This afternoon, I noted how a Catholic school in Canada created a ban on rainbows out of fear that the mere appearance of rainbows could encourage its students to become gay. It’s a kind of censorship so wacky that it seems like it must be an isolated incident.

Yet, it isn’t. Catholic schools in Canada have been asked to develop anti-bullying programs, and in response, many Canadian Catholic schools have decided to bully people working in anti-bullying efforts.

Another case in point is the Bishop Marrocco-Thomas Merton Catholic Secondary School. This school issued an invitation to comic Dawn Whitwell to participate in its new anti-bullying program, but revoked the invitation yesterday, after it found out that Whitwell has a wife. Yes, Whitwell is a lesbian, and a happily married one, which Catholic doctrine says should be an impossibility.

The Toronto Catholic District School Board has issued a statement saying that Whitwell’s invitation to perform was rescinded simply because she is a comedian. That explanation makes little sense, however, when one considers that the Bishop Marrocco-Thomas Merton Catholic Secondary School issued the invitation to Whitwell because she was a comedian.

The message sent by the Catholic schools in Toronto to their students is quite clear: When you engage in bullying, make sure to come up with a ridiculous excuse to cover your butt. That’s moral education!