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Egale Canada

Action Alert!

Wednesday, September 10, 2008

On s'excuse, ce document n'est pas disponible en français.

A federal election is on our doorsteps and LGBT equality in Canada has never been so threatened. According to recent polls, the Harper Conservatives have 43% of the popular vote. That's typically enough to form a majority government.

The Tory record shows they not only dropped the writ this past weekend, but they have also dropped the ball on LGBT human rights issues!

For the first time in decades, Parliament failed to pass any measures dedicated to giving Our Community, Our Families any advancement towards equality. In fact, the opposite happened! Legislation and regulations which began to address LGBT human rights were abandoned and other homophobic and transphobic conditions materialized under Harper's government:

  • The Court Challenges Program, a vital tool in our struggle for equality - Slashed!
  • LGBT refugee claimants facing torture and even death in their countries of origin have been refused and deported.
  • The Reproductive Technologies committee was stacked with ultra conservative members, seriously threatening equal access to sperm and egg donations.
  • Men who have sex with men prohibited from donating organs, perpetuating the stereotype that they are a high risk group.
  • Bills tabled by MPs to introduce gender identity and gender expression as explicit grounds for non-discrimination gathered dust on the order paper.

With a Stephen Harper majority, what was a subtle, slow slide backwards in the areas of LGBT human rights will accelerate and once again our families will be the target!

With your help over the next 35 days, Egale Canada will highlight what our families want and identify those changes that will move us forward, not backwards.

Egale Canada has mobilized to expose the record of the Harper Conservatives and help Canadians make a progressive decision on October 14th that strengthens LGBT equality. But we can't do it without your help!

DONATE Now...and help us get the message OUT!

www.egale.ca/donate

Go to www.egale.ca regularly for updates and information about how you can make a difference in Election 2008!

Sincerely,

Helen Kennedy
Executive Director
Egale Canada

Nigel Flear
President
Egale Canada

Archived News / Archived Editorials
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Violent Victimization in Canada - expectation of violence 2 times greater for gays and lesbians, 4.5 times greater for bisexuals. 
Coming Out Can Reduce Sexual Prejudice Heterosexuals With Personal Contact Have More Positive Feelings toward Lesbians and Gay Men.
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Anti-homosexuality brochure held up at Canada Post - Oct. 26, 2006

Canada Post says a controversial religious brochure that condemns homosexuality will be delivered to hundreds of homes in East Vancouver, despite the objections of letter carriers.
( online story )

Lesbian and gay seniors in Canada are at risk in the health-care system - March, 2006

Lesbian and gay seniors in Canada are at risk in the health-care system because of marginalization and discrimination

( online story )

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BC MAN SENTENCED TO 6 YEARS FOR GAY BASHING -- CTV Feb. 8, 2005
The man convicted of manslaughter in the beating death of a gay man has been sentenced to six years in prison for his part in the attack.
In protest of the Crown's decision, dozens of Webster's supporters stood up in court during Cran's sentencing hearing. One man booed the lawyer, and another man yelled out, "This was a hate crime.

(Full Story)

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JUSTICE MINISTER SAYS NO REFERENDUM ON SAME-SEX MARRIAGE -- CBC Feb. 2, 2005
Cotler says if a referendum had been held to decide whether women were entitled to vote when the franchise was extended to them, women would have likely lost. He
 says a national vote won't protect minority rights.
Conservative Gerald Keddy, Jim Prentice and James Moore will join with Belinda Stronach, who has already made her position clear, in voting with the Liberals. 

(Full Story)
(CBC In-Depth Report)

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GAY MARRIAGE OPPONENTS SET UP CAMPAIGN IN CANADA -- Reuters Feb. 2, 2005
Opponents of Canada's plan to legalize gay marriage stepped up their protest campaign on Wednesday by arranging a mass rally and printing half a million leaflets in a bid to persuade legislators to reject the idea. 
Charles McVety, president of the Canada Family Action Coalition, told Reuters his group was readying a campaign bus to help drive home opposition to the same sex bill. 

(Full Story - Reuters)

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CHRONOLOGY OF SAME SEX MARRIAGE WORLD WIDE (Full Story - Reuters)
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NO REFERENDUM - BILL SHOULD PASS HOUSE OF COMMONS
Mon. Dec. 13, 2004

Ottawa — The proposal for a national referendum on same-sex marriage hit a wall of opposition yesterday as Prime Minister Paul Martin and the three other federal party leaders dismissed the idea, even as confidential Liberal vote counts indicate the bill to legalize gay unions will pass the House of Commons.

The move comes as sources said that internal Liberal Party vote counts indicate that the bill to legalize same-sex marriage will pass through the Commons by 25 votes or more, and that opponents could not muster more than 141 or 142 members of the 308-seat Commons.

(Full Story)
 

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DENYING THE RIGHTS OF OTHERS

Toronto Star — I have to laugh at the antics of many of the more visible opponents of the legalization of gay marriage. I just do not understand how the marriage of a gay or lesbian couple somewhere in Canada somehow diminishes the marriage of any heterosexual couple anywhere else in Canada. 

The battle over this issue does diminish us all. It allows the self-righteous to do what they do best, which is simple arithmetic. They divide. Heterosexual marriage good, gay and lesbian marriage bad.

(Full Story)
 

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CHRONOLOGY OF SAME SEX MARRIAGE IN CANADA CTV - A timeline of events leading to the Supreme Court of Canada's opinion on questions concerning same-sex marriage.
(Full Story
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AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL LESBIAN, GAY , BISEXUAL AND TRANSGENDERED NETWORK
Latest World News
-- Sept 10, 2004
 
  • Beenie Man concert axed over homophobia fears.
  • South Africa: True colours of the Rainbow Nation? 
  • Canada: Gay Jordanian now 'gloriously free' in Canada 
  • Malaysia: In Final Appeal, Anwar Must Get Fair Hearing
  • Africa s Anglican archbishops reject donations from churches that support gay unions 
  • Islamic states object to UN pro gay policies 
  • Group Says Egypt Entraps, Tortures Gays 
  • Middle East Report: Sexuality, Suppression and the State

  • (www.ai-lgbt.org)
    (News)
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    ANOTHER REASON TO CELEBRATE No law on homos: Nepali Home Ministry 
    -- Nepal, Aug. 31, 2004

    "There is no legal provision to ban or punish homosexual activities," 

    Interior Minister Ananta Ram Pandey told the Supreme Court in a written reply relating to a show cause notice.
    (Full Story ILGA)
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    PORTUGAL BANS SEXUAL ORIENTATION DISCRIMINATION
    11/08/2004

    Portugal is the first country in Europe and (after Ecuador, Fiji and South Africa) 

    the fourth worldwide to explicitly ban sexual orientation discrimination by constitutional legislation.
    (Full Story)
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    WASHINGTON WOMAN THRUST INTO GAY MARRIAGE BATTLE

    August 21, 2004 -- Associated Press
    Both Lee and Ann Kandu were diagnosed with cancer in October 2002: Lee has ovarian cancer and Ann, who took her partner's last name, had uterine cancer. 

    Judge Paul Snyder's Tuesday ruling marks the first time a federal court has upheld the constitutionality of the federal Defense of Marriage Act
     

    Her case thrust her into the national debate when a federal judge in Tacoma ruled that Lee and  Ann Kandu, a lesbian couple, can not file jointly for bankruptcy protection as a married couple. Federal law, the judge ruled, defines marriage as a "legal union between one man and one woman." 

    (Full Story - Daily Camera)
    (Full Story - The Daily News)
    (Full Story - The Guardian Unlimited)

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    COMING OUT AT 76
    Associated Press

    At an age when people take time to assess their lives, Austin Rogers began to live again, with a clear sense of purpose. 

    He disclosed to his family and friends that he is gay. 

    (Full Story)





    I'm not deleting the election stories as it will have relevance for the next election which could come at any time with a minority government!
    TORY SECRET AGENDA TO ROLE BACK GAY RIGHTS UNVEILED
    June 26, 2004

    (Toronto, Ontario)  As Canadians prepare to go to the polls Monday in the tightest race in modern history new details are emerging about Conservative Party plans to roll back hard fought gay rights.

    Conservative MP Randy White is shown telling a documentary filmmaker that  a Conservative government would redefine the Charter of Rights and use the notwithstanding clause to overrule court rulings it doesn't agree with,such as same-sex marriage.

    (Full Story at 365.gay.com)

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    HARPER JEERED IN KELOWNA
    June 26, 2004
    * CNews (Canoe)( Harper Jeered)
    * CBC News (Midway thru article)
    * CHBC News (hmmm none?)
    * Yahoo News (100 demonstrators!)
    * CTV News (Screaming Protesters!)
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    CONSERVATIVE'S APPEAL TO ETHNIC MINORITIES IS DIVISIVE
    The Ottawa Citizen
    Wed 23 Jun 2004

    Overlooked in last week's furor over child porn was a release from the Conservative party listing 27 ethno-cultural organizations that "support (Stephen Harper's) position on same-sex marriage."

    At first glance, it looks like evidence of an alliance Harper wrote about a year ago -- between "family values" Conservatives and new immigrants with disapproving views of Homosexuality, abortion and feminist ideas. Harper hoped to lure some of these new Canadians from their usual home with the Liberals, to expand a new conservative party centred on protecting "traditional" religious and social values.
    (Full Story)
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    IMPORTANT MESSAGE - Questions for Conservative Candidates - Please forward broadly.
    Date: Tue, 15 Jun 2004 
    11:52:12 -0400
    From: "Cicely McWilliam" equal-marriage.ca
    To: <cicely>

    Hi Folks,

    The Hidden Agenda of the Conservative Party is unlikely to be revealed by Stephen Harper. Harper's achilles heal is his candidates. We need to get folks out to their local all-candidates meetings to ask one or all of the following questions of their local MPs.

    1. Will you use the not withstanding clause to take away civil marriage from lesbian and gay Canadians?

    2. The Charter provides a general guarantee of equality. This has been unanimously confirmed by the Supreme Court. Do you think that the Charter protects gay and lesbian Canadians for discrimination?

    3. The Charter is widely supported by Canadians because it requires government to live up to minimum
    standards of freedom, fairness and equality. Are you in favour of appointing Justices to the Supreme Court who will defer to Parliament rather than uphold the Charter?

    Please be sure to forward this email to all your friends, family and co-workers who support equal marriage rights for same-sex couples.

    Thanks Everyone! Cicely

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    IS HARPER SAYING GAYS AND LESBIANS HAVE NO HUMAN RIGHTS UNDER THE CHARTER?
    June 11, 2004
    (Full Story)
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    OKANAGAN RIDING CANDIDATES RATINGS REGARDING GAY AND LESBIAN ISSUES (Rated by the Canadians for Equal Marriage Campaign)
    North Okanagan Candidates
    Central Okanagan Candidates
    Okanagan Coquihalla Candidates
    South Okanagan Candidates
    (Links to the Canadians for Equal Marriage (CEM) Website)
    CEM News Resources
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    The UN moves to accept gay unions
    Feb. 2, 2004
    NEW YORK -- The United Nations on Thursday took a small step towards recognition of gay and straight unmarried partnerships among their employees, announcing their decision to grant couples health coverage and other benefits if their home country allows it. 
    "It is a step towards acknowledgment that there is great diversity in the staff of the United Nations," said Allee, an American expert on Lebanon in the world body's peacekeeping department.

    [Full Story]

      Hate Crime Bill Passed in Canada
    Sept. 19, 2003
    OTTAWA -- Overcoming the strong objections of religious conservatives, the Canadian Parliament voted 143-110 on Wednesday to extend hate-crimes protection to gay men and lesbians. 
      The bill, a longtime goal of gay civil rights campaigners in Canada, amends the hate propaganda section of the Criminal Code to list sexual orientation along side color, race, religion and ethnic origin that were part of the original law when it passed in 1970. 
    [Full Story]
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