High school students question furor over gay-straight alliances

Although a contentious bill on gay-straight alliances has been put on hold, young Albertans are shaking their heads that the student support groups ever became an issue.

I don't even know why it should be a question, Nakita Bremner said outside Centre High in downtown Edmonton on Friday.

• Gay-straight alliance bill put on hold, says Alberta Premier Jim Prentice
• Amended Bill 10 could push GSAs off school grounds: opposition

Alliance is a way for people to get all the help they need, and if the school doesnt offer that theyre discriminating, Kira Olson said.

On Thursday, Premier Jim Prentice put Bill 10 on hold after a week of public uproar forced the government to reconsider.

The proposed legislation bumped a private members bill which would have made GSAs mandatory in schools where students ask for them.

The government bill allowed school boards to say no to students, who would then have to seek a judicial review. A subsequent amendment made matters worse in the eyes of the opposition. They said the change could move the clubs off school grounds.

GSAscombat discrimination, say advocates

You can't treat the GSA differently than you treat any other student group in our schools, otherwise that's discrimination, said Kristopher Wells with the Institute for Sexual Minority Studies and Services at the University of Alberta.

Although supporters want GSAs to be mandatory, membership in the student-led extracurricular groups is voluntary.

They are seen as key to preventing bullying of LGBTQ students and combating homophobia in schools.

I would very much like to see them in schools, said Joshua Badach. I'm gay and I had a really hard time in high school 10 years ago and it would have been nice if my school had one.

During this weeks debate, some MLAs pointed out that sexual orientation is simply not an issue for many people under 35.

Centre High students who spoke to CBC on Friday were evidence of that. They say GSAs play an important role in the school.

Without the club, people have nowhere to meet and no one to associate with, Connor Baldry said.

Prentice said the government will hold more consultations on Bill 10.