Teachers, Sexual Orientation, and the Law in Canada: A Human Rights Perspective

Abstract

Teacher expression on the subject of sexual orientation is a hotly contested topic that has led to many recent legal challenges in the United States and Canada. The purpose of this article is to offer readers an introduction to Canadian cases regarding teacher expression and sexual orientation and demonstrate how the application of a human rights framework can offer schools and educators an ethically sound and legally defensible way of approaching and resolving such controversies.

Keywords:

• sexual orientation
• teachers
• human rights
• school
• gay
• Canada

Notes

1. It is important to note that transgender and transsexual individuals are not explicitly included in these protections since the terms “gender identity and expression” are not included in most human rights codes.