Feedback from the consultation on the Catholic schools' draft same-sex policy is now available on the Department of Education's website.

The feedback was gathered through online comments and a public meeting held last month. It was sent to both the Department of Education and the episcopal corporation for review.

Val Royle, the deputy minister of Education, said late this morning the episcopal corporation is reviewing the comments and will be making changes to the policy.

The new draft will then head to the Department of Justice to ensure it meets all legal and human rights requirements, before being made public, she told the Star.

While Royle could not confirm exactly when the latest draft would be released, she said "it's a priority for all of us.”

Of the 24 comments provided through the online feedback form, 20 either expressed concerns about the draft policy or did not support it. Four offered support.

Many of the commenters said the draft was at least better than the original policy, which became a source of public controversy early this year.

But they also raised significant concerns.

Those included the fact that the draft references other documents, which outline Catholic teachings on homosexuality and refer to homosexual acts as "objectively wrong.”

One respondent noted that the policy still has the same implication as its previous iteration – that gay students aren't "normal.”

"Intolerance is unacceptable, no matter how nicely it's imposed,” the commenter wrote.

Other commenters shared those concerns, noting the policy is simply a reiteration of the previous version with nicer wording to appear less offensive.

Some argued the policy has no place in a publicly-funded school.

"These views have no place in modern society and in any school, especially publicly-funded schools,” one person said.

Another suggested the policy belonged on the parish site, but not the schools', suggesting students should seek religious guidance from their priest or pastor, rather than their teachers.

And some said the schools should just implement the department's sexual orientation and gender identity policy.

A number of the respondents also raised concerns that the draft policy gives Bishop Gary Gordon power to veto a gay-straight alliance at the school if it's found to be teaching contrary to the Catholic religion.

"Does the bishop also have power to disband the volleyball team for unsportsmanlike conduct?” one commenter asked.

But there were some who voiced their support for the draft as written.

Two respondents who said they were members of the Vanier Catholic Secondary School school council.

"If one of my children were seeking help on questions of same-sex attraction, I hope that he or she can be treated with this much respect and dignity,” one commenter wrote.

Another said he or she was satisfied with the policy if the schools are required to have one.

"We cannot have the same document as the public schools because we are Catholic and that makes us different, unique in our beliefs,” the person wrote.

Vanier's original same-sex policy became a source of contention in the community after a parent publicly raised concerns about it in a letter published in the Star almost a year ago.

Stories of bullying at the high school school further fuelled the debate, which culminated in well-attended public school council meeting in late March.

At the time, the Department of Education committed to developing a new policy, hoping to have it ready for late April.

Then-Education minister Scott Kent later sent an open letter to Gordon mandating that the new policy would have to align with Yukon human rights laws.

The draft policy, developed collaboratively between the Education department, the bishop and the three local Catholic school councils, was released in September and a consultation period was initiated.

Feedback was provided online and at a public meeting held in October.

Responses garnered through the consultation can be viewed online at: www.education.gov.yk.ca/about/1080.html