It’s an issue near and dear to his heart, and no matter what the outcome of his gay-straight alliance motion this month, Calgary Liberal education critic Kent Hehr will not stop until there is equality for the LGBTQ community.

Hehr has long been an advocate for the rights of LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer) people and now he wants the provincial government to puts its money where its mouth. This month he wants support for his motion to strip schools from the power to deny students who want to start a student gay-straight alliance (GSA), which aims to reduce bullying based on sexuality. By the time this edition is released in print, the motion will likely have been voted down. But Hehr vows he won’t halt his quest for equality.

"If the Tories really want to prove they accept and support the LGBTQ community then they will do more than just attend a pride parade and call it a day," Hehr says. "This motion is a chance for them to make a difference but, sadly, I don’t believe they will be supporting it."

"Our government has for far too long discriminated against the LGBTQ community and I thought this would end after the 2012 election, but sadly that doesn’t appear to be the case. In my view, the PC government is really failing the LGBTQ community, and it’s really disappointing."

Hehr points to countless studies that show GSAs are effective in reducing the cases of bullying LGBTQ students endure at the hands of their tormenters, and for other minorities in the school as well. The Calgary MLA also applauds both the Ontario and Manitoba governments for passing a similar motion that mandates schools to allow GSAs in schools.

"They want to stand up for kids and not let religious values, or bigots, or anti-LGBTQ voices get in the way of making lives better today, and I suggest we follow their lead," Hehr adds.

And it’s more important than ever according to a 2011 student survey conducted by Canadian advocacy group Egale, which says 21 per cent of LGBTQ students have reported being physically harassed or assaulted because of their sexual orientation. Almost 50 per cent have been verbally harassed.

"Bullying rates of LGBTQ kids is higher than other children, and suicides rates are also higher," Hehr says. "We need to protect those kids today; not tomorrow.  There are schools out there resisting these alliances when they should be making it easy for kids. Adults should not be standing in the way of what kids already know to be true."

Justine Bonczek, former co-chair of the Miscellaneous Youth Network, knows firsthand how important gay-straight alliances can be to kids who are dealing with bullies and, in some cases, even resistance from their own families.

"I feel that it’s every school’s responsibility to take initiative to ensure that their students who belong to minority demographics feel both safe and welcome at their school," she says.

"GSAs aren’t only about fostering a safe space and education about sexual orientation, but also about providing safer spaces for gender diverse and transgender students. The responsibility of ensuring that schools are a welcoming space does not fall on the backs of students."

And that’s where schools and school administrators need to step in, she adds.

"School administrators need to realize the importance of protecting their vulnerable students and need to take initiatives to ensure LGBTQ students don’t fall through the cracks, especially considering they continue to hold high rates of depression, suicide and homelessness in Alberta."

Hehr agrees.

"If anyone would just think about it for two seconds, and they truly want to make a difference in kids’ lives, they would support this. I can’t believe the government is standing in the way of making life better for these students. We have a responsibility to make students’ lives better, and we need to do it today," Hehr adds.

For their part, the Alberta Government has said they don’t believe there is a one-size-fits-all approach to GSAs in schools. Even Tory associate minister of family and community safety has said in the media she will support Hehr’s motion, but a government spokesperson said Education Minister Jeff Johnson doesn’t believe in forcing all schools to allow the alliances would be the solution.

Regardless of the outcome of the motion this month, Hehr won’t stop fighting for equality.

"Somebody has to stand up for these kids."