Tory bill on gay-straight alliances passes second reading

Bill 10, the legislation introduced by the governing Toriesto counter a private member's bill making gay-straight alliances mandatory in allschools, passed second reading Tuesday after an emotional debate in the Alberta legislature.

Forty-two PCMLAsvoted in favour of second reading and 10MLAsopposed, includingEdmonton-Castle DownsMLAThomasLukaszukwho was the only Tory to vote 'nay.'

WildroseLeader Danielle Smith and her caucus colleague Jeff Wilson also voted against second reading, along withNDPand Liberal members in the house.

Smith became choked upwhile telling the legislature about LGBT teens who were disowned by family, beaten or kicked out of school after coming out about their sexuality.

While I respect that we need to find a balance with parental rights and with religion, I think we also need to respect that in cases of mature youththis really is case of life or death for some of them," Smith said.

Lukaszuk's decision to vote against the bill was not a surprise. He discussed his intentions with reporters earlier in the day.

I dont believe in bestowing human rights on people in an incremental manner, he said.

If you believe it in it, if you believe that students should have it, then you should not set up legislative obstacles through which they have to get through to get it.

Premier Jim Prentice and Health Minister StephenMandelwerenot present for the vote.

Catholic school boards not happy

On Monday, the government introduced Bill 10, which effectively killedBill 202, which was introduced by LiberalMLALaurieBlakemanearlier in the session.

UnlikeBlakeman'sbill, Bill 10would compel students to take their school boards to court if they are prohibited from forming a GSA.

Progressive ConservativeMLASandra Jansen said on Tuesdays Edmonton AMthat some Alberta school boards were concerned about the student groups becoming mandatory ifBlakeman'sBill 202 became law.

Jansen declined toidentify the boards, butBlakemanhas learned that the direction on GSAsis coming from Catholic leadersin Calgary and Edmonton.She said Catholic schoolboards in Alberta are refusing to allow students to form gay-straight alliances.

The investigation that weve done and the response that we saw, we were copied on the letters back to Minister Dirks, its the Catholic schools that wont allow them, Blakeman said.

Blakeman'srequest to meet with Edmonton Archbishop Richard Smith about Bill 202 was turned down by his office.