New Post? Not for Prof Class?? WOAH!

So I would like to start this blog again with something that I saw on facebook and afterwards posted on my own facebook wall.  You'll see later it also nicely leads from my last blog entry.  It is this article:

http://www.xtra.ca/public/Toronto/Rainbows_banned_at_Mississauga_Catholic_school-10262.aspx

Now I'd like to make a comment that my concerns with how this went down have nothing to do with Catholicism/Catholic Schools/Religion in General.  It was funny that even though I made it clear my issue had nothing to do with these things, every single post other than mine on my facebook wall mentioned things like "Why surprised, its a Catholic School?", "It's great that Catholic schools are making progression!" or "Why does everyone think Catholicism is so intolerant of different lifestyles?"  (I am paraphrasing here).  It gave me a real insight as to how touchy religion still is when it comes to Education and especially LGBT issues.  And how when religion is introduced in a discussion it can often overwhelm the view, perspective and discussion at hand.  That makes sense though, because religion is something to be very passionate about and in almost everyone I have had the pleasure of meeting, this passion makes them better people.

So if my concern doesn't have to do with the religion that lingers in the background of this situation, what is it?

My concern doesn't come from what they specifically banned or what charity they had to donate to, but from the fact that student's with alternative lifestyles were allowed to attend the school, have the event and then the main arguments people have for putting restrictions on the event are "we don't celebrate alternative lifestyles" and "you don't have to go here if you don't like it".  Its the way this all went about and the aftermath that irks me (look!  No mention of religion! =D). It's very counterproductive to a world I would like to see (where no topics and social norms are above being challenged and questioned from time to time).  If the school board is not ready to have the discussion on lgbt issues (which is completely in their right to not be, these schools are based on something where this topic is controversial), then be big enough to admit that.  No one should begin a dialogue you don't actually want to have because it can hurt everyone involved.  That is the point I am trying to make.  As teachers in our classrooms, if we begin a discussion with our students who are not ready to handle the topic, we know it can be detrimental, toxic and possibly dangerous for those in the room.

For me, its easy to pick a side on this article based purely on your religious convictions, but I encourage people to look past that and see the bare facts of what happened here.  Take your own religion out of the equation and what have you got?

Tell me that, and we can really start a discussion.