To Concerned Albertans:

The Alberta Government has recently announced its plans to amend the Alberta /Human Rights, Citizenship and Multiculturalism Act/ with Bill 44. This Bill reads in part:

A board as defined in the /School Act /shall provide notice to a parent or guardian of a student where courses of study, educational programs or instructional materials, or instruction or exercises, prescribed under that Act include subject-matter that deals explicitly with religion, sexuality or sexual orientation.

If this Bill is enacted by the Alberta Government teachers would be obligated to notify all parents of any lessons that could include 'religion, sexuality or sexual orientation'. Presently, even without this, parents are allowed to withdraw their students from a class if they do not like the subject matter being taught. However, this amendment will put the responsibility on teachers to ensure that they are not teaching about _any_ subject matter that includes discussions of sexual orientation, sexuality or religion /without express permission from every parent of every child in that class.

If the teacher discusses sexual orientation, sexuality or religion without getting permission from the parents, a parent could file a human rights complaint against the school.

What are some potential pitfalls of this amendment?

• A child who is being called gay slurs will report the incident but teachers will not be able to talk in class about bullying against gay students without seeking permission from all of the parents in the classroom.
• A student who asks a question about gay or lesbian families will ot be able to get an answer from a teacher if the child's parents have opted their child out of lessons on sexual orientation.
• Children who have two moms or two dads could be censored in the classroom from talking about their families.
• Teachers or principals may consider having a speaker into their classroom to discuss human rights and sexual orientation but may, as a result of this Bill, choose not to have a speaker to avoid controversy and the risk of a legal claim against them.
• School libraries will have to put books about same-sex families, and gay, lesbian or bisexual students in a separate area so that students who are not allowed to see these books will not inadvertently take them off the shelves. Books may be censored for controversial content even before a complaint is made.
• Students will be denied information about sexuality (of heterosexual or same-sex partners) if their parents opt them out lessons containing this information. This will include students who are sexually active and in need of basic information.

The Alberta School Boards Association, the Alberta Teachers' Association, the College of Alberta School Superintendents, and the Alberta School Council's Association have all spoken out against this Bill.

Please let your opinion on this Bill be known by your MLA, Premier Stelmach and the Minister of Community and Culture, Lindsay Blackett.

*Your immediate action is needed.*

Premier Ed Stelmach: fortsaskatchewan.vegreville@assembly.ab.ca

Lindsay Blackett: calgary.northwest@assembly.ab.ca

Find your MLA: http://www.assembly.ab.ca/net/index.aspx?p=mla_home

Write a letter to the editor of the Calgary Herald:
http://www2.canada.com/calgaryherald/letters.html

NDP petition form, to send in by May 31, for those that disagree with Bill 44: http://www.albertandp.ca/Calendar.cfm?ID=509