A human rights complaint filed by a Catholic school student is again raising the issue of how the publicly-funded religious school system in Ontario treats students who do not identify as straight.
Christopher Karas, 18, has filed an application to The Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario alleging systematic homophobia by teachers and administrators at the Conseil Scolaire de District Catholique Centre-Sud (CSDCCS). The application to the tribunal outlines 25 different complaints spanning Karas’ four years at École Secondaire Catholique Sainte-Famille in Mississauga, Ont.
In January, Canada.com reported on Karas’ efforts to start a gay-straight alliance type of student group called Porte Ouverte (Open Doors). Karas said the school took a year and a half to approve the group. All publicly-funded schools in Ontario fall under the Accepting Schools Act, which states students cannot be refused requests to start a gay-straight alliance by any name. Karas also butted heads with administrators over a quote from gay rights activist Harvey Milk that contained the phrase “sexual orientation.”
High school student Christopher Karas. (Photo by Olivya Leblanc)
Karas also said he had to read Poison by Doric Germain in French class. In the book, an alcoholic father beats his son after catching him having sexual contact with another male. Karas said the instructor did not address the negative portrayal and abuse of the gay character in the classroom until he complained to administrators.
Among his complaints about teachers, Karas said a psychology instructor refused to include same-sex couples among examples of family structures. He also said a religions teachers told him that same-sex couples should not have the right to adopt children.
“This is what the teachers are being trained to tell our students,” said Karas.” There is no sensitivity training for them. They are not told that what they’re saying is not okay.”
The case raises a fundamental question about both freedom of religion and public funding for religious schools. Not only is Ontario’s Catholic school system fully funded by taxpayer money, that funding is guaranteed in the constitution. There have been murmurs of merging the Catholic and public school systems in Ontario, but it’s a political hot potato that few have been willing to touch.
The CSDCCS declined an interview with Canada.com but said in a statement they’ve received a copy of Karas’ application and are preparing their response. It’s not inconceivable that they will make an argument for religious freedom.
Karas’ lawyer Jean-Alexandre De Bousquet said discrimination against gay people is not a core tenet of Catholicism and therefore shouldn’t be protected.
“One can still be Catholic while respecting different individuals of different sexual orientations,” said De Bousquet. “Where it may be necessary for a Catholic school to have students read the Bible, it’s not necessary for them to ask them to read homophobic novels that depict homosexuals in a very poor light.”
“I don’t believe that they would be allowed to, for instance, teach that it’s immoral for gay people to adopt children or that gay families are not real families,” he added.
There’s no way that this homophobic culture would be put in place if they believed in love, respect and acceptance.
A 2012 document from the Ontario Catholic School Trustees’ Association called “Respecting Differences” says students of all orientations deserve respect and protection from bullying, but that same report also refers to Catechism of the Catholic Church as the faith’s “primary teaching document.”
That document says “homosexual acts are intrinsically disordered” and “contrary to the natural law.”
“They do not proceed from a genuine affective and sexual complementarity. Under no circumstances can they be approved,” it says.
These teachings reflect the “love the sinner, not the sin” attitude the church holds for the LGBTQ community. These teachings say gay people deserve love and respect while at the same time suggesting chastity is their only option if they can’t enter into a heterosexual marriage.
“When it comes to sexual activity, Catholic teaching is very clear and I think it’s here that there’s a perception of homophobia,” said Moira McQueen, executive director of the Canadian Catholic Bioethics Institute and theology teacher at the University of Toronto’s St. Michael’s college. “You may as well say it’s discriminating against premarital sex and that sort of thing too — because it is.”
“It’s not just sexual activity between homosexual people, it’s also sexual activity between heterosexual people outside marriage.”
McQueen argues these teachings are not homophobic and do not target gay people specifically — although it’s fair to say many gay people would disagree. She also noted these are guidelines to be a “good” Catholic, although “most of us don’t live up to Catholic teaching.”
Can those deeply-entrenched views ever be compatible with a system funded through the public purse?
Karas does not actually think the incidents he alleges in his application are in line with Catholic teaching. He said Catholics above all believe in care and respect for others.
“There’s no way that this homophobic culture would be put in place if they believed in love, respect and acceptance.,” said Karas.
“If that is not what is being taught in our Catholic schools, that’s not Catholic.”
The CSDSSC must file their response to the human rights tribunal by April 2. That response may shed some light on what their idea of inclusive Catholic teaching means for students like Karas.