Four terms – gender expression, gender identity, family status and marital status – have pitted members of Toronto’s Catholic school community against each other, with some saying they promote “anti-Catholic doctrine” and others declaring “we are all children of God who deserve love and protection.”The Toronto Catholic District School Board is debating whether to follow an updated provincial code of conduct that expands the grounds under which no one can be discriminated against, including the four terms that have sparked controversy. On Wednesday trustees, themselves divided, will hear members of the public weigh in.Board chair Maria Rizzo, who’s on the Catholic Education and Living Our Catholic Values subcommittee handling the matter, supports including the terms in the TCDSB code of conduct. But what was supposed to be a rubber stamp approval degenerated into a “divisive” debate, she says, adding the code also impacts students’ families, who may be comprised of divorced and single parents and same-sex partners. “We have to comply with the law, we’re a publicly-funded school board, taking taxpayers’ money,” she told the Star. The issue sparked online petitions. One, “Protect Our LGBT+ Youth & Families From Discrimination in Catholic Schools,” has about 10,700 signatures. Another, calling on Cardinal Thomas Collins to “Urge Catholic Trustees To Reject The Theory Of Gender Identity,” has 1,585 names. Trustees are receiving emails on both sides — those opposed are most upset with including gender identity and gender expression — with one objector saying, “You might as well take all the crosses off the walls,” while another says, “bullying in schools confirms we need to do more, not less,” to ensure student safety.According to the Human Rights Code and the Ministry of Education, one cannot discriminate on the ba ...
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