Christopher Karas

@Bearcat: lurking at this article, this was my exact feeling as well. For any other interested parties, the flurry of editing activity circa late 2013 reeked of self-promotion/friend promotion, with probable sock/meat editing from SPAs. See Wikipedia:Articles for deletion/Christopher Karas for the AfD. Cyphoidbomb (talk) 04:43, 10 January 2018 (UTC)

@Bearcat: Sorry, I didn't reply sooner. I'm willing to contribute to Wikipedia on other topics. This draft is merely a test article. I will try to contribute on other topics as you suggested. I thought the "MSM blood donation in Canada" section was relevant to Karas. While, there have been many human rights complaints filed in respect to the MSM deferral policy, Karas' complaint is the first filed with the Canadian Human Rights Commission. The Commission may refer Karas' federal complaint to the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal that may then decide the matter under the Canadian Human Rights Act. I believe once the complaint has been heard or decided on, Karas may then constitute a 'notable' person. I was mistaken of his notability, I appreciate your feedback.InternetFriend (talk) 21:32, 17 January 2018 (UTC)

@Winged Blades of Godric: Hi Godric, Bearcat chose to decline the submission as you may see here. I'm leaving a courtesy ping as you requested.InternetFriend (talk) 21:32, 17 January 2018 (UTC)

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Christopher Karas
Born	(1995-10-03) 3 October 1995
🏡 Residence	Brampton, Canada
🏳️ Nationality	Canada
🎓 Alma mater	Humber College
💼 Occupation
📆 Years active	2013–present

Christopher Karas (born 1995) is a human rights activist. As a former French Catholic high school student, Karas was barred from putting up posters of civil rights figure Harvey Milk (openly gay San Francisco city supervisor assassinated in 1978) and denied the right to organize a student group at Catholic Secondary School Sainte-Famille. In defiance, Karas put up Milk posters and led a public human rights complaint against the school (settled in 2014).

Milk posters at Catholic school

Karas was barred in 2013 from putting up posters of his gay civil rights hero Harvey Milk and denied the right to organize a student group named Porte Ouverte (i.e. Gay-Straight Alliance) at Catholic Secondary School Sainte-Famille in Mississauga, Ontario. Although, the GSA was protected under the Accepting Schools Act Karas was then barred. Karas was attending Sainte-Famille in Mississauga part of Conseil scolaire catholique MonAvenir that was then known as Conseil Scolaire Catholique Centre-Sud. Principal Alain Lalonde claimed that the group was not intended to be about LGBT issues. However, all of the group founders signed a letter expressing collective solidarity for Karas' efforts toward LGBTIQQ2SA acceptance. In defiance, Karas put up the promotional GSA posters that included Milk quote “All young people, regardless of sexual orientation or identity, deserve a safe and supportive environment in which to achieve their full potential.” Vice-Principal Vicky Marcotte considered the Milk quote controversial in a email. Karas said the posters were ripped down as soon as the next day.

The school board's director of education, Réjean Sirois, and superintendent André Blais, claimed that they fulfilled their requirement under the Accepting Schools Act. The board supported these claims with a press release. Unsatisfied with board's response, Karas filed a human rights complaint at the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario. The complaint detailed systemic discrimination. In the complaint, Karas detailed more than 35 allegations. Allegations included, a religion teacher that said in class that gays should not have the right to adopt, a psychology teacher refused to include examples of same-sex couples as family structure, a teacher accommodated students who said their religion didn't allow for them to share sleeping space with Karas, forced to study a book, Doric Germain's Poison, that Karas remembers for a depiction of violent homophobia. The matter settled just before a human rights hearing in 2015.

To ensure safer spaces in all schools, Karas led a week long GSA forum at Glendon College at York University organized by The Canadian Centre for Gender + Sexual Diversity (formerly known as Jer's Vision). Karas played a crucial role in organizing the forum, raising funds and mobilizing youth to attend. Anonymous donor pledged $10,000 toward the forum.

MSM blood donation in Canada

In 2016, Karas tried to donate blood. He was then turned away as a man who has had sex with other men. Karas is barred for five years after attempting to donate before the one-year policy took effect. In June 2016, then Health Minister Jane Philpott head of Health Canada announced a blood deferral policy that barred men who have had sex with other men (MSM) from donating unless they have been abstinent for one year. The announcement made by Philpott comes after the Liberal Party of Canada promised to end the policy. The same policy bars women who have had sex with men who have had sex with other men (MSM). Policy on blood donations for MSM dates back to the 1980s. MSM were then barred for a lifetime, the deferral policy was then lowered to 5 years and the policy has now been lowered to 1 year. Karas says he was "of very little value when he learned that he was labeled" and prohibited from donating "because of his classification and sexual orientation."

Feeling less than his fellow heterosexual counterparts, Karas filed a federal human rights complaint with the Canadian Human Rights Commission over the deferral policy that bars MSM from donating to allow Karas and others labelled as MSM to donate. While the federal complaint was approved September 3, 2016 by the Commission, the Commission has not yet decided whether the matter will be heard by the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal in Ottawa. The policy remains unchanged after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau apologized to LGBTQ2 in Parliament on November 28, 2017.

While, Trudeau mentioned more work needs to be done in regards to blood and organ donation in the federal apology. Parliamentary leader of the federal New Democrats MP Guy Caron pressed Trudeau to end the policy. Caron notably said "This would be a good time to stop doing things the government might have to apologize for in the future." MP Randy Boissonnault, Trudeau's special adviser on LGBTQ2 issues, says it will take time to allow MSM to donate in Canada. Health Minister Ginette Petitpas Taylor mandate includes developing a 'long-term vision' for blood services that is 'non-discriminatory in donation policies.' The health minister’s office says that Minister Petitpas Taylor will work toward donation policies that “are not based on who you are or who your sexual partners are,” all the while ensuring the “safety and security of Canada’s blood supply.” Despite Liberals promise, Health Minister Jane Philpott's mandate letter did not include references to MSM blood deferral policy.

See also

• Harvey Milk
• Gay-Straight Alliance
• LGBT rights in Canada
• Conseil scolaire catholique MonAvenir
• Men who have sex with men blood donor controversy

External links

Official website

This article "Christopher Karas" is from Wikipedia. The list of its authors can be seen in its historical and/or the page Edithistory:Christopher Karas. Articles copied from Draft Namespace on Wikipedia could be seen on the Draft Namespace of Wikipedia and not main one.

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