"Marc, you have spoken for the silenced voices and oppressed emotions that float by us every single day."
Ryan Kraft, May 11, 2021

Lynn Brophy (CAW) and Joe Varnell

"I've got a little message for the man in the red hat that lives down the street here at St. Michael's Cathedral. You can practice whatever religious beliefs you want, but we will not allow you to use our tax dollars to promote discrimination!"
Douglas Elliott, lawyer,
Marc Hall Coalition

Kevin, Enza "Supermodel" Anderson, Joe

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Advocacy: Events

Saturday, 11 May 2021 | 2:00 p.m.

A Message For
The Man In the Red Hat

Toronto - The day after Marc Hall attended his prom with boyfriend JP, Marc met with supporters and media inToronto's Cawthra Park. People had gathered to celebrate the decision of Justice MacKinnon who, on May 10, ordered the Durham Catholic School Board to allow Marc to bring his same-sex date to the prom.

Any youth who ever needed a place to turn to, now has a place to turn to," said Ryan Kraft, OAC student in Thornhill. "This victory is not only a victory for Marc, but a victory for every youth fighting for the acceptance of his or her identity."

Douglas Elliott, the lawyer for the Coalition For Marc Hall, gave the crowd a view of the passion he brings to the courtroom where he is fighting for the rights of queer youth (Marc Hall), couples (our marriage case), and seniors (the Canada Pension Plan class action for surviving spouses).

"This is the first time that we have fought back against discrimination and got a court order to prevent discrimination before it happens," Douglas told a cheering crowd gathered in the small park on Toronto's Church Street, in the heart of the gay village. "The judge based his decision on Section 15, the equality provision which is 20 years old this year, and he said that the Catholic School board does not have the right to do whatever it pleases, just because it says it's Catholic. If you listen to what was being said in the courtroom, they think everything is Catholic."

There was laughter and cheering in the crowd. Someone yelled, "I'm not Catholic!".

"This case isn't over yet, of course," Elliott continued. "We will still have to fight on to trial. Marc's lawyer David Corbett undertook to the court that he would not drop the case. That doesn't stop the school board from dopping the case. They can surrender anytime! And if you read the judge's decision, that decision said to me, "Surrender, Dorothy!"

"I've got a little message for the man in the red hat that lives down the street here at St. Michael's Cathedral [Cardinal Ambrozic]," Elliott concluded, "you can practice whatever religious beliefs you want, but we will not allow you to use our tax dollars to promote discrimination!"

"We sent a very strong message about the values of Canada," said George Smitherman, Ontario member of provincial parliament. "that in this day and age, with this Charter of Rights and Freedoms, whether you like it or not, progress is on the move."

"Through all this, it's been a real rollercoaster ride," said JP. "A lot of ups and downs. All the support has been wonderful. With the suport comes the hate but you have to learn to accept other people's opinions, no matter how ignorant they may be."

"I want to thank everybody who's helped us, me and JP, through our battle," Marc said, drawing JP closer in his left arm. "I admit that at the beginning of this I was afraid of who would support me and who wouldn't. Now I realize how many people support me and how amazing everybody is. I want to give a special thanks to my parents. They've been awesome."

Asked to describe the previous night at the prom, Marc replied, "They had dinner, dancing, just about what I expected and everything. Most of the people there were pretty supportive. There really wasn't any negative attitudes or comments or anything."

Congratulations to the Coalition For Marc Hall! We are proud to be part of this ongoing effort.

Kevin Bourassa and Joe Varnell