which still bans the formation of gay-straight alliances, and instead recommends the formation of a student support and discussion group called Safety, Inclusivity, Diversity, Equity (S.I.D.E.) Spaces. Marai, who is the first the openly gay trustee to be elected to the board, said this would be too vague to support gay or lesbian students within the Halton Catholic board. According to background information provided to the board, S.I.D.E. Spaces would enable students “to access peer support without the danger or threat of non-acceptance in order to work together to make their schools more welcoming for all members of school communities regardless of race, origin, sexual orientation or ability.” Following the board meeting, Marai said he wants to see the opportunity for stand-alone GSAs to be formed at Halton Catholic board schools for students that want them. “I appreciate the work done on it (policy), but I think S.I.D.E. Spaces has sidestepped the issue. If students want that, good for them. We are not going far enough with S.I.D.E. Spaces; if students want GSA clubs, they should have them. We’re saying to LGBT (lesbian/gay/bisexual/transsexual) students you can’t be visible (within the support group) if you’re gay. My fear is that we have changed the debate,” said Marai, who believes that the new policy will effectively ban gay-straight alliances and the word gay. “I don’t think it sends the right message (to students). I don’t think we should put a negative connotation on it.”

Superintendent of Education, Mary Tessari, disagrees with Marai, and contends that the board is attempting to cater to a variety of students in need of support, saying “We really feel that the concept of S.I.D.E. Spaces is a much more inclusive format, who added that students who are gay may have feelings of isolation or be bullied, but there may be other non-gay students with similar feelings and experiences. She also does not agree with Marai’s assertion that schools should have gay-straight alliances since separate interest groups already exist within schools, saying “Multicultural groups, drama (club), the swim team, those types of things will go on. That is a totally separate thing. They have an entirely different purpose. “S.I.D.E. Spaces are for any student who feels they are not accepted.”

Prior to the vote, and as if on cue, one Sylvia Hache spoke as a delegation and told of how she was gay for 13 years, felt cursed, but made a conscious decision to change her lifestyle, benefitting from that choice. “I realize society is leading people to believe being a homosexual is not a choice, and that it is discovered. The truth from the Bible states homosexuality is a sinful behaviour equal to, but not any different from other sinful or addictive behaviour,” she said. “I am in total support of any group that is created by the Halton (board) to aid those struggling from homosexual orientation or same-sex attraction, if it is set up and designed as AA would be for alcoholics or a drug rehabilitation centre would be for drug abusers, with the goal to help them turn away from that sinful or addictive behaviour. To suggest that there is no cure for those suffering from homosexual orientation is to cause them to lose hope.”