2.18.2011

Born this way

This is a 10 year old girl from Manitoba singing Lady Gaga's latest hit. This song and this girl give me hope for the future. All you condemning religious right folks should listen to this. I wish my friend Bruce had heard this, he might still be with us if he had.

Real Christians like my sister don't hate! Another reason to love Lady Gaga other than for her fabulosity!

see cbc story here

2.15.2011

Liberals - no longer a coherent force

Canada should be having an election this spring.  There should be a new government.  Yet it is looking more likely it won't happen.  The polls released today show the Harper Conservatives pulling ahead even more.  The Liberals are falling.  The Liberals have been on the downward slide since Paul Martin became Prime Minister. 

You see the problem has been that the Liberals don't know who the hell they are anymore.  They moved right with Martin at the helm.  Remember Martin believing he could pass a budget with huge corporate tax cuts.  The NDP said no.  The same NDP have said no to huge corporate tax cuts under Harper. 

The Liberal Party of Canada wants corporate support.  The support they lost to Harper some time ago.  So the Liberals have in fact voted for every Harper budget in five years.  It hasn't helped.  Corporate Canada has left the Liberals.  Then we have Canadians.  They don't seem inspired to donate to the Liberals either. 

For five years and three leaders, the Liberals are marginally better off today than they were when Dion was leader.  I mean we are talking a couple percentage points.  What does the leader of the Liberal party do?  He attacks the NDP.  The Liberals tried to go after the Layton, hoping to gain traction on the left side.  It hasn't worked. 

So here we go again.  The polls are in the tank for Iggy and company, and they have drawn a line or two in the sand over fighter jets and corporate tax cuts.   Then there is Afghanistan.  They apparently agree with Harper.  On the wrong side of another issue with the Canadian public. 


A good blogger out there, a liberal, told me they were annoyed that the NDP would run Peggy Nash against Kennedy in Toronto.  They said, "why run a strong progressive against another."  Run Peggy elsewhere the blogger said.  I asked where and would the Liberals be so kind as to withdraw a strong candidate or MP in return for Peggy leaving to give Kennedy an easy ride to Ottawa.  The Liberal blogger shrugged.  I knew it, its all a sham.

If Harper wins the next election, it won't be due to the Bloc or NDP or even Green taking what few votes are available out there from Liberals, it will be because the Liberals are no longer a coherent force. 

2.10.2011

Historic Day for Trans People - Bill C-389 (Gender Identity) Passes 3rd Reading!


From Queer Ontario

It was a historic day for Trans people in Canada today as Bill C-389 passed 3rd reading in Federal Parliament by a narrow margin of 143 to 135. The private member’s bill on adding “Gender Identity” and “Expression” to the Canadian Human Rights Act brought forward by N.D.P. M.P. Bill Siksay, now moves on to the Senate.
 
Susan Gapka, Chair of the Trans Health Lobby Group had “Tears of Joy” upon learning of Bill C-389 passing.
 
Davina Hader also of the Trans Health Lobby Group who was there to witness the vote in Ottawa, said she was “Very emotional, and it was a moving experience”.
 
Martine Stonehouse, C.U.P.E. National – Pink Triangle Committee – Trans Rep., and Vice Chair of the Trans Health Lobby Group stated “This is a historic day for Trans people all across Canada; it brings us one step closer to achieving visibility, credibility, and recognition as equal persons in Canada”.
 
Bill C-389 now moves to debate by the Senate, and if passes this hurdle, it will then go for final reading in Parliament before being passed into law.
 
The possibility of an early election call could still kill Bill C-389, but hopefully it can be fast tracked through the Senate before that happens.
 
Let us keep our fingers crossed on this one! Martine said.