November 17, 2004
Dedicated to Preserving Family Values
P.O. Box 66714, 38 King Street East,
Stoney Creek, ON CANADA L8G 5E6
| Muslim parents urged to keep kids in anti-homophobia classes |
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C B C . C A N e w s - F u l l S t o r y : Last Updated Wed, 17 Nov 2004 22:11:19 EST TORONTO - The Ontario government is urging Muslim parents not to take their children out of classes that discuss same-sex marriages. The response comes after some Muslim parents asked that their children be excluded from anti-homophobia education at a downtown Toronto school. Dalton McGuinty - On Tuesday night, the Toronto District School Board rejected the parents' request, saying that allowing some students to be excluded from the class would violate the rights of children with same-sex parents. But Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty said, "it's important that all our children have the opportunity to learn about those things that distinguish one of us from the other, and that they learn to respect those differences." Education Minister Gerard Kennedy echoed McGuinty's remarks, saying, "our public schools are there to engender respect, respect for people of different faiths and different sexual orientations." He said he didn't think "there's any harm done to parents who find their children exposed to ideas that are different than the ones they teach at home." The parents are upset that their children were shown videos during classes that depicted the feelings of children who get taunted at school because their own parents are homosexuals. The Muslim parents complained that the classes infringed on their religious beliefs. Written by CBC News Online staff Copyright ©2004 Canadian Broadcasting Corporation - All Rights Reserved |
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