Alberta is facing a moment of reckoning. No, it is not about the oil sands or pipelines. Nor is it about the Gateway or Energy East. Those issues are important. They are about money and taxes, but only about money and taxes. What Alberta is facing is lot more fundamental. It is about what kind of society we build and support with that wealth. It is about equality; fundamental equality for all people including youth of different sexual orientation.
Recently Premier Jim Prentice substituted his own government's Bill 10 for the private member's Bill 202. Bill 202 granted students the right to establish Gay Straight Youth Alliances in each school, private, public or faith based. That is real equality. Prentice's Bill 10 panders to the remnants of the irrational prejudices of the votaries of inequality and allows the school boards to have the final say. If the school boards disallow such alliances which have been known to be beneficial in reducing discrimination and bullying against gay, lesbian and others of different sexual orientations, the students will have recourse to the courts.
The opposition says contrary to Prentice's claims Bill 10 will allow parents to pull their children out of schools that may allow Gay /Straight alliances. It is really disappointing if this is true.
Forcing children and youth to go to court to enjoy basic equality that we ourselves must ensure for them is not leadership, at least not in the 2nd decade of the 21st century Canada. We expect better from our leaders. Prentice is pandering to the crowd that needs to enter the civilised norms of the 21st century. Rather than leading he is giving in to what he perceives to be the prejudices of the rural and northern Albertans.
Bill 10 stands out in its utter violation of the equality provisions of our Charter of Rights and Freedoms. A government can't deny, disallow or allow equal rights as per their whim and fancy like feudal lords of old may have chosen or not to feed the hungry on their estates. Slave owner's too had the discretion to be 'nice'. If any were it was still slavery, still abhorrent and inhuman. Last time I checked our Charter allowed governments no such discretion regarding equality of citizens. The governments can't simply be oblivious or show reckless disregard as to people's rights under the Charter.
Prentice should cease pandering to ignorance. He should show the courage to confront the irrational notions and beliefs about gays and others of different sexual orientations still held by some of us. Leadership is in leading to an egalitarian society; not in being led by the impulses of sheer ignorance that have from time immemorial tried to hold societies back.
Prentice must not exercise his government's power in such an ad hoc and inegalitarian fashion. Charter of Rights and Freedoms will not allow it. Albertans must not allow it. Let true equality reign!
