Toews gets one week

Social Conservative MP Vic Toews gets one more week in committee for the the Civil Marriage Bill. Toews who was using every delay tactic possible, wrangled one more week of discussion before the committee.

Toews said in a press release earlier today...

"The Liberal plan - backed by the NDP and the Bloc Quebecois - to invoke closure on the committee hearings would have brought Bill C-38 back to the House of Commons by June 9th. Under the extended plan, that won't happen until June 16th, and an extra 20 witnesses will be heard by the committee. These witnesses include legal experts, civil marriage officials, religious organizations, and other interest groups who have unique perspectives on the issue of marriage."

Toews is being deceitful when he says Canadians have not been heard on the issue of same-sex or gay marriage. This is a matter that has been before the Canadian people for over three years. Ontario residents have had same sex marriage for over two years now.

Despite continued warnings that religious organizations would be forced to perform gay marriages against their will, not one case of this has occurred in Ontario or for that matter anywhere else in this country.

The Ontario government has already passed laws conveying all rights of married persons to married same-sex couples. BC has been doing this with respect to gay rights since 1992.

The Defend marriage coalition has been trying to defeat this bill from the beginning and upon seeing that the bill likely has enough support to pass, the coalition has turned to other tactics. They have supported voting non-confidence on the Liberal budget and Conservative efforts to bring the government down any way they can do it, this despite the majority of Canadians being opposed to an election now and supportive of same-sex marriage.

The coalition along with the very large and well-funded American Christian activist organization, Focus on the Family have been working hard to elect social conservatives as Conservative candidates. This move won't affect the current situation, though it could have an effect if Stephen Harper and his Conservatives ever form government. They want to ensure they have the people to repeal any law conveying marriage rights to same-sex couples.

Some of you will be saying once it is law no one will change it. That may be true on many things with respect to rights, its not true this time. As long as the Conservative Party is opposed to same-sex marriage, those supportive will need to ensure the party is never elected to government.

The new overt American style Christian activism within the Conservative party is coming on the heels of the movement's recent successes in the United States in repealing anti-discrimination laws that protected gays, banning gay marriage, ending gay benefit packages from employers and making it against the law to provide family employment benefits to gay families in some States.

For more information on same-sex, equal or gay marriage, gay rights, evangelical and Christian opposition, Conservatives, Stephen Harper, Belinda Stronach, Bishop Henry, James Dobson, Supreme Court of Canada, Civil Marriage Bill (C38) use the Technorati Search Box in the side bar.

Mayencourt and Barnes agree

Lorne Mayencourt and I agree! Before you start shaking your head read on.

Lorne and I have not agreed on much over the years. It has become even more the case since he was elected.

Mayencourt was seen by many of us as someone that would look out for the gay community across BC when he was elected in the Gordon Campbell landslide of 2001. The community was ready to support him.

Now on the verge of officially losing the election, Mayencourt is saying the gay community abandoned him. Mayencourt went on to say he has represented the community with passion and hard work for the last four years and he complained about having tomatoes thrown at him during Pride parades.

I agree with you Lorne, the gay community has abandoned you but that is where our agreement ends. The community and local press were with you until you started to go back on your word, on your commitments to us.

We know that as MLA you have to represent all of Vancouver-Burrard and that includes a lot of straight folks. We know you were not just there for us. We did not however expect to see you supporting policies and budget cuts that devastated some in the queer communities.

Not once did your most ardent critic expect you to take part in cutting services, to attack the poor and the people that provided services to the poor or those living with mental illness, to sit silently by the side as planning for moving St. Paul's Hospital was being made or to vote for a bill that allow rents to be increased every year.

Mayencourt had ample opportunity to speak up for us. He blew it. There was the legislative committee he chaired on bullying, not a peep out of Mayencourt on the problems of queer kids in schools. The Residential Tenancy act changes that allowed rents to be raised by inflation plus an amount determined by government, (80% of his constituents rent) the budget cuts to Youthquest, no funding increases for HIV/AIDS groups, no new housing dollars or projects, voted to cut seniors bus passes and remove funding of talking books for the blind, took free Provincial park passes away from people with disabilities, voted to cut funding to libraries, and ended FREE adult learning courses that allowed people to get their grade 12.

My lord the list goes on and on.

After the election of Mayencourt in 2001, I called to meet him and offer some advice. I had two reasons for doing this. I was a communications officer for a large AIDS group and secondly, I expected the gay community to be left out in the cold with the Liberal government. We met twice, the first time at Murchies and the second at his apartment.

My advice to Lorne was simple. Keep his promises and meet with the community often. Hire a politically astute staff person and be prepared to lobby his own government hard and if need be speak out against it. Priorities I suggested to Lorne included, AIDS Funding, St. Paul's Hospital, Affordable housing, Youthquest, The LGBTQ Centre, renters rights to pets, and to vigorously fight back against the likes of Mary Polak and the Surrey School Board.

We did not expect Lorne to come out solidly supporting anti-gay school board trustee in Mary Polak in the by-election in Surrey. We certainly did not expect you Lorne to be at her headquarters cheering her on the night she lost. Ted Nebbling earned our respect by refusing to even sit in the same room as Polak was being introduced to you and other Liberals.

I have to be honest, I had no intention of supporting Lorne in the future, I would never support someone with the Campbell Liberals. My hope was that my advice would assist the queer communities. Imagine if he could have delivered on one thing. Imagine if he had spoken out against changes to the residential tenancy act. How many votes would that have gotten him?

Lorne can blame only himself. In fact I am sure if he stopped for a minute he would throw a tomato at himself. He ought too.

Want more on Mayencourt or Mary Polak, use the Technorati search box in the side bar. You will find more at Politics in BC.

Toews throws Kitchen Sink into debate

Tax Status lost soon, newest biblical prophecy from Harper delegate

Conservative MP Vic Toews warns that his concerns about the Civil Marriage Bill are very real. He told the National Post, it's about churches losing their tax status. "They'll say, 'Well, you've got the right to refuse (to marry same-sex couples), but since you're discriminating in a manner that's similar to racism, that is the equation that is being made here and the arguments, you're not entitled to these kind of income-tax benefits, I know that's coming."

The Christians against equal-marriage pursued arguments beginning with, it would ruin the family, then it would cost too much, next it was church's would be forced to marry gays, now with these arguments having been refuted they toss the kitchen sink in, church's will lose their tax status.

Personally I believe they should anyway, that of course has nothing to do with same-sex weddings!

Nanaimo Happenings

Gay Boy's Coffee Night
at Bocca on Fitzwilliam St, Nanaimo in the old city quarter.
Thursday evenings at 7pm

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Women's Crescent Moon Retreat
Rediscover the Sacred Woman Within
spend a week in ~summer camp~ celebrating your whole being through inner and outer activities such as drumming, singing, movement;,ceremony, ritual, art, workshops, swimming, canoeing, and quiet time.

Connect with women of all ages and backgrounds. August 15th ~August 20th 2005 at beautiful Cowichan Lake on Vancouver Island.

For further information go to http://www.blogger.com/ or call April Mcleod Smith at 250-752-6845

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Family bowling anyone?
Calling all Proud Families
To join the Nanaimo Pride 2005 Bowling night, June 23 @ 7 pm (3 games for $10; 2 games for $7). We've booked 3 more lanes for families with kids, but we need to know if we'll fill them, or if we need to book more! If you are interested, please contact Dawn Thompson at thompsnd@MALA.BC.CA

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“ FRUIT SCRAMBLE ”
2005 PRIDE GOLF 2005

COME AND PLAY… NEVER PLAYED BEFORE? NO PROBLEM !!!!!

WITH THIS FORMAT ANY ONE CAN PLAY AND CONTRIBUTE TO THEIR TEAM !!!!

JOIN IN ON THE FUN
REGISTER BY JUNE 19th AT 70 BELOW or CONTACT ROXY AT 754 – 8301
OR CHECK THE WEBSITE AT nanaimopride.org

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GIRLS, GIRLS, GIRLS
VILPS Coffee Nite for the gals
Tuesday @ 7pm.
Come mingle with us at the BISTRO LIGHTHOUSE down on the waterfront in Nanaimo.

Rational marriage talk

For a short history of marriage go to Rational Reasons and his post. It is short, sweet and direct.

"Christians married according to the civil laws of the time, in a family ceremony, and often without any special church blessing. Christians married according to the civil laws of the time, in a family ceremony, and often without any church blessing." - Rational Reasons post, May 28, 2005

Same-Sex Marriage Vote

Focus on the Family photo

The Defend Marriage Coalition is pulling out all the stops in their attempt to kill the Civil Marriage Bill (Bill C38) which provides for same-sex or gay marriage across Canada. They have been emboldened by the recent non confidence vote in which the Government won after the speaker who votes only when there is a tie cast the deciding vote.

In an email to supporters, Terrance Rolston, President of Focus on the Family Canada says every vote counts and encourages people to write their MLA or to use the automated fax and email system they have set up to express their views to MP's.

Now is not the time for supporters of Equal Marriage (Same-sex or Gay) to be over confident. The Civil marriage Bill will come to the House of Commons for a vote soon. This act must pass this time and we will be one step closer to full marriage rights. We have never been closer to achieving equality as we are now. The last step will be for the Senate to pass the bill, which it is expected to do, if the House of Commons passes it.

Take time today or tomorrow, send another message of support for the Civil Marriage Bill. Check out the website at

Equal Marriage

For more information on same-sex, equal or gay marriage, gay rights, evangelical and Christian opposition, Conservatives, Stephen Harper, Belinda Stronach, Bishop Henry, Supreme Court of Canada, Civil Marriage Bill (C38) use the Technorati Search Box in the side bar.

Christian "Activists"

Lifesite takes exception to the Globe and Mail calling people with "pro family" agenda as Christian Activists. I think the globe got it right. If I want my family included in Canada, my gay family, I am branded as a gay activist by media and evangelical christians. In fact they assert that the gay community has something called "the Gay Agenda". If they ever get copy of the gay agenda, I would be happy if they would share it with me.

It now appears we can officially point to the "Christian Agenda". The Christian "activists" agenda brand me "anti-family". I guess I would have to argue that.

See this story at Lifesite ...

Globe Brands New Pro-Family Conservative Nominees as “Christian Activists”
OTTAWA, May 27, 2005 (LifeSiteNews.com) – Globe and Mail columnist Gloria Galloway, in a column today, described new pro-family candidates running in ridings for the federal Conservative Party as “Christian activists,” because of their positions on same-sex marriage.

Monthly 2 Spirit Drumming Circle ~ Vancouver

GayWarriors is hosting a monthly 2 Spirit (G/L/B/T) Drumming Circle and Potluck Feast for All Nations, and All People are welcome.

June 6 is the monthly 2 Spirit Drumming Circle. The gathering is held on the first Monday of each month at St. Paul’s Anglican Church 1140 Jervis St, street entrance, lower hall, at 7 pm. This will be a time of Traditional First Nation’s Teachings, drumming, singing, dancing, and a celebration of us being Two Spirit.

This is clean and sober gathering, they ask that all people respect this.

The goal is to strengthen our Medicine Wheels together so we can take the Two Spirit journey. GayWarriors does not receive funding for programming this program it is a purely a volunteer driven effort and we pass the hat to meet our cost. They need financial support, medicines, tobacco to ask for teachings and support, raw hide to make more drums, and leather to make medicines, and supplies if you’re interested helping, please contact them at via email.

gaywarriors@shaw.ca