Should Ontario require Catholic schools to allow 'gay' in student group names?

Ontario's Catholic clergy are objecting to Bill 13, an amendment to the province's Education Act to deal with bullying that would allow students to form "gay-straight alliances."

Premier Dalton McGuinty says he is not requiring Catholic schools to form 'gay-straight alliances.' (Michelle Siu/Canadian Press)The archbishop of Toronto, Thomas Cardinal Collins, spoke out against the bill, writing that "all forms of bullying need to be addressed, and all victims of bullying need to be helped."

The Liberal government says that if Catholic students in the province form anti-homophobia clubs in their school, the schools can't prevent them from calling them gay-straight alliances.

Education Minister Laurel Broten told CBC Radio's Metro Morning on Monday that the names of clubs do matter.

"To many of our students, we know that the term 'gay-straight alliance' has great meaning, and that words matter, and that if you can't name something you can't address it," Broten said.

John Del Grande, a trustee with the Toronto Catholic District School Board, told CBC Radio's Metro Morning that the existence of these clubs does not stop bullying in and of itself. 

He also suggested that the gay-straight alliance terminology is linked to a larger political movement "that is tied to activism and political changes much beyond just bullying."

Premier Dalton McGuinty emphasized that the government is not mandating use of the term, just insisting that students have the option to use it.

Should Ontario require Catholic schools to allow 'gay' in student group names? Do you think the name of the group matters? Why or why not? Let us know what you think.



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RELATED LINK: #bullyPROOF - The bully, the bullied and the bystanders. CBC News looks into the epidemic of bullying in our schools.