Yukon Catholic bishop says school’s same-sex policy will stay
Gary Gordon said the policy is based on Catholic teachings, will remain at Vanier
The Yukon's Catholic bishop says the controversial same-sex policy at Vanier Catholic Secondary School will stay in place.
On Wednesday, Education Minister Scott Kent ordered the document be immediately removed from the school web site.
Bishop Gary Gordon says removing the document from the website was a good idea, but he says that's as far as it goes. He said the policy will still guide teachers at the school.
Gordon says the policy is based on Catholic teachings about homosexuality, and will remain as a cornerstone at Vanier.
"If people are asking the church to change its teaching, that's not going to happen."
Gordon regrets that a lesbian student's locker was defaced with an obscenity. He said he doesn’t see any connection, though, between that harassment and the school policy on students with same-sex attraction.
He says the church believes homosexuality is wrong, and he said that belief will not change.
"Well the teaching of the Church is always going to guide what goes on in a Catholic school," said Gordon.
Gordon says he knows some people have difficulty with the Church's views, but he says no one is forcing gay students to attend a Catholic school.