A public school system that claims to promote diversity and tolerance should not ban books that advocate same-sex relationships to kindergartners, Canada's Supreme Court has ruled. The high court said the Surrey School Board in British Columbia, near Vancouver, must revisit its ban on three books that also have stirred controversy in the U.S. – "Asha's Mums," "One Dad, Two Dads, Brown Dads, Blue Dads" and "Belinda's Bouque."
The case began in 1997, when an openly gay kindergarten teacher attempted to have the books approved as a learning resource. The school board's ban drew 5,000 letters of support from parents and just 1,000 in opposition.
However, Chief Justice Beverley McLachlin wrote in the 7-2 ruling on Dec. 20 that, "Parental views, however important, cannot override the imperative placed upon the British Columbia public schools to mirror the diversity of the community and teach ...