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Sues Over Prom |
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By Rex Wockner International News Report
 A Catholic high-school student in Oshawa, Ontario,
Canada -- denied the opportunity to take his boyfriend
to the prom because the Catholic church considers gay
sex sinful -- has filed suit at the Ontario Superior
Court of Justice, claiming violations of Canada's
Charter of Rights and Freedoms and Ontario's Education
Act.
Marc Hall, a 17-year-old senior at Monsignor John Pereyma Catholic Secondary School, pleaded his case before the Durham Catholic District School Board April 8, to no avail. A board spokesman told reporters, "The behavior associated with a homosexual lifestyle is not consistent with church teachings and our values as a Catholic school system." Board chair Mary Ann Martin added: "The catechism accepts homosexuals as persons who should be treated like any other person. ... However, the catechism notes that homosexual behavior is unacceptable and cannot be approved."
"I do not believe that religious belief is a justification for discriminating against me, and I do not agree that my religion, the Catholic church, has a policy against gay people going to dance. But it's not a matter of what I believe. It is a question of rights." |
