Date: Fri, 12 Jun 1998 18:56:26 -0400 From: Chris Ambidge Subject: *integrator* files for 1988 INTEGRATOR, the newsletter of Integrity/Toronto volume 88-2, issue date 1988 11 01 copyright 1988 Integrity/Toronto. The hard-copy version of this newsletter carries the ISSN 0843-574X Integrity/Toronto Box 873 Stn F Toronto ON Canada M4Y 2N9 == Contents == [88-2-1] A DAUGHTER OF GOD / by Bonnie Bewley [88-2-2] CANADIAN TRIBUTE TO HUMAN RIGHTS [88-2-3] INTEGRITY'S FEDERAL ELECTION CONCERN [88-2-4] INTEGRITY NORTHEAST REGIONAL CONFERENCE ======== [88-2-1] A DAUGHTER OF GOD by Bonnie Bewley Today I read a passage in Carter Heyward's book *Our Passion For Justice* that hit very close to home for me. In the passage she quotes a woman who wrote to her and said "somehow I feel I've spent my life trying to be God's son, only to realise at last that I am God's daughter." I realised all at once that I had spent the better part of my 26 years trying to be God's son. It is only very recently that I have learned that I don't want to be God's son. I am very proud to be God's daughter. I spent all those years really believing that everything good in the world was male and that everything male was good. What is even worse is the other half of this, the implied half, which I believed just as strongly. If everything good is male and everything male is good then, at best, everything female must be inferior and everything inferior must be female. It is no wonder it took 24 years to begin to realise I was Lesbian. It took me almost that long to realise that anything or anyone female could be desirable at all. To like anything or anyone female, INCLUDING MYSELF, was weakness and stood in the way of my being a good son. It is not weakness to be a good daughter. For to long we have allowed the sons of God to say that God only has sons, and that the only way a female can be pleasing to God is to be a son. If God had not wanted daughters half of the earth's people would not be female. Only when the daughters of God claim their right to offer their gifts, along with the sons of God, will we all together be able to create a world that will truly be what God intends. As a daughter to God I have a nurturing spirit, a compassion, a perspective and a strength that is uniquely female. I am only true to God when I offer to God and to the world the gifts that are mine, the gifts God gave me, the gifts of a daughter of God. ======== [88-2-2] CANADIAN TRIBUTE TO HUMAN RIGHTS This year marks the 40th anniversary of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Canada is marking this by building a monument in Ottawa, near the National War Memorial. This will be the first such monument in the world. EGALE (Equality for Gays and Lesbians Everywhere) has been one of the volunteer groups participating in the project to make the monument a reality. EGALE is now hoping to become a *major donor* to the Canadian Tribute to Human Rights, along with three levels of government, the Assembly of First Nations, the Canadian Labour Congress, and a number of private foundations and churches. Major donor status will engrave the words *"Equality for Gays and Lesbians Everywhere"* on a permanent plaque for the monument. It will also put their name on the literature to do with the Tribute, and in a donor book which will be permanently on display at the National Archives. To achieve this status, EGALE needs to raise $5000. So far, $3000 has been raised through numerous fund-raising events. If you would like to contribute to this worthwhile project, send a donation to: The Canadian Tribute to Human Rights, PO Box 510, Station B, Ottawa K1P 5P6. Mark your contribution "EGALE plaque". * Income tax receipts will be sent for all donations.* ======== [88-2-3] INTEGRITY'S FEDERAL ELECTION CONCERN Yes, it is federal election time in Canada, and (like everyone else) the gay/lesbian community has a vested interest in the outcome. This is nothing to do with Free Trade, but rather with civil rights. The Canadian Confederation largely places civil rights under the jurisdiction of the provinces, and indeed in three provinces (Quebec, Ontario and Manitoba), and in the Yukon territory, sexual orientation is a prohibited ground for discrimination. This leaves seven other provinces, one territory, and the federal government to follow suit. Federal human rights legislation covers the Armed Forces, the Mounties, federal civil servants, and those employed in federally regulated industries: banking, transportation, telecommunications, and the like. Amendment of the *Canadian Human Rights Act (CHRA)* would not only protect all these people, but also be of great exemplary value for the other provinces. Just after the 1984 federal election, an all-party Parliamentary Committee on Equality Rights was struck. Their report, *Equality for All*, was released in October 1985, and made many recommendations. One of them was the unanimous recommendation that the *CHRA* be amended to include sexual orientation along with race, colour, creed and the like as a prohibited ground for discrimination. In March of 1986, the then Minister of Justice, John Crosbie, tabled the government's response, a document entitled *Towards Equality*, in Parliament. At that time, the government pledged, and we quote "to take whatever measures are necessary to ensure that sexual orientation is a prohibited ground of discrimination in relation to all areas of federal jurisdiction". To date, no legislation has been presented to back up this promise. Integrity has on several occasions written to politicians of all political stripes in Ottawa pointing out the position of the Canadian House of Bishops, in their statement of 1978: *"We affirm that homosexual persons are entitled to equal protection under the law with all other Canadian Citizens.*" Responses from Ottawa have been positive from all sides of the House. The Minister of Justice reaffirmed the government's pledge in letters of 1987 and 1988. A letter from John Turner of said "The Liberal Party ... continues to advocate amending the *CHRA* to prohibit discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation". The NDP party has been most vociferous in pushing for amendment, NDP Justice Critic Svend Robinson having introduced a private member's bill to do just that. A group called EGALE (Equality for Gays and Lesbians Everywhere) lobbies in Ottawa for this amendment. This spring, they held an event to point out the years of inaction on the part of the government on the promise of 1986. It was in connection with this event that Mr Robinson came out as an MP who also happens to be gay. We will all be going to the polls this month. Candidates are eager for your vote. Ask them where they personally stand on this matter, and whether they will give action to the fine words that all parties have spoken. Let them know that their answers will influence your vote. ======== [88-2-4] INTEGRITY NORTHEAST REGIONAL CONFERENCE The Integrity Northeast Regional Conference was held in Rochester NY on the weekend of Oct 14-16. Toronto is not a member of the north-east region since Canadian Integrity chapters are independent of, but affiliated with the American Integrity Inc organisation. However a number of Integrity/Toronto members are also members of Integrity New York and as such were invited to this conference. Three of us were able to attend. The conference was held in the Rochester Episcopal Diocesan house which is a beautiful mansion with wood panelled walls and ornate plaster ceilings, a very congenial place to have the meetings. Our host, Rochester Dignity/Integrity, made sure through their hospitality both at the diocesan house and in their own homes that everyone attending had a very enjoyable time. As well as a business meeting and interesting roundtable discussion of issues of concern to various chapters, we also had three workshops. The first by Lee Eliot was called "AIDS ministries in the region". In it he brought us up to date on the work of The National Episcopal Aids Coalition (NEAC) including the resolutions they have passed, and are calling on all diocese and congregations to pass, prohibiting discrimination on the basis of AIDS, ARC or HIV infection, and calling for AIDS education and ministry. NEAC has set up a data-base containing information on Episcopal Groups across the country working on the AIDS crisis including summaries of the programs they are running and the information they have published. This is to assist groups trying to deal with AIDS to tap into existing resources. The second workshop by Don Mitchell was called "Shareholder Responsibility". He brought to our attention that the church is a very large shareholder in a number of major corporations and has for a number of years been using its financial influence to encourage corporate responsibility on such issues as South Africa. The point that Don was trying to make was that we should be mobilising this church influence to encourage gay/ lesbian rights and to discourage discrimination on the basis of AIDS both of which are positions the church has taken publicly. The last workshop led by Robert Williams was called "Evangelising the Lesbian/Gay community". He started by discussing a definition of Evangelism. Basically the definition he gave us is the one adopted by the 1973 Episcopal General Convention which says "Evangelism is the presentation of Jesus Christ, in the power of the Holy Spirit, in such ways that persons may be led to believe in Him as Saviour and follow Him as Lord within the fellowship of His Church." He then talked about the responsibility of all Christians and Lesbian and Gay Christians in particular to be evangelists. Robert proposed a three pronged way in which we should be evangelists: 1) Being: claiming our Christianity, 2)Doing: showing our faith by our actions in the world, 3)Telling: explaining how our faith influences our life. The day concluded with a Eucharist at St Luke and St Simon Cyrene church, host of Rochester Dignity/ Integrity, and a wonderful meal at a local Chinese restaurant. The conference gave all those attending a lot to think about but it also gave us a strong sense of being part of something much bigger and stronger than our own individual chapters. ===== End of volume 88-2 of Integrator, the newsletter of Integrity/Toronto copyright 1988 Integrity/Toronto Editor this issue: Bonnie Bewley comments please to Chris Ambidge, current Editor chris.ambidge@utoronto.ca OR Integrity/Toronto Box 873 Stn F Toronto ON Canada M4Y 2N9