If you’ve been exposed to the news lately, then you have probably heard about the controversial Bill 10, a bill that, if initiated, would almost certainly have detrimental effects on the rights of LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer or questioning) students in Alberta. Last Thursday, Premier Jim Prentice put the bill on hold indefinitely midst outcries from Albertans. This bill still faces many questions, but my biggest one upon hearing about it was “what is it?” I found myself deep under a plethora of news articles regarding the issue, but none that clarified the details. I knew I couldn’t be the only person caught in this sea of uncertainty, so after some research, I’ve broken down the bill into the who, what, when, where, and whys.
Who is involved?
The Progressive Conservative government of Alberta and the LGBTQ community
What is it?
Bill 10 was introduced by the PCs last Monday and dictates the controversial issue of whether a GSA (gay-straight alliance) should be enacted in the schools if requested by students. GSAs have been shown by numerous studies to reduce bullying and alienation of LGBTQ youth, saving lives in the process, yet only 90 schools in Alberta have the clubs. This bill will allow school boards up to the provincial level to decline a student’s request for a GSA, and if that should be the case, the student must appeal to the courts about the issue. Recent but still controversial amendments to the bill would push education minister Gordon Dirks to approve the alliances, even if they are declined by the school boards. However, the GSAs will most-likely be held off school campus, raising further concerns about the segregation of LGBTQ youth.
When did this happen and when will it end?
The bill was first made public on December 1st, and put on hold on the 4th. Due to the discontent surrounding it, the PCs have expressed that further discussions on the matter will not take place until after the new year.
Where (what region) does this bill affect?
If initiated, bill 10 will cause changes to all schools in Alberta that have seen students ask for GSAs. Alberta has been a province that has had the most troubles regarding LGBTQ rights since the Civil Marriage Act was enacted in 2005.
Why did this will come into being?
Remember those forms your parents had to fill out so you could take health class? That’s Alberta’s unique Human Rights Act at work, and also where Bill 10 found it’s roots. The Human Rights Act requires schools to notify guardians when matters of religion and sexuality are to be discussed in class, and gives parents the power to remove their children from those classes. Bill 10 was a feeble attempt by the government to respect the Act as well as the rights of LGBTQ students.
Since the beginning of this year, politicians like Kent Hehr have proposed motions to require schools to support the creation of GSAs to no avail. A private members bill, bill 202, was introduced by Liberal Laurie Blakeman in November and pitched the removal of the topic of sexual orientation to be a viable reason for parents to remove youth from classrooms as stated in the Human Rights Act, as well as requiring school boards to approve GSAs if asked for. This proposal was subsequently squashed by the Tory caucus, who introduced bill 10 as a way to “meet in the middle.”
Since the royal assent of the Civil Marriage Act in 2005, Canada became the 4th country in the world to grant full marital rights to LGBTQ couples. Despite this, much more work is yet to be done in the field of LGBTQ rights in this country. There is no doubt that this issue will be one to watch for in the upcoming year; a year where we will see the formation of GSAs in schools all over our province?