The legislation, which comes in response to the suicides of two bullied students last year, is about protecting and empowering students, Broten said.Īllowing students to name clubs as they see fit is part of that empowerment process, she said. 'I don't think there's anything radical about allowing students to name a club.' 'Schools need to be safe places for kids to be themselves, and for some kids, that means being able to name a club a gay-straight alliance,' Broten said. The change in the Liberals' new anti-bullying bill - the Accepting Schools Act - is part of a government initiative to create a 'safe and accepting climate' in schools, including Catholic schools.
Students would be able to call anti-homophobia clubs 'gay-straight alliances' under changes to proposed legislation that previously allowed principals to veto the name, Ontario's Education Minister Laurel Broten announced Friday.
