Conservitive MP chairs Secret Abortion committee

Whoops...

just what the prime minister Stephen Harper wants as he attempts to position himself and the conservative party for a run at a majority government...

MP wants to reopen abortion debate, globe and mail

I would like to see who else is a member of this "secretive club". I think I may begin a listing of likely members. If you have a name for the list, send it here.

I will put a copy of the list in the sidebar. How many Iggy supporters belong to the club, any of Jack's team part of the caucus?

Leviticus and Paul, so long ago...

One Dad found a way around Leviticus and Paul...

“I am convinced God does not judge a person on the ground of his or her inborn nature,” wrote Dwyer. “God measures an individual by the kind of person he or she is and by the quality of the life that person lives.”

Which parts of Leviticus are you willing to set aside? The one about executing adulterers? The one about not eating pork?

I’ll give you a few minutes. Flip through the chapter if it’s nearby.

Like most Christians, Eddie Dwyer hadn’t given either commandment that much weight. But for most of his life he didn’t question one implication in Leviticus — the one about a man sleeping with a man. And like most Christians he’d been raised to think of God’s destruction of Sodom in Genesis as a statement against such behavior.

It a cool story for Christians needing to find a way to use their bible to love us queers...

Evangelical Cizik out after gay moment

Evangelical Cizik out after gay moment


A very senior Evangelical in the USA has resigned after being taken to task over views he expressed in a radio interview on NPR. Rev. Richard Cizik was on the Fresh Air radio program on December 2, and expressed his support for same sex unions and that he was closer to supporting same sex marriage. Cizak was Vice President for the National Association of Evangelicals, (NAE) vice president of governmental affairs.

"It was time for him to go," Tom Minnery, a Focus on the Family senior vice president, said Thursday. "He no longer represents the view of evangelicalism. He has not represented those views for some time."

It seems Cizek freaked out evangelical activists due to his environmental focus. This they felt was a distraction from more important issues such as abortion and gay marriage.

It seems queers getting married is a bigger threat to the world than global warming ever could be. I just can't believe i could be that dangerous to the world. I'm kinda impressed! It looks like the God fearing pros were just looking for a reason to dump this guy...

see the evangelical set go off their rocker here

more from the Evangelical set ...

QUEERLY BELOVED
Evangelical leader supports 'gay' civil unions
Claims Christians should 'give biblical point of view a different slant'

and the Washington Times says::
Top evangelical resigns over gay-union stance

and then those folks at Salon.com add to the stuff about his environmental stand in 2005...
"A crisis of biblical proportions"A pro-Bush but eco-conscious evangelical launches a crusade against global warming.

876 and climbing

876 and climbing

That's the number of Liberals, Conservatives, LIB-Cons, CON-Libs, ProCons, Independents and Social Crediters that have gone into the Senate. Now I know most of you are thinking Trudeau would have appointed the most.

Nopers, not by a long shot. He comes in a tie for third, along with Wilfrid Laurier, each having appointed 81 Senators.

Mackenzie King appointed 103 of those 876 Senators, tops the list followed by the first Prime Minister, John A McDonald who anointed 91.

The number of Senators will climb to 894 by Christmas this year as Stephen Harper fills up every last empty seat in that red chamber.

Libby Davies accepts Senate seat!

Libby Davies accepts Senate seat!

No, Libby did not accept a senate seat but when you think of all the rhetoric spewed by Harper in the last 15 years or so, you know he hates that place and vowed to see them replaced with elected Senators, Harper's about face is the equivalent of Jack Layton or Libby Davies deciding to accept a senate seat.

Harper has made a career out of attacking what he sees as privilege. He attacked MP's Pensions, then campaigned saying he would never take one, now he has one. He campaigned for electing senators and now he is appointing them.

Life must be hard for Mr. Harper. He is having to backtrack on his promises, some that endeared voters to his cause, if not to him personally. His Open and Accountable government seems to be a lot less open than it was before. His promise not to go into a deficit, as late as this last election, is gone now, as everyone except Harper's cabinet acknowledges a deficit coming for four or five years.

What is making Harper do all these nasty things? Well, he likes power and all the perks! Look at all these Lottery winners being beholden

18 Tories are about to win a lottery, a lottery you and I can't even buy a ticket in. How big is the Lottery, think a super cash for life scratch and win ticket. If you collect that you get $48,000 a year for 20 years. A Senator gets $75,000 each year until age 75. It hurts my head to think what these lucky winners will get...

What marriage would look like

What marriage would look like

Markos passes along a comment about what the law would say if we had traditional Biblical marriages like the Mormons and their buddies on the far-right are demanding:

A. Marriage in the United States shall consist of a union between one man and one or more women. (Gen 29:17-28; II Sam 3:2-5)

B. Marriage shall not impede a man's right to take concubines in addition to his wife or wives. (II Sam 5:13; I Kings 11:3; II Chron 11:21)

and several more here... at Americablog

memo to michael ignatieff - Don't drop the Ball

memo to michael ignatieff - Don't drop the Ball

So it's Iggy to the rescue.


Now that the coalition knows who their leaders are its full speed ahead. Lets send some fan mail to Iggy. You can reach him at michaelignatieff.ca or by email at info@michaelignatieff.ca

Tell Iggy why you want the coalition, why Canada needs the coalition and why he needs to support it!

If you want some help to do this, read "Don't drop the ball" in NOW magazine.

Prorogation is only the first step

Prorogation is only the first step

Murray Dobbin's column at Rabble.ca points out that prorogation is only the first step in the Conservative Action plan to reshape Canada. The Conservatives if given a majority will gut the CBC, open medicare to further privatization, devolve more power to the provinces and further cut federal taxes to the wealthy and large companies.

In a nut shell, this plan will make it impossible for the federal government to increase spending on anything other than Defense. The reduced tax base will mean fewer dollars available for medicare, child care, education and the environment. The federal government will have lost its ability to influence provinces, to demand national standards, to maintain equalization payments, the list goes on and on.

read Murray's column here

H/T to The Cylinder

Word Warrior for Canada

Its time for Canadians to step up to the plate. I found this great idea at The Cylinder blog on how we all can become Word Warriors.

Gene has several tips for us,

Some pointers on sharing with friends & neighbours

Drop photocopies of the column in your neighbours’ mailboxes (nearby or around the block);

Add an eye catching button or banner to your blog that links to Murray’s column;

Cut what you think may help from this post & paste into your own Word Warrior for Canada blogpost;

Use all the technological bells & whistles that you know of to spread the word;

Be creative & build your own personal Word Warrior for Canada campaign & share your ideas and insights with us either by leaving a comment below on this blogpost or through some other means that you think would be more efficient.

Ben-Ami says Harper is Disingenuous

Ben-Ami says Harper is Disingenuous

Harper is attempting to make short term political gain for long term damage to Parliament.

No need to take my word for that when you can take it from one of the most Conservative voices in Canadian public discourse, one Joseph C. Ben-Ami is the president of the very conservative think tank, the Canadian Centre for Policy Studies and he is none too proud of Stephen Harper these days...

...It’s a little disingenuous for them (Conservatives) to rely on the rules of parliamentary procedure to claim and defend their right to govern, then cry foul when opposition parties use the very same rules to try to form a parliamentary coalition with not only an equal constitutional right to govern, but perhaps an even stronger moral right based on the aggregate support they received in the recent election and the discrepancies between that support and the current seat distribution in the House of Commons....- Harper must defend conservative policy, not play political games, December 7, 2008

Ben Ami's article goes on with respect to Mr. Harper's charges of treason and sedition against Stephane Dion, Jack Layton and the coalition...

...Mr. Harper’s government was only able to survive for more than 2 ½ years during the previous Parliament because it too had worked out a responsible modus vivendi with the BQ, as any prudent minority government would do. Remember the declaration that Quebec is a nation within Canada? By characterizing the Liberal-NDP willingness to cooperate with the BQ as incitement to treason – which is what sedition is, after all – Mr. Harper and his supporters are not just being insincere; they are engaging in their own brand of incitement. It may serve them well in the short term, but politics has a funny way of exacting revenge on those who practice it with such calculated cynicism. As the Prophet Hosea warned, “Those who sow the wind shall reap the whirlwind.”...

Vatican casts its Cloak of Hate

Vatican casts its Cloak of Hate

The Vatican is opposed to a UN resolution launched by France in May for the universal decriminalisation of homosexuality.

The primary advocates of Gay rights in Italy held a sit in at St. Peter's Square, within the walls of the Vatican.

The Vatican says the resolution might eventually allow gays to get married. Bruce has more at Canuck Attitude!

The Catholic Church's efforts here will see more gays persecuted, more dead gays and humanity disgraced.

Young people speak out at Toronto Rally

Young people speak out at Toronto Rally...



I was excited to see a large number of young people attend the rally for the Coalition in Toronto on Saturday. I managed to get three of them to tell me why they were there. It was a big day and spirit of these three was infectious.

Santa Claus supports Coalition

Santa Claus supports Coalition

Stephen Harper is likely to find a lump of coal in his stocking this Christmas. Check out what Santa has to say about cooperation...

Mary Walsh emceees rally in Toronto

This is the first of several videos of the rally in Toronto today. I have a short video exclusive to Queerthoughts with Mary I will post later tonight.

Here Walsh addresses the hired choir that greets Prime Minister Harper each morning

IKEA or Direct Democracy

IKEA or Direct Democracy

Sometimes people just want others to do it.

I just talked to a very, very dear friend, reminding him of the rally at city hall today at noon, here in Toronto. I asked if he was planning to attend. Now before I go on, my friend is supportive of the coalition and would like it to replace Stephen Harper.

So my friend, who holds progressive views, may not be able to attend the rally today because he needs to go to IKEA. He is a busy guy, has a demanding career. He is very dedicated to ensuring his clients get the best product from him, so he has to get his IKEA FIX in today.

Now the troubling thing for me is this. I could accept he can't go out today because he was ill, had a doctors appointment at noon, had to pick a friend up at the airport, or Mom was in town and he had prearranged brunch with some of his best behaved buddies, to put on a good show.

But IKEA! Noppers, that's pretty lame.

Now my friend may still come, especially if he reads this post in time, if only to tell me he is pissed at me.

Imagine

With all the vote rigging in the USA in Florida, Bush won by 500 some votes because at the very least 5000 gay boys went shopping, went to IKEA (do they have IKEA in Florida) instead of voting.

Today's rally is vital. We need to have a good number to maintain momentum, momentum that will sustain the IKEA crowd's ability to continue shopping!

Harper kissed Duceppe lots

Harper kissed Duceppe lots...

Stephen Harper as leader of the opposition...

Seems Mr. Harper can not remember what he did in 2004. Back then he was opposition leader and Paul Martin was the PM. Back then he wrote the GG and requested that she not allow a snap election if Paul Martin asked for one. His letter to the GG was supported by Mr. Layton, leader of the NDP and Mr. Duceppe, leader of the Bloc Québécois.

Apparently, Mr. Harper didn't mind kissing up to the Bloc then, it was no different then than now. Was Harper sleeping with the devil in order to be PM?

talking to Evan Solomon...

Solomon: But providing an Opposition in this case is very different from what Canadians have understood because your opposition could bring the government down. Are there trigger points that would bring the government down?

Harper: Well there are lots of things that could bring the government down, but my opposition can not bring the government down. The government can only be brought down because it alienates several parties in the House. And the first obligation in this Parliament, if the government wants to govern, it has to come to Parliament and it has to show that it can get the support of the majority of members, through the Throne Speech, through legislation, and through budget and supply, and the government to this point has made no effort to do that, but that's its first obligation.

and then there is this...

Solomon: So why did you write that letter to the Governor-General with Gilles Duceppe and Jack Layton saying in the event of a confidence vote situation do not call a snap election - are we to assume that therefore you're working to form a coalition?

Harper: There seems to be an attitude in the Liberal government - that they can go in, be deliberately defeated and call an election - that's not how our constitutional system works. The government has a minority - it has an obligation to demonstrate to Canadians that it can govern. That it can form a majority in the House of Commons. If it can't form a majority, we look at other options, we don't just concede to the government's request to make it dysfunctional. I know for a fact that Mr. Duceppe and Mr. Layton and the people who work for them want this Parliament to work and I know if is in all of our interests to work. The government has got to face the fact it has a minority, it has to work with other people.

want to read more, go to the Globe and Mail...

and the entire CBC interview can be found here

Homo for Christmas

Homo for Christmas

For something a little lighter check out some crafty homo tree decorations you can download and make from Xtra.ca

Here are a couple of them. You can download the PDF on Xtra's website.

66,000 jobs lost in Ontario

"He seems to be more interested in protecting his job than your job" -Jack Layton after Conservative Prime Minister Stephen Harper get the Governor General to shut down the house before a non confidence vote could be held.

That's it. November was the worst month since the 1982 recession. 66,000 jobs alone lost in Ontario. Ontario manufacturing lost 42,000 good paying manufacturing jobs. How much more do we have to lose before Stephen Harper does anything.

Support the Coalition!
Attend the rally at Nathan Phillips Square,
Saturday, December 6, 2008
12 to 1pm

Only in Canada eh? Pity

Only in Canada eh? Pity


At the recent Join The Impact rally here in Toronto Ontario, I came across a gay couple that immigrated to Canada in order to stay together. The couple have been granted landed status and are making their home in Toronto.



The couple were together several years in the USA but were not able to continue there. Faced with a choice of separating or both of them moving to Zimbabwe they chose to try Canada. They made it!

Same-sex marriage is legal in Canada and Canada's immigration polices are little kinder to queer applicants than those of the USA. The American could not sponsor his Zimbabwian boyfriend, in large part due to the lack of recognition of gay relationships by the US Federal Government.

In the US, marriage remains a state jurisdiction as far as granting marriage rights. The federal government however holds jurisdiction over who receives federal tax rights and benefits and who can immigrate to the USA and who you can sponsor. Gay couples are not entitled to spousal benefits, marriage rights, immigration sponsorship and a host of other federal, state and municipal laws and regulations that bestow rights and benefits to straight couples.

Want to continue supporting our friends south of the border?

Join the Impact!

Only in Canada eh? Pity.

Black Dems and White Repubs

Black Dems and White Repubs

You heard the joke before, a black Democrat and white Republican go into a voting booth and ask for...

If this weren't real, you might say it was ironic...

31% of black Democrats in America say homosexual relations are morally acceptable, roughly the same as the 30% of Republicans who agree, while very much different from the 61% of nonblack Democrats who say homosexual relations are morally acceptable.

If you look at the poll numbers, black Democrats ought to be with the Republicans. Poll data shows they are opposed to sex outside marriage, having a baby outside marriage, same sex marriage and abortion. The only significant difference between black Democrats and white Republicans (oddly enough there are not many black republicans) is on capital punishment.

Yes you guessed it, black Democrats don't like it and white Republicans love it.

In May this year I was in North Carolina helping Jim Neil on primary day. I was one of about ten people handing out info to voters as they went to cast their ballots. The other ten folks were also Democrats supporting a variety of candidates from dog catcher to local district attorney to Obama for president.

My guy was Jim Neil, a gay white man, running against a straight white woman with a religious pedigree, for the Democratic ticket for US Senator. Neil didn't stand a chance.

Now there is more. All the other Democrats there that day with me (a small white queer from Canada) were black. They all supported the white lady for senate because she was a family person, went to church. Now Jim goes to church too, has two kids and a successful business guy. He is a Carolina success story, millionaire, supported tons of progressive initiatives by advocating and funding them. The white lady was a State Senator and not quite as progressive in my eyes. Ironically Neil likely spent more time, effort and money in addressing issues affecting black voters with more success than the white woman, but he was gay.

I knew I was not going to win any of these folks over. So the next thing was what to talk about. We talked about the Presidential race, all were for Obama. Some said if he lost they would vote for the Republican, (I couldn't understand that, that's biting your nose off for sure).

Lastly I figured since I was in the most "progressive" part of North Carolina, I would ask about capital punishment. Hey you know the poll numbers, black democrats are opposed to the death penalty. That ought to be a winner for me.

Now they were all supporting a black Democratic woman who was running against a black republican woman. I was horrified to say the least. To a person, they supported the death penalty. Now here in Canada, the subject doesn't come up often, the death penalty was last used here in 1962 at the infamous Don jail in Toronto. I expect the population here is split 50 - 50.

The American contradictions are many. Why would blacks in general be opposed to gay rights and marriage after being the victims themselves of such awful systemic discrimination. Why could they not see they were doing the same thing to gays. Why would I find so many black Democrats supportive of capital punishment, why would so many of them vote for a Republican President rather than a woman who has an impeccable history of fighting for black people.

America is both wonderful and disturbing. It remains the one western country which still feels its okay to kill as a punishment, to deny gays rights, to discriminate against people because of sex or colour, invoking the lord's blessing is expected of politicians, and unfettered capitalism trumps all, except when they want a bail out.

I almost feel that I have to tell you that not all Americans are like this, that some of my best friends are American. Will i ever understand them? No , but you know what, Obamaism gives me hope that one day things will change. Obama may not bring the great change during his term, he has however opened the door, (remember Obama supports capital punishment and says gay marriage is a State issue). Americans of progressive making, need to storm the opening and demand change.

Link: Blacks as Conservative as Republicans on Some Moral Issues

some American opinions

public opinion in the USA

Americans generally think sex is ok outside of marriage as long as your not doing it with someone who is married, its okay to kill people convicted of murder, abortion is not ok, gambling and testing on animals is kosher, and same sex marriage is becoming more acceptable.

That was a snapshot way back in May by Gallop.

What the heck happened then in California and Prop 8? I guess the voters there did not read the polls and or too many gays were out getting Obama elected leaving fewer folks fighting to defeat Prop 8.

Then again, who could resist the beautiful smile of those young Mormon missionaries...

Check out the cool Prop 8 Musical video at Bruce's place, the Canuck with Attitude blog!

2008 Sex Now Survey

BC Queer Guys do the Sex Now Survey NOW...

The work at Sex Now is almost done! They're trying to get as many guys as possible in BC to participate in the 2008 Sex Now Survey before the end of this year. Sex Now is about 250 guys shy of the goal of 1500 men!

If you haven't had a chance to do it yet, they promise it won't take too much of your time. Three to five minutes, actually. Not bad for a survey. :-) You'll find it at www.SexNowSurvey.com.

Please forward this info to your friends in BC since it would really help get more guys to do the survey. The more surveys, the better information is from guys in the community to build better community services. In addition, the more information they get this year, the more we'll ALL know about what kind of porn we all like and what kind of sexual styles we all have.

And that just means better sex for everyone.

The Sex Now survey is a project of the Community Based Research Centre. CBRC.net is the online home of the Community-Based Research Centre. The CBRC is a non-profit community organization that conducts community-based research. It upholds and advocates for the principles of community-based research. The CBRC specializes in applied research in the areas of HIV/AIDS and gay men’s health. CBRC.net is community-based research in action. Visit each of our sub-sites. Learn about community-based research and explore different approaches to CBR as exemplified by the CBRC’s projects.

Time for AIDS orgs to speak out!

Time for AIDS orgs to speak out!

One more reason to support the Liberal-NDP coalition...

Prime Minister Harper has been sitting on a Gay Men's HIV/AIDS prevention campaign for a year now. The campaign was sent to his office for approval last spring. The campaign was designed by gay men using federal funding. That indicates to me that the designers already took steps to tone the campaign down to be as unoffensive as they could be in order that the PM would sign off on it.

It did not work. The campaign, ready to go, sits and grows older and out of date as each month goes by. There is a good chance the campaign would have to be trashed and all the money spent to date lost, the opportunity to educate queers lost, queer voices lost, queer lives lost.

Why did the people that developed this campaign not tell us about it. Why have they sat on this for months. Did they think questioning the Prime Minister would kill the campaign. That he would never approve it if they demanded action?

The silence of those who spent months of time and taxpayers money developing the campaign is a slap in the face to our community. We have received very little from government when we have sat back silently, politely wishing for it to act. That has been especially true with the Harper Conservative Government. So why the silence?

Harper was never going to approve the campaign, no matter how nice you played. The nicer you play with him, the less you will achieve.

The time for action is now. Queers need to tell the community how the governmment is fighting against our efforts to educate and protect our community. There is a slogan that seems to have lost favour but was popular a decade or more ago.


The coalition will listen to us. Harper will never be in our corner.

Silence = Death

Queering the agenda...

Queering the agenda...

There is much that queer communities have on the agenda for government to address. We have all been patient. I think the time is over for this.

See the list from EGALE Canada. This is only the beginning in my opinion. This is the easy stuff...

see Egale Canada on facebook

Egale Canada’s Top 10 Priorities for a Coalition Government

1 Amend the Canadian Human Rights Act to explicitly add “gender identity and gender expression” to the list of prohibited grounds of discrimination?

2 Add “gender identity and gender expression” as protected categories under the hate provisions of the Criminal Code?

3 Reinstate the Court Challenges Program?

4 Lift the reproductive restrictions which prohibit women without a male sexual partner from seeking accessible fertility services to use known sperm donors, including gay men?

5 Lift the ban which prohibits men who have sex with men from donating blood, organs, sperm, and bone marrow?

6 A review of Immigration Refugee Board (IRB) guidelines when making decisions based on sexual orientation, expression and gender identity.

7 Support the Yogyakarta Principles, a set of principles on the application of international human rights law in relation to sexual orientation and gender identity?

8 Adopt official foreign policies and programs to support human rights of LGBT people in other countries.

9 Provide information and training on Canadian LGBT rights to every Canadian embassy, high commission and other diplomatic post around the world.

10 Canada to take a leadership role in advancing LGBT human rights on the international stage.

Conservatives set to attack the GG

Conservatives set to attack the GG

It didn't take long but the Harperites have their folks ready to attack the Governor General should she refuse to call an election or let Harper shut the house down. David Frum, the decider of evil, has decided that Madame Jean is a partisan appointment.

"If there's any one person in Canada entitled to be outraged by the choice of Michaelle Jean as the new governor-general--and there are many--it is surely Adrienne Clarkson.

Like Clarkson or dislike her, there's no disputing that she was a large figure in Canadian life for more than three decades when Jean Chretien named her. That she was also the first non-white and first immigrant governor-general was a wonderful extra.

But the selection of Michaelle Jean casts a brutal retrospective light on Clarkson's elevation. Whoever picked the new G-G gave one order: "Find me a non-white francophone woman!"--and so you have to wonder whether they did not similarly regard the accomplished Clarkson as nothing more than a non-white anglophone woman. The only pleasure we can take in the Michaelle Jean selection is to watch Canada's exquisitely correct reporters tripping over themselves to avoid reporting the most super-abundantly obvious truth." - Once a Prestigious Post, Now a Refuge for Partisans - David Frum

Its news to me that the Governor General (GG) was above partisan politics when they were appointed to the job. Its seems to me that every GG to date has been appointed by a Prime Minister and he (Kim Campbell never got to appoint a GG) has usually picked someone that was at the very least familiar to him, (that's diplomatic speak for, sharing the same values or party membership).

I didn't hear Mr. Harper complain when Madame Jean was appointed. Now of course with his Government in peril, he is leaving no rock unturned in an effort to discredit the coalition.Being relegated to the opposition benches will be a huge insult to Harper's ego.

Most GG's grow in the job, they have served Liberal and Conservative Prime Ministers. It serves no one in this situation to be attacking the credibility of the GG whom must act according to precedent. She has some good guidelines to follow. Whatever her decision, it will be well 'canvassed' among constitutional experts prior to announcing it.

I would hope the GG asks Mr. Dion to attempt to govern. Most Canadians do not want an election so I believe the GG will not go that route. She is left with two options, asking Mr. Dion to form the Government or two, allowing Mr. Harper, should he request it, to close the house down until the new year. This may be the least controversial decision. The Coalition can still defeat the Government budget or use a non confidence motion and the GG is back where she is today. Either allow an election or ask Mr. Dion to form a Government.

The best decision would be to give the coalition the next few weeks to get to work. The time would be very valuable and vital to the success of the coalition.

Neo cons will soon be singing the tune written by the Decider of all Evil.

CBC : Gov. Gen. rushes home to deal with political turmoil

Overheard on Yonge Street

overheard on Yonge Street in Toronto

"We're in downtown
Toronto honey,
it doesn't get any
better than this!"

Support here for Coalition Government

I support a new coalition government that will provide economic leadership and hope. I want you to support it too. It's time to put our country first.

Je soutiens un nouveau gouvernement de coalition qui servira les intérêts économiques et donnera de l'espoir au pays. Je veux que le vous ayez soutenu aussi. Il est temps de mettre notre pays en premier lieu.

We are in a dangerous time. Its vital that we have a government that can respond in a manner that will protect our pensions, our homes and our jobs. It is a time for leadership and bold moves.

Harper and the Conservatives have shown they do not have what is needed. It is vital that Canada have leadership that is willing to work with others, that parliament become more responsive to Canadians.

I support the coalition developing between the Liberals and the NDP with the Parliamentry support of the BLOC.

This is a moment that can lead to nation building. What we do now will shape our country for years to come. What kind of country do you want?

Je soutiens un nouveau gouvernement de coalition
I support a Coalition Government

you need to touch those near you

you need to touch those near you

A follow up to my previous post and in remembrance of Harvey Milk. Milk was killed 30 years today. Me and some friends will be off to see the movie Milk today. We waited for this day rather than go when the movie opened on November 26. Film critic Roger Ebert feels Milk has achieved a goal 30 years after his death. Ebert maybe describing the way it is in Canada or his close knit group, I however feel that America has a long way to go yet.

"In 1977, Harvey Milk became the first openly gay man elected to public office in the United States. Yes, but I have become so weary of the phrase 'openly gay.' I am openly heterosexual, but this is the first time I have ever said so. Why can't we all be what we prefer? Why can't gays simply be gays, and 'unopenly gays' be whatever they want to seem? In 1977, it was not so. Milk made a powerful appeal to closeted gays to come out to their families, friends and co-workers, so the straight world might stop demonizing an abstract idea. But so powerful was the movement he helped inspire that I believe his appeal has now pretty much been heeded, save in certain backward regions of the land that a wise gay or lesbian should soon deprive of their blessings." - Roger Ebert in his review of Milk

For more insight see the Mayor of San Diego speak on the gay marriage.


We are making friends, we are advancing, we are making it, one person at a time. If you want to change the world, you have to let the world know you are here. This republican Mayor was opposed to gay marriage. He changed due to his relationship with his daughter, a lesbian.

Milk asked us to out ourselves. Many did. Here in Canada we have got to the point where two politicians can be big time players without needing to be identified as gay.

The republican Mayor of San Diego was touched by those he knew. If you want to change the world, you need to touch those near you.

The best non news story this year!

The best non news story this year!

You have read all about the "Constitutional Crisis" as it is being described. Check any number of blogs out there. No one is talking about the the "non news story". That's good.

I'm talking about it just to remind some of you how far we in the queer communities have come. Read this piece from the CBC report on the "Crisis"

...'The government failed Canadians': NDP

Both Liberal finance critic Scott Brison and NDP House Leader Libby Davies went on record Saturday as saying the motion has little to do with the government's decision to cut party subsidies, which were brought in as part of election finance reforms in 2003 when political contributions from unions and corporations were banned.

"That's not what it's about," Brison said.

"This is about the economic stimulus," Davies said. "What it's about is recognizing that the government failed Canadians. They did not bring forward the kind of significant economic stimulus that we've seen in all other G7 countries." CBC News

Davies an out bisexual, is deputy leader of the NDP and Brison is an out gay man and the Finance Critic for the Liberals.

The non news is the loss of the adjective before their names. They are the lead spokespersons for their political parties on the "Constitutional Crisis".

No Gay MP Scott Brison or Bisexual MP Libby Davies.

Note: Earlier I failed to note that Davies was bisexual. I have corrected that in the text above.

Join the Impact Toronto Canada

Join the Impact Toronto Canada

The Join the Impact rally in Toronto Ontario today had about 200 people in attendance when I left to post these videos. Several Americans took part in the rally in front of the American Consulate in Canada's largest city, Toronto.

It was a good crowd considering the cold weather and the rain. Many of those passing the demonstration in their cars on University Avenue honked horns in support.

The consulate had guards standing outside at the entrance at the beginning of the rally but they soon disappeared inside out of the rain and glare of cameras.

Some thoughts from those at the rally. More video coming late tonight!

"We consistently blow it"

"We consistently blow it"

Remember evangelical pastor Ted Haggard. The one that was cured of his homosexual urges in three weeks of treatment. He is back in the news now, seeking redemption while starting up an insurance company in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

He claims to have been abused as a child now, maybe he was but why is he bringing this up now and not when he was caught out. Seems to me he would have wanted to at the time of his outing to sought public sympathy, to send the blame for his actions onto others. He did not do that then and now with the beginnings of his new business venture he seeks to deny responsibility for his actions. I find his claims to be a little disingenuous.

In an ABC Report today on Good Morning America, Haggard according to tape recordings of the sermons posted on the ABC News Web site said 'one of his father's employees "had a sexual experience with me" when Haggard was 7.'

The path to redemption is clear. Blame someone else. I was a victim he is saying and what better way to play to the evangelical faithful than too blame his own behaviour on a child molester. Its a little too late and a little hard to believe you Mr. Haggard.

"...In consultation with leading evangelicals and experts familiar with the type of behavior Pastor Haggard has demonstrated, we have decided that the most positive and productive direction for our church is his dismissal and removal. In addition, the Overseers will continue to explore the depth of Pastor Haggard's offense so that a plan of healing and restoration can begin. ..." New Life Church Colorado Springs, Colorado Media Release, Nov 4, 2006

Haggard said in the audio tapes that 'church leaders missed an opportunity to use his scandal to "communicate the gospel worldwide through secular media. We consistently blow it" when those opportunities arise.'

"A congressman in trouble, that's the time. A family member gets himself in horrible trouble, that's the time. A preacher gets himself in awful trouble, that's the time,"Haggard said.

The Evangelical church blew it with their preaching the evils of homosexuality. They blew it with there incessant rantings against gay rights, gays and those that support these rights. They have demonized gays and their behaviour.

Haggard may be looking for a new start, to re-enter the faithful and the best way to do that is to add to the demonetization of gays. To play to stereotypical fears. To continue the cycle.

In Haggard's case, I just hope in this one instance, there is a Hell and he take residence there alongside Jerry Falwell, James Dobson and Jesse Helms to name a few. Perhaps they should be made to listen to Fred Phelps.

Just in case you needed another reason to get out and rally today! Watch this

YES we Can too

YES we Can too

The message of hope is strong and i felt it when i was in the US. Americans have voted for something in this election rather than against something. Obama has given hope to so many, now we need to help him deliver on that hope.

Here in Toronto I will be with many others, showing our support for the hope gays and lesbians have to be treated equally in the United States. Its time gays and lesbians can say YES we Can too!

Join the IMPACT.

Rallies in the USA
click here

Rallies in Canada, click on city link below!

Toronto, Ottawa, Vancouver, Calgary, Montreal, Halifax, Windsor, Sault Ste. Marie

check your limited-government ideology at the door

check your limited-government ideology at the door

It had to happen didn't it. Some gay dudes that love to handle their guns, I mean real guns, the ones that shoot people, not the one in your pants, have started a blog to express their Harpian (Conservative) views. They have launched this new site as the Conservatives meet in Manitoba behind closed doors.

Now it should not surprise you to know they call this place, Gay Dominion. Currently this Canadian gay voice has links to three sites...

• Andrew Sullivan
• GayPatriot
• Log Cabin Republicans

Not one Canadian gay blogger to date rates a link. But then again if you are a gay conservative in Canada your idols are in fact south of the border. The founder of Gay Dominion, Fred Litwin hasn't even linked his own blog, Gay and Right, on this new site.

Litwin says in a media advisory posted on Gay and Right...

Gay Dominion stands for limited government, low taxes, free markets, the merit principle, personal responsibility, AND the equality of gays and lesbians. Gay Dominion is against rampant political correctness, myopic religious intolerance, moral and cultural relativism, anti-Americanism, and the tearing down of western civilization.

Sounds like he has the conservative rhetoric down. Lets see how welcome he is in the Blogging Tories... Western Standard welcomed the arrival of the Gay Dominion saying...

I’m confident that gays and lesbians will find a home in the Conservative party, just as long as they check their limited-government ideology at the door with the rest of us.

Watch your step Fred and Chris...

It should be noted that Gay and Right did not post on the issue of the firing by Harper of out gay candidate in Toronto Centre during the last election. What's that all about?

Join the Impact - Fight the H8

Join the Impact - Fight the H8

Same-sex/gay marriage has been legal in Canada for three years. Americans Gays and Lesbians are involved in the fight to achieve what we have in Canada. In the recent election, Americans in Florida, Arizona and California voted to ban gay marriage.

Its time for Canadians to stand with our friends in the United States of America, to show our support in their fight for equality. The election of Obama has given many gay and lesbian Americans hope and its important we stand with them. We can show the world and more importantly, show The US that Gay marriage has not affected anyone in a negative way. Canada is still here, still strong, free and celebrating our equality.

A group on facebook was begun and is asking us to to join in peaceful protest this Saturday November 15th 2008, in

Toronto, Ottawa, Vancouver, Calgary, Montreal

There we will unite with people across the world including the UK, France, Australia, as well as at least one protest in every state in the US. Lets help to work towards equal rights for everyone, EVERYWHERE!

Info on international rallies of support can be found here.
Americans can find local rallies here

Holy Defeat - Don't Get Mad, Get Even!

Holy Defeat - Don't Get Mad, Get Even!

It has been a few days since I last posted on the blog. I like so many people was very excited about the election of Barack Obama. It is an exciting time for people around the world, and especially for black Americans. The election of Obama, was something they never thought possible is now staring them in the face. Obama is everyone's Homeboy!

The election was an up and down night for me. It was an up and down night for millions of Americans. Gay marriage supporters were slapped down by voters in California, Arizona and Florida. Gay parents were kicked out of Arkansas.

I somehow don't feel as good about Obama's victory after the fact than before. Gay and Lesbian Americans were toasted by a Holy Defeat as the Washington Blade editor Kevin Naff put it. Naff pointed out...

"Voter turnout in gay mecca San Francisco was among the lowest in the state, around 53 percent."

That is almost unforgivable, it is certainly a lesson for the community. If the vote in San Francisco was only 53%, what the heck was it in other gay and gay friendly communities.

There is much to do. There is much to win. The lesson in this last election is clear. We can not nor should we rely on or expect others to give us what is right. It may be ironic that Black American voters were the ones to teach us this lesson. They have seen the election of a black American to President. They have realised a dream. Do gays want to achieve our dream?

In the end it was not Black American votes for Prop 8 or Prop 2 that saw us lose. It was a step toward equality, it was a reminder to all of us. Our rights are only as good as the next election, the next congressional or parliamentary majority, the government appointment, the next Mayor or city councilor in your city.

We lost this battle because it was defined by the prop 8 supporters as a defense of marriage, as state intrusion on religious freedom. We don't know our neighbours as well as we need too, and they don't know us. Perhaps its time to take a plate of your favourite cookies next door.

If the World could vote

In Canada 88% of us so far would vote for Obama.

Have a look here and vote yourself!

It's an exciting time out here. We watch with a fascination and a little trepidation. How could the USA choose anyone but Obama. The world needs a strong, healthy and wise American President. Nothing fits the bill better than President Obama.

We're republicans and we're OK

We're republicans and we're OK,
We tell scary tales with our robocalls all day,
We love Sarah's high heels cause they're high and red
McCain takes red states and makes them blue, we're dead

Race Religion and Gay cards

Republicans deal from the bottom of the deck...

Look out here it comes. There is nothing more dangerous than a cornered Republican or one with all the levers of power.

The Race Card

In this new ad approved by John McCain, the republicans try to associate Obama with Muslims and dark skinned scary people. The ad is not truthful, takes little bits of information and then distorts it. That shouldn't surprise us right?

Desperate Republican ad...


The Gay Card...

Next we have the Senator Kit Bond of Missouri warming up the crowd for Sarah Palin with this little bit of hate mongering ... "Just this past week, we saw what Barack Obama said about judges. He said, ‘I’m tired of these judges who want to follow what the Founding Fathers said and the Constitution. I want judges who have a heart, have an empathy for the teenage mom, the minority, the gay, the disabled. We want them to show empathy. We want them to show compassion.’”

The Religion Card

In North Carolina, Republican Senator Dole in a very tight race in that state with State Senator Kay Hagan, accuses Hagan of being beholden to atheists and suggests that Hagan would be very happy to support their (atheists) agenda. more here

Dealing from the bottom of the deck is all the republicans have left. It is looking very desperate for the McCain crowd.

Republican shenanigans again and again and ...

Republican shenanigans again and again and ...

We have heard the stories, we all remember 2000 when George W Bush became president due to several nasty tricks and 550 votes more than Gore were counted for him. (Remember not all votes were counted and all those hanging chads.) You may have heard of notices sent out into black neighbourhoods that announced voting for republicans was on one day and democrats vote the next day. These tactics led to suppressing the vote.

In Ohio in 2004, districts which voted Democrat had fewer voting machines and staffing forcing many people to wait up to 8 hours to vote. Many did not or could not wait and George W Bush won the election in Ohio by a slim margin. Don't get me going on voting machines and all the problems that were identified there as more problems are occurring there again.

Here is a handy list of Republican shenanigans again...

Republican Voter Suppression: A Guide

... New Mexico
The state GOP earlier this month held a press conference at which it released the names of 10 voters it said had voted fraudulently in a Democratic primary in June. After ACORN helped established that the voters, almost all Hispanic, were in fact legitimate, TPMmuckraker and others reported that GOP lawyer Pat Rogers apparently hired a private investigator, who intimidated some of the voters by going to their homes to question them about their voting status. Rogers, the P.I. and the state party are now being sued for voter intimidation by several voting-rights groups.

Read more about Indiana, Colorado, Pennsylvania, Nevada, Ohio, Montana, Wisconsin. Florida and Montana

study shows gays make less, lesbians more

study shows gays make less, lesbians more

There is a new study out on incomes for Gay and lesbian people in Canada. The new study found gay men make about 12 percent less than straight men and Lesbian women made a staggering 15 percent more than straight women.

Canadian Journal of Economics provides the first evidence on sexual orientation and economic outcomes in Canada. The study found that gay men have 12 percent lower personal incomes and lesbians have 15 percent higher personal incomes than heterosexual men and women. Christopher S. Carpenter of The Paul Merage School of Business at the University of California Irvine used data from the Canadian Community Health Survey which includes standard demographic questions as well as self-reports on sexual orientation. - e! Science News

This is not rocket science. Most of us would guess that gay men work largely in service and helping professions and lesbian women are more likely to work in non-traditional roles than straight women. Educational levels are also something that has been known observationally.

It is good to see the data quantified. It would be useful to see why it is gay men are in jobs that pay less than jobs straight men have and why they pay less, and why lesbian women tend to go to more non traditional roles.

Daily Shame # 7 - Unchristian like attack by Dole

Unchristian like attack by Dole

Is there no shame among the republicans? I guess there isn't. We have seen what Bush and Rove did to win, now we see what McCain, Palin and now Dole will do to win.

Dole, republican Senator for North Carolina is in a tight fight with Democrat Hagan. Hagan was not supposed to do this well. North Carolina is the home of NASCAR and Jesse Helms. Its supposed to be deep dark red country.

After a less than stellar senate term, Dole who voted with President Bush 93% of the time, is referred to as the absent Senator. She is rarely seen in North Carolina. Hagan and the Democrats have seized on these issues and with Obama's long and broad coattails is tied in most polls with Dole.

This latest attack on the Democrat running against Dole is over the top. It suggests Hagan, an elder at First Presbyterian Church, will get rid of god. In North Carolina, its important to profess your faith and all candidates do this. Dole's ad suggests how well Hagen and Obama are doing in the tar heel state. I predict Hagan and Obama takes North Carolina due in part to the ad you can look at below.

In Greensboro this morning Kay Hagan stood with her minister and stated that her lawyers are preparing a cease-and-desist order demanding that Republican Dole stop airing the ad – if the Dole campaign doesn’t pull it in the next 24-hours.

Unchristian like attack by Dole on Hagan. Hardly lady like Ms Dole...

Yes on 8, I mean No on 8

This is a parody of, and response to, the video called "YES on Proposition 8 (Prop 8) your rights".

It takes the Yes on 8 commercial and substitutes "interracial marriage" to show the effect of discrimination:

Senator Dianne Feinstein says no to Prop 8

This powerful new Prop 8 ad featuring California Senator Dianne Feinstein will be on the air statewide tonight in California.

Senator Feinstein is a trusted and respected voice that will resonate with voters. She joins the chorus of leaders across California who are calling on voters to reject this unfair initiative. See Lez gets Real.

Vote No on Prop 8.

See whats really behind the Churches war with the gay community.

Activism and Awareness

• Senator Feinstein: Powerful New Ad "No on Prop. 8"
• Actor Samuel L. Jackson Opposes Prop 8.
• Only One More Week to Get Married Before Election Day in California!
• From The Rainbow Wedding Network...
  

Write to Marry California

The Mormons, Catholics and the Evangelicals are pulling out all the stops to win Prop 8, a ballot measure that will see thousands of marriages invalidated and write discrimination into the state constitution.

The Christian church in North America has spent years raising money fighting gays. These churches were seeing declining membership when Jerry Falwell decided in the early 70's to declare war on homosexuals. With the help of celebrities like Anita Bryant, politicians like Jesse Helms, they ascribed every failing in America to the acceptance and or tolerance of gays.

“Having Governor Schwarzenegger on board since the beginning made it easier to get other people,” Republicans Against 8 campaign director Scott Schmidt. “San Diego mayor Jerry Sanders, L.A. sheriff Lee Baca. ... Big government shouldn’t be telling people who they can marry.”

This was designed to bring people back to church, to fill the pews, to fill the coffers. It worked with local and state governments passing regressive laws prohibiting recognition of same-sex couples, health benefits, adoption, housing and employment rights, and more.

They formed an alliance with politicians through coercion, either you oppose all gay rights or we kick your ass out of office. These actions accompanied many other actions as well. The imposition of laws forbidding women from accessing abortion, common law couples received fewer benefits from the state than married couples, sex education was changed to abstinence only, often without discussing sex.

"Prop 8 is an unfair and unnecessary measure that would eliminate equal protections for same-sex couples and write discrimination into the California state Constitution," siad co-organizer Dana Rudolph, founder of LGBT-parenting blog Mombian. "As marriage equality spreads throughout the country, people in all states have a vested interest in making sure this hard-won right is protected."

These churches and the politicians beholden to them pressed for and got regressive criminal sentencing, more death penalties, longer sentences. The result was more crime, even higher numbers of Blacks and Hispanics in jail, higher poverty rates, fewer workers rights.

The other major effect the Churches have had is stopping a national health care plan that would see every American having health care. The Churches, their politicians, have formed an unholy alliance with profit making insurance companies and drug companies. Framed as socialist, health insurance remains very profitable and in many cases unaffordable. Even those with coverage, half of the personal bankruptcies in the US are due to medical bills.

"In my lifetime, I've seen discrimination," said United States Senator Dianne Feinstein, "and I see it again in Proposition 8." Regardless of your position on marriage, she said, vote against the measure to vote against discrimination.

The fight to stop gay marriage is solely a religious one, made to support the coffers of churches. These institutions need fear to keep people in the pews and the donations coming in to fight these fears. Ironically, the church needs gays to keep fighting in order to keep the fears going.
Republicans against Prop 8

The yes side of Prop 8 in California is throwing every imaginable falsehood into the fight. They are asserting schools will teach children about homosexuality, that churches would eventually be forced to marry gay couples and it goes on. The Mormon church has poured over 20 million dollars into the campaign, by far the most generous spender in this effort.

California is ground zero in the fight to stop gay marriage in America. If the churches lose this ballot measure, they will see other states go the same way. It will eventually see more and more states approve gay marriage. If they win, they have bought some breathing room.

In the end this is not a fight to protect America, but an effort to keep the churches full, the coffers overflowing and the right wing politicians in power. Keep that in mind if you are voting.

Quotes from all over

"...George W. Bush has spent tax dollars like Paris Hilton on a shopping binge -- even with a Republican Congress -- and that he's nationalizing banks faster than you can say "Hugo Chavez," but he still lauds the ideal of "limited government" and praises the "power of the free market." - Joshua Holland, AlterNet.

"At that time, the best thing was not to proclaim it," Stringfellow told ABCNews.com. "When it comes down to being a black man, oftentimes we are forced to make a decision, 'Is my community or family more important than my own well-being?' We choose to live in silence and play the role, living on the down low." - Roland Stringfellow is a former baptist minister explaining why he left town to come out of the closet

"When my loving parent walked me down the aisle last month and I legally married the woman I have shared my life with for almost 17 years, it didn't hurt your marriage or anyone else's. It didn't take away any church's tax-exempt status, and it didn't have any impact whatsoever on curriculum in California public schools. Instead, it gave me the same rights, protections and dignity enjoyed by straight folks. That's only fair." Lorri L. Jean is an attorney and chief executive of the L.A. Gay and Lesbian Center. LA Times, October 28, 2008

"It has tainted everything for me," Oldham said, choking up during a telephone interview. "I am afraid to go there and hear people say mean things about gay people. I am in mourning. I don't know how long I can last." - Carol Oldham can't face one more sermon against same-sex marriage. She can't tolerate the glares at the rainbow pin on her lapel. Oldham, a lifelong Mormon, is troubled by her church's zeal in supporting a California ballot initiative that would define marriage as between one man and one woman. She feels the church is bringing politics into her sanctuary. - Salt Lake Tribune, October 26, 2008

"Until we make laws that make it clear these attacks are not OK, the nation will continue to be scarred," says Neil Giuliano, president of the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation. 19 states hate crime laws don't cover sexual orientation. USA Today on increase in hate crimes against gays

"I still love Canadians, but it's made me realize that fear and homophobia exist in Canada, just as in the US and other countries." Alex Sanchez, author of books on high school and coming out, on his trip to speak to students in New Brunswick. Xtra.ca