A former student trustee in Toronto has recently proposed that the Toronto District School Board create a gay-centric school in Toronto. The school would be open to all, but would focus specifically on talking about LGBT issues. Here are links to some of the news coverage of this:
- https://toronto.ctvnews.ca/plan-for-gay-centric-toronto-school-shelved-1.973410
- https://torontosun.com/2012/10/01/freedom-of-choice-in-schools/wcm/b8eca4a7-1714-4752-8d7b-01d367624465
- https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/proposed-toronto-gay-centric-school-focus-of-public-forum-1.1224752
This is an interesting proposal for many reasons, but particularly because the advocates of school choice are often thought of as being socially, politically and/or culturally conservative. But school choice isn't just for people who want their kids in a religious environment. Religious parents have a right to ensure that their children are educated in a fashion consistent with their values, and so do non-religious parents. School choice is the same thing that is being talked about here – the ability of a particular group of parents to consider another educational option.
Of course, those advocating gay-centric schools, afro-centric schools, or social justice-oriented schools have to also recognize that school choice is a two way street. It would not make sense to have schools that cater to some groups, while refusing to allow school that cater to others.
It seems that in this case there isn't a real demand in Toronto for a gay-centric school, there's just one person with an idea. According to the news coverage, there doesn't seem to be that much support for this idea even within the gay community. In the mean time, though, the Toronto’s school board would do well to commit itself to the principle of choice for ALL, whether the kind of cause they support is typically associated with the political left or with the political right.