Title

Teachers, Sexual Orientation, and the Law in Canada: A Human Rights Perspective

Author Info

Elizabeth J. Meyer, Concordia University, Montreal, Quebec, CanadaFollow

Recommended Citation

Postprint version. Published in The Clearing House: A Journal of Educational Strategies, Issues and Ideas, Volume 83, Issue 3, January 1, 2010, pages 89-95.

Copyright © 2010 Taylor & Francis. This is an electronic version of an article published in The Clearing House.

NOTE: At the time of publication, the author Elizabeth Meyer was not yet affiliated with Cal Poly.

The definitive version is available at https://doi.org/10.1080/00098651003655886.

Abstract

Every individual is equal before and under the law and has the right to the equal protection and equal benefit of the law without discrimination and, in particular, without discrimination based on race, national or ethnic origin, colour, religion, sex, age or mental or physical disability.\n Conclusion As the previous cases demonstrate, Canada's human rights protections at both the provincial and federal levels have gone a long way in working to combat discriminatory behaviors toward sexual minorities in school settings. By carefully weighing the actual and potential harms to gay, lesbian, and bisexual students and teachers, which are well-documented (Kosciw, Diaz, and Gretytak 2008; Taylor et al. 2008; Williams et al. 2003; Ferfolja 1998), against the legally justified minimal impairment of some individuals' antihomosexual religious beliefs, educators can develop approaches for talking about sexual orientation in schools that promote school safety, while allowing space for diverging religious views.

Disciplines

Education