The Edmonton Catholic School District has been trying to come up with a policy about transgender students, as required by the Alberta Ministry of Education.

The result, as you might imagine, has been a lot of screaming and shouting.

Lead transphobe has been Trustee Larry Kowalczyk. Back in September his statement about the possibility of a policy was:

I see that as a mental disorder, my faith sees it as a mental disorder.

My stand is with that of the church. God has not made a mistake in the gender of me, or you, or anyone else.

--Kowalczyk

In the earlier interview, he compared transgender people to those suffering from schizophrenia and dissociative identity disorder.

At the meeting, trustees voted to refer a decision on an "inclusive community" policy for the city's Catholic schools, a policy prompted by complaints over the treatment of a transgender student, to their next meeting.

At the heart of the dispute is a 7-year-old trans girl who just wants a safe place to pee.

By allowing a policy to be adopted without education on, comparison for, nor understanding of the topic of transgender is blasphemy in itself.

--The child's mother

Leading the pro-trans kids side is Trustee Patricia Grell.

To the ire of Edmonton Catholic school board chairwoman Debbie Engel, trustee Patricia Grell on Thursday publicized a document written by a group of Catholic superintendents designed to guide school boards in their treatment of transgender students.

While Engel insisted there is “absolutely no pressure” to adopt the superintendents’ guidelines, Grell said she is caught in a “Catch-22” between accepting the document, endorsed by Edmonton Archbishop Richard Smith, and her conscience. Engel said the document was not meant for publication, but as a resource document for Catholic school boards in Alberta.

I had to search my conscience and decide which master I’m going to follow, and it’s the kids.

So Tuesday night the debate continued.

Trustee Kowalczuk says bodies reveal the divine plan. Gender transitioning contrary to teachings of Catholic Church. Ppl in crowd say 'shame on you!'

Kowalczyk introduced an amendment to the policy stating that "gender transitionining was contrary to the teachings of the Catholic Church."

The amendment was defeated 6-1.

We do not need a stand alone policy on transgenderism. We treat every child as a child of God born in the image of God.

--Kowalczyk

That statement made the other trustees visibly uncomfortable.

The board passed the gender identity and sexual orientation policy first reading.

After the debate, Marilyn Bergstra was elected new board chair. She called the first reading a good step forward. Second reading will be November 24, following public hearings.

Alberta Education Minister David Eggen later announced Alberta has hired an outside adviser in an attempt to rein in the feuding over the policy.

Generally they (the Edmonton trustees) have had governance issues for a long time.

It has come to a head in regards to their capacity to build a coherent transgender policy and an equality policy generally.

--Eggen

Asked why he doesn't simply implement a provincewide policy on transgender and same-sex equality issues, Eggen would only say he expects all school boards to implement policies in line with legislation.

The adviser is Donald Cummings of National Growth Partners.