Homophobia in the Hallways Heterosexism and Transphobia in Canadian Catholic Schools

HOMOPHOBIA IN THE HALLWAYS

Heterosexism and Transphobia in Canadian Catholic Schools

Section 15 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms ensures equal- ity regarding sexual orientation and gender identity in Canada. Despite this, gay, lesbian, and gender-nonconforming teachers in publicly funded Catholic schools in Ontario and Alberta have been fired for living lives that Church leaders claim run contrary to Catholic doctrine about non- heterosexuality, while requests from students to establish Gay/Straight Alliances have been denied. In Homophobia in the Hallways, Tonya D. Callaghan interrogates institu- tionalized homophobia and transphobia in the publicly funded Catholic school systems of Ontario and Alberta. Featuring twenty interviews with students and teachers who have faced overt discrimination in Catholic schools, the book blends theoretical inquiry and real-world case study, making Callaghan’s study a unique insight into religiously inspired heterosexism and genderism. She uncovers the causes and effects of the long-standing disconnect between Canadian Catholic schools and the Charter by comparing the treatment of and attitudes towards lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer teachers and students in these publicly funded systems.

TONYA D. CALLAGHAN is an assistant professor in the Werkland School of Education at the University of Calgary. This page intentionally left blank Homophobia in the Hallways Heterosexism and Transphobia in Canadian Catholic Schools

TONYA D. CALLAGHAN

UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO PRESS Toronto Buffalo London © University of Toronto Press 2018 Toronto Buffalo London utorontopress.com Printed in Canada

ISBN 978-1-4875-0345-1 (cloth) ISBN 978-1-4875-2267-4 (paper)

Printed on acid-free, 100% post-consumer recycled paper with vegetable-based inks.

Library and Archives Canada Cataloguing in Publication

Callaghan, Tonya D., 1968–, author Homophobia in the hallways : heterosexism and transphobia in Canadian Catholic schools / Tonya D. Callaghan. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 978-1-4875-0345-1 (hardcover). ISBN 978-1-4875-2267-4 (softcover) 1. Homophobia in schools – Canada – Case studies. 2. Heterosexism in schools – Canada – Case studies. 3. Discrimination in education – Canada – Case studies. 4. School environment – Canada – Case studies. 5. Catholic schools – Canada. 6. Transphobia – Canada. 7. Homophobia – Religious aspects – Catholic Church. 8. Heterosexism – Religious aspects. I. Title.

LC212.83.C3C35 2018 371.826′640971 C2017-907274-9

This book has been published with the help of a grant from the Federation for the Humanities and Social Sciences, through the Awards to Scholarly Publications Program, using funds provided by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada.

University of Toronto Press acknowledges the financial assistance to its publishing program of the Canada Council for the Arts and the Ontario Arts Council, an agency of the Government of Ontario.

Funded by the Financé par le Government gouvernement of Canada du Canada To Lee Iskander and other secondary school student leaders like her This page intentionally left blank