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CATHOLIC BOARD THREATENED WITH LAWSUIT ON FORBIDDING HOMOSEXUAL PROM DATE

Gay Activists Willing to Take Case to Supreme Court

TORONTO, April 4, 2002 (LSN.ca) - At press conference yesterday, the male 17-year-old Catholic high school student, whose request to bring his homosexual 21-year-old boyfriend to the school prom was refused, threatened to take legal action against the school board. The student, Marc Hall, is to address the Durham Region Catholic School Board Monday April 8 on the issue. "If nothing happens April 8, I'll probably take legal action," said Hall at the press conference.

Buzz Hargrove, president of the Canadian Auto Workers, Toronto Centre-Rosedale MPP George Smitherman, Councillor Joe Mihevc (Ward 21, St. Paul's) and Marilyn Byers, president of Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays in York Region joined Hall at the conference. The meeting raised both the option of taking the case through the courts even to the Supreme Court level and also of taking the matter to the Ontario Human Rights Commission.

Ontario Human Rights Commissioner Keith Norton, another gay activist who was appointed by the Conservative government, seemed to encourage taking the case to the Commission that he presides over. Norton told the Toronto Sun it "might be difficult" for faith-based schools to argue religious freedom as a reason to discriminate against someone simply because they're openly gay. "An individual may well be able to invoke the protection of the human rights legislation," he said. Apparently Norton believes that Canada's traditional rights to religious practices and belief no longer apply to Catholic schools.

News reports suggest that the lanky, green-haired youth was very shaky during the conference. The parents of Hall, who proclaimed himself homosexual at 16, are supportive of his bringing his male date to the prom.

See related LifeSite coverage:

MEDIA CIRCUS OVER CATHOLIC SCHOOL BANNING STUDENT'S HOMOSEXUAL DANCE PARTNER
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2002/mar/0203202 .html

AUTO UNION WORKER PRESIDENT THREATENS CATHOLIC SCHOOL OVER HOMOSEXUALITY
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2002/mar/0203254 .html

GAY ACTIVISTS INCREASE MEDIA HYPE AGAINST FAITHFUL CATHOLIC SCHOOL BOARD
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2002/apr/0204023 .html

See coverage from the Toronto Star, Sun and CP at:
http://www.torontostar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=... pageid=968350130169&call_pagepath=GTA/News
http://www.canoe.ca/TorontoNews/ts.ts-04-04-0028.html
http://www.canoe.ca/CNEWSLaw0204/04_prom-cp.html

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