Court allows gay teen to bring date to prom - World - Brief Article

National Catholic Reporter, May 24, 2002 by Gill Donovan

CANADA: An Ontario court May 10 ordered a Roman Catholic school board to allow a gay teen to attend his prom with his boyfriend.

The court issued an injunction against the Durham Catholic District School Board outside Toronto, allowing 17-year-old Mark Hall to take Jean-Paul Dumond, 21, to the year-end dance, which began only hours after the decision was announced.

Supporters of Hall argued that Ontario's Catholic school system, which is publicly funded, cannot accept tax dollars and promote discrimination.

In his ruling, Justice Robert MacKinnon noted that the Catholic catechism says homosexuality is contrary to natural law and cannot be tolerated, but goes on to say homosexuals should be accepted with "respect, compassion and sensitivity and also that every sign of discrimination should be avoided."

Mary Ann Martin, chair of the school board, said the board is disappointed with the ruling and that it interferes with the responsibility of the Catholic school system in Ontario to teach Catholic values. "Homosexual romantic activity such as dating goes against those values," she said