Date: Fri, 12 Jun 1998 18:55:35 -0400 From: Chris Ambidge Subject: *Integrator* files for 1996 INTEGRATOR, the newsletter of Integrity/Toronto volume 96-2, issue date 1996 05 28 copyright 1996 Integrity/Toronto. The hard-copy version of this newsletter carries the ISSN 0843-574X ========== contents === [96-2-1] GOOD NEWS FROM OTTAWA / by Chris Ambidge The story of the passage of Bill C-33, amending the Canadian Human Rights Act [96-2-2] EQUAL AT LAST! / by Ron Chaplin -- an on-the-spot report on C-33 from Ottawa [96-2-3] INTEGRITY MEMBER MAKES THE CASE / Ron Chaplin's presentation to the House of Commons Standing Committee on Human Rights and the Rights of the Disabled on Bill C-33 [96-2-4] HOUSE OF COMMONS DEBATES (Hansard) / The Minister of Justice to the House on how Bill C-33 was very much in line with the principles of religion. [96-2-5] CANADIAN ANGLICAN BISHOPS SUPPORT HUMAN RIGHTS AMENDMENTS ON SEXUAL ORIENTATION / Press release of 3 May 1996 [96-2-6] OTHER EPISCOPAL OPINIONS / Robert Runcie criticises church policy on ordaining gays [96-2-7] FOR GOD SO LOVED THE WORLD / welcoming gays, lesbians and heterosexuals in the Anglican Church [96-2-8] NEW PROGRAMME ON COMMITMENTS [96-2-9] OTTAWA CONFERENCE OPENS THE DOOR ON DIVERSITY / by David Bewley [96-2-10] PUSHING THE DOOR OPEN / Ron Chaplin reports on the "Opening Doors" conference ========== ============ ========= [96-2-1] GOOD NEWS FROM OTTAWA! by Chris Ambidge In the last issue of >Integrator<, we promised you a report from Ottawa, telling what happened at the >Opening Doors< workshop held at St John the Evangelist. In fact we have two of those, from David Bewley and Ron Chaplin, Integrity members and workshop leaders at the April 13 event [see "Ottawa Conference", article 96-2-9, and "Pushing the door", article 96-2-10, below]. However, other events in Ottawa a couple of weeks later provided an exciting month and good news for Canadian lesbigays, and parts of that account will occupy much of this issue. The big story from Ottawa is, of course, passage through the House of Commons of Bill C-33, which adds sexual orientation to the list of prohibited grounds for discrimination (along with race, sex, religion and so on) in the >Canadian Human Rights Act< (CHRA). This reform was promised by the then-Justice Minister John Crosbie in the Commons in 1985, and perhaps it was a more radical thought then than it seems eleven years later. In 1985, only Quebec included equal rights for homosexuals in their human rights legislation; later that year there was a great deal of heated debate when Ontario amended its provincial code. Since then, five more provinces and one territory have moved to include sexual orientation in their human rights laws, but Ottawa continued to drag its feet. In our work for justice for lesbigays in society, Integrity has long been at work to urge inclusion in legislation. Our files include letters from then-Archbishop Lewis Garnsworthy to provincial politicians in 1980 in an earlier, unsuccessful attempt to amend the Ontario Human Rights Act. Archbishop Garnsworthy's letter quoted a motion passed by the House of Bishops in 1979 which affirmed the Gospel imperative to work against injustice, and their affirmation that homosexual persons are entitled to equal protection under the law with all other Canadian citizens. Long-time readers of >Integrator< will be familiar with the phrases, because we often have quoted them here, just as we have quoted them in letters to politicians. We were making progress over the years, but the inaction of the federal government came to be part of the background, part of what was expected. Three months ago, only Pollyanna would have expected the CHRA to be amended this spring. The first straws in the wind that amendments to the CHRA might be coming sooner rather than later were seen in early April, oddly enough in a phone call from an MP's office. The researcher was working on a speech that Susan Barnes, MP for London West was planning on making in support of the then projected amendment. Did Integrity have any information the high rate of suicide among homosexual teenagers in Canada? Well, yes we did, and a little work on the Internet got up- to-date numbers from several Canadian studies (lesbigay teens are three times as likely to attempt suicide as the general populace, and 30% of completed teen suicides are of homosexuals). When I called Ottawa with the information, I asked what led the researcher to us. Apparently they had received an information package from a human rights group that I had never heard of, and included in that package was a pamphlet Integrity had produced for General Synod in 1992. That piece of paper was still out there, working for us. [If you would like a copy of the information packet we mailed to Ottawa on teen suicide, drop us a line]. Things began to move fast at the end of April. Bill C-33 was introduced and received first reading Monday April 29. The next day I received a phone call from MCC Toronto, who were coordinating a petition to parliamentarians. We knew that various religious groups would be vociferously opposing C-33, and we needed to make sure that MPs realised that the stereotype of Christians being anti-gay is incorrect; that many religious leaders favour equal rights and inclusion for lesbigays. Names were being collected of ordained religious leaders who supported C-33, and time being too short for written signatures, could Integrity phone around the Anglican clergy? Well of course we could, that is at the core of our mandate. We phoned across the country and passed the west-coast ball to Integrity/Vancouver, and members in Regina and Winnipeg got to work in those cities too. Here in Toronto we had a good place to start, with the list of those who signed the >Openness< letter eighteen months ago. Often the people we phoned were able to suggest other names. By the end of the week, Don and I in Toronto had managed to assemble 92 Anglican clergy and religious who would let their names stand as supporting C-33. Not one of the people we called declined, and that affirmation felt really good. Many of those people will be reading this article now -- thank you. The eleven days between first and third reading were particularly busy for Ron Chaplin, Integrity's point man in Ottawa. His report of those days appears below [see "Equal at Last"]. He was too modest to mention that his smiling face, reading the House of Bishops 1979 statement, appeared in living rooms across the country as part of the CBC-TV National News report on the debate. A few days later, Ron was on Parliament Hill again, before the House of Commons Standing Committee on Human Rights and the Rights of the Disabled, where C-33 went after second reading. The transcript of his words to the Committee is below ["Integrity member..."]. Coincidentally, the House of Bishops were in Mississauga for their semi-annual meeting at the same time that Bill C-33 was occupying much parliamentary time. We brought the petition to the attention of a couple of bishops, hoping for their personal endorsement of C-33. Better than that, the entire House (of Bishops) sent a message to the House (of Commons) supporting the Bill, while not changing their thinking on ordination. The news release from Church House announcing the action of the bishops is below ["Canadian Anglican bishops..."]. In a medium-size town, where the local MP was known to be against C-33, there was a demonstration in front of the riding office by the gay-supportive people. One of our supporters, a priest whose bishop is also known to be less-than-supportive went and joined in. Our friend, wearing clericals, read the words of that news release. That took courage, and the priest is to be thanked and commended. It's also representative of the support that is coming from all sorts and conditions of people. Bill C-33 received third and final reading on May 9, approved by a better than two-to-one majority. As we go to press, it is awaiting approval by the Senate. It will not be long before the CHRA is amended to prohibit discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation. Praise God! ======== [96-2-2] EQUAL AT LAST! by Ron Chaplin Finally! After 18 years of prodding by the Anglican Church of Canada, after 11 years of promises by respective Canadian governments, the House of Commons has approved amendments to the Canadian Human Rights Act to ban discrimination based on sexual orientation. It was a two-week whirlwind that I got caught up in very quickly. Monday evening, April 29, John Fisher, President of EGALE (Equality for Gays and Lesbians Everywhere) called me to participate in a hastily organized press conference on April 30. He tried to get spokesmen from as many different supportive organizations as possible. It was agreed that I would speak, as a member of Integrity, about the official position of the Anglican Church of Canada. The following week, on May 9, the day the final vote was taken in the House, I participated in another press conference, this one coordinated by Brent Hawkes of MCC Toronto. As well as Brent, there were representatives from the United Church of Canada, the rabbi from Ottawa's Temple Israel, and many of my clergy friends from the Anglican Diocese of Ottawa, who read the May 3 statement of the House of Bishops. The press conference had its desired effect -- journalists were surprised that there was no monolithic Christian position on this legislation. I praised God for the support shown to me by my friends in the Anglican clergy. Without their participation, this event would have been a bust. May 7 was the annual gala EGALE holds on Parliament Hill. Once again, there I was, pressing the flesh, identifying myself alternately as a Queer Christian, as a member of the Ottawa PWA Coalition, as a board member of the AIDS Committee of Ottawa, or as an AIDS fund- raiser, depending on who I was speaking to. It felt like old times. How so? Let me explain. The highlight of the two weeks was the joint presentation I made with Joe Brabant, national president of Dignity (the association of gay and lesbian Catholics) before the House of Commons Standing Committee on Human Rights. All members of the committee, from all three parties, were intrigued by the notion of openly Queer Christians, a notion they had not contemplated before. The final question was put by Russ MacLellan, Liberal MP for Cape Breton-The Sydneys. He asked me what kind of welcome I found in the Church as an openly gay man. I explained that I had found enormously supportive Christian families, in Toronto at Bloor Street United Church, and at St. John's here in Ottawa. "But," I continued, "in my 17-odd years as an openly Queer Christian, I have learned to be something of a Queer Christian guerrilla. I invite myself to seminars and conferences to which I have not been invited. I speak to congregations which are openly hostile to my message. I speak about the many blessings God has granted me, not the least of which is the blessing of my sexuality." "You see, Madam Chairman, and Russ MacLellan will understand what I am about to say, God has blessed me not only with a gay gene, but also, it would seem, with a lobbyist's gene!" Russ and I had collaborated on many projects over my 11 years as a professional lobbyist for Canada's oil and gas industry. As a political junkie, allow me to make two observations on the progress of this debate. First, the debate about "special rights" has been turned on its head. In the final days of debate, when our opponents realized they had lost, the nature of the discourse changed. "Equal rights" for gays and lesbians were being accepted, but more and more people were arguing that, in consequence, "special rights" were needed for heterosexual couples. Hmmm. And I love the delicious irony that this debate, which the pundits had predicted would tear apart the Liberal Party, has instead torn apart the Reform Party. You will, indeed, reap what you sow. ====== [96-2-3] INTEGRITY MEMBER MAKES THE CASE >> Ron Chaplin made the following presntation to the House of Commons >> Standing Committee on Human Rights and the Rights of the Disabled Good afternoon. Thank you, Madam Chairman, and thank you to all the members of the committee for your invitation to appear before you today. My name is Ron Chaplin and I am a member of Integrity, the association of gay and lesbian Anglicans. I am a parishioner at the Anglican Church of St. John the Evangelist on Elgin Street. There are two brief messages I would like to deliver to you today. The first is this: there is a misapprehension in the community that the Christian Church opposes this legislation on the grounds that it offends public morality. This legislation has nothing to do with public morality; this bill affects fundamental human rights. And this is a distinction which the Anglican Church of Canada understands completely. The Anglican Church of Canada is now seized of a national debate and discussion about the moral acceptability of homosexuality and of homosexual relationships. These discussions are going on parish by parish, diocese by diocese. You will understand that for many of us, this is a very painful process indeed. And the court is still out. There has been no change in official church doctrines or teachings on the subject of homosexuality. But on the issue of human rights, the position of the church is crystal clear. Allow me to read to you a public statement made by the House of Bishops. As such, it is the official position of the Anglican Church of Canada. > "We believe as Christians that homosexual persons, as children of > God, have a full and equal claim, with all other persons, upon > the love, acceptance, concern and pastoral care of the Church. > The Gospel of Jesus Christ compels Christians to guard against > all forms of human injustice, and to affirm that all persons are > brothers and sisters for whom Christ died. We affirm that > homosexual persons are entitled to equal protection under the law > with all other Canadian citizens." This statement was made by the House of Bishops in 1978! We of the Anglican Church are grateful that this government has introduced this legislation, even if it is 18 years later! My second message to you is this: what we in the gay and lesbian community are seeking from the Government of Canada is nothing more and nothing less than an end to state-sponsored homophobia. I have experienced the effects of such state-sponsored homophobia in the most intensely personal and visceral way imaginable. I have been closely following the hearings of the Krever Commission of Inquiry into HIV-contaminated blood. And I was shocked by testimony I have heard, testimony that during 1983 and 1984 safer sex information, and in particular safer sex information for gay men, was being actively suppressed by the Government of Canada. Such material was routinely seized at the border and destroyed. I became infected with HIV in 1984. And it is my firm conviction that, had the Government of Canada not carried out such blatantly homophobic policies, I would not, today, be living with AIDS. Merci de votre attention. ======== [96-2-4] HOUSE OF COMMONS DEBATES (>Hansard<) > THE HON ALLAN ROCK, Minister of Justice opening debate on second > reading of C-33, spoke on how the bill was very much in line with > the principles of religion. ... Some suggest that this bill is inconsistent with principles of religion, that it is contrary to precepts or concepts of the worship of God. I am proud to stand in the House today to tell my colleagues this amendment has the support of the United Church of Canada, the Anglican Church of Canada, B'nai Brith Canada, the Canadian Jewish Congress. This bill is fundamentally consistent with the most basic teachings of religion. I am by faith a Roman Catholic. My Irish Catholic mother saw to it that I was brought up in the church. I attended regularly, served as an altar boy and was educated from the beginning to the end of my years at school in Catholic institutions. I developed a deep respect for the tenets of the Catholic faith. I suggest this amendment and the action it constitutes is completely consistent with those tenets. ... In speaking of homosexuals, in speaking of gays and lesbians, in speaking of those very people against whom we propose to prohibit discrimination by Bill C-33, this is what my church, the Roman Catholic Church has to say: 'They''-gays and lesbians-"must be accepted with respect, compassion and sensitivity. Every sign of unjust discrimination in their regard should be avoided''. That is from "Life in Christ'' [the new catechism of the Roman Catholic church]. That is the fundamental tenet of my church and that is the fundamental proposition of my bill: that every element of unjust discrimination should be prohibited. I believe that in adopting this bill the House would be acting on an important and basic principle in Canadian life. In the federal workplace, in those shops, stores and offices over which we have jurisdiction in prescribing basic principles of human rights, they shall not be discriminated against merely because they are gays and lesbians. That is the teaching of Christ and that is the principle of this bill. [Translation] This amendment is a matter of fundamental justice, of protecting those who are discriminated against in our society, of tolerance, of treating all our fellow citizens with dignity and respect and of looking out for one another. .... [English] We are discussing amendments to the human rights act. We deal here not with abstractions but with people, with humans. Gays and lesbians are not abstractions. They are very real, with very real entitlements to dignity and respect. They are our brothers and our sisters. They are our sons and our daughters, our neighbours and our friends. They are our colleagues. ======== [96-2-5] CANADIAN ANGLICAN BISHOPS SUPPORT HUMAN RIGHTS AMENDMENTS ON SEXUAL ORIENTATION Anglican bishops have sent a message on May 3 1996 to the House of Commons expressing their support for human rights amendments banning discrimination based on sexual orientation. "This is based on the church's belief that all persons are created in the image of God and that Christ died for all," the bishops said in a statement. They added: "This statement is consistent with the existing policy of the Canadian House of Bishops since 1979, reaffirmed by the General Synod in 1995, that condemns bigotry, violence and hatred directed towards any due to their sexual orientation. "We wish to make it clear to the church that this action does not change the current status of the 1979 statement with respect to the ordination of homosexual persons. This continues to be a matter of discussion and theological reflection within the House as within the Church at large. No change of doctrine and discipline is being implied. Rather the Gospel imperative of love, compassion and justice is being upheld which continues to be the call of every Christian." ======== [96-2-6] OTHER EPISCOPAL OPINIONS... >> Former Archbishop of Canterbury Robert Runcie criticises >> current church policy as an unsatisfactory compromise, and says >> he ignored the policy while in office LONDON -- Former Archbishop of Canterbury Robert Runcie, leader of the world's 70 million Anglicans, said on Thursday he had ignored church doctrine and ordained practicing homosexuals. In an interview with BBC Radio, Runcie described the Church of England's position on homosexuality as ludicrous. "Yes," he said when asked if he had ordained homosexuals, a direct contradiction of Church policy, but he immediately qualified his answer. "I have not knowingly ordained anyone who told me they were a practicing homosexual and were living with someone as if it were a marriage," he said. "On the other hand, there have been times in my ministry when I have acted in a don't want to know way and why should I inquire? way and I never liked the prospect of inquiring into a man's bedroom unless he's prepared to tell me." Under the rules of the Church of England ordains practicing homosexuals is forbidden. But 74-year-old Runcie, who was archbishop for 10 years, said the church's position on homosexuality was an unsatisfactory compromise. "At the moment, it's at an unsatisfactory stage where officially the line is that nobody can be ordained who engages in (homosexual) genital sexual activity and yet you can be a member of the Church if you do so." [Robert Runcie served as Archbishop of Canterbury until March 1990] ======= [96-2-7] on Friday 27 September at 7:30 pm you are invited to St Leonard's Church [Lawrence Subway]to hear FOR GOD SO LOVED THE WORLD welcoming gays, lesbians and heterosexuals in the Anglican Church with the Rt Rev Michael Ingham, Bishop of New Westminster ==== [96-2-8] NEW PROGRAMME ON COMMITMENTS A new study programme on >Permanent Sexual Commitments< is in the offing. This series comes from a study guide written by a group a couple of years ago at the Church of the Redeemer in Toronto. The guide will be published by ABC, but first is being piloted in several venues about the country: at press time it appears that St John's Ottawa, Christ Church Cathedral in Vancouver, and a parish in Regina will be joining Redeemer and St Clement's Eglinton in Toronto in the test. We'll bring you a report in a future issue of >Integrator<. ================= [96-2-9] OTTAWA CONFERENCE OPENS THE DOOR ON DIVERSITY ... and finds "the beginning of a real sense of community" by David Bewley This all-day ecumenical gathering of gays, lesbians, bisexuals and straights from both within the Church and those outside of it was held at St John the Evangelist Anglican Church in Ottawa on Saturday, 13 April 96. While the gathering was officially sponsored by St John's and All Saints Anglican Churches and by First United Church, people from several Roman Catholic parishes, the Baptist Church, the Unitarian Church and several P-FLAG meetings were prominent in organising or in attendance. Over a hundred people were present for the opening Meditation and Plenary session, while others continued to drift in throughout the day! The Plenary session was given by the Rev Dr. Patricia Kirkpatrick, Professor of Hebrew Scriptures at McGill University and a member of the Archbishop of Canterbury's Committee on Theology. Patricia immediately got our attention by stating that she felt "The Church's position on Gays, Lesbians and Bisexuals was morally repugnant ... (and was) feeding the homophobia in our society". She explained that her understanding of what lesbigays were going through arises from her own struggle with the Anglican Church of Canada over the ordination of women in the 70's. Patricia then went on to recount three stories of her own personal struggles with the Church over its attitude and oppression of gays and lesbians. Speaking with the authority of a (well published) biblical scholar and theologian, Patricia concluded her talk with extracts from the 16th century writings of Richard Hooker. He gives us a way, through his explanation of "reason", of reconciling the demands of modern science and philosophy of approaching the Bible; rather than the traditional literalist readings that have been used in the past to oppress gays, lesbians and women in general. After a response by Jerry Bartram, a RC journalist, the majority of the day was spent in smaller workshops with those present able to attend two of the six sessions: The Bible and Sexuality, Pastoral Care, Ethical Behaviour, Community Building, Ministry to People Living with AIDS/HIV, or Spirituality. At the end of the afternoon, we all came together again for a final Plenary led by Ross Hammond, a former Free Methodist Minister and now a consultant. Ross invited us to first walk around and study the flip charts that had been made by each of the workshop groups and then skilfully drew out of us common themes and agreement on what follow-up actions we would like to see. With well over 100 (by now) committed participants, this was now easy task, and impossible to summarise here. Suffice it to say that by this point we had the beginning of a real sense of community and a commitment to a common purpose: making Gays and Lesbians welcome in each of our churches and Christian communities in Ottawa. The organisers have promised that with Ross' help they will have a detailed summary of all of the sessions and workshops available for a volunteer ecumenical steering group by mid-May to discuss what follow up we can do here in Ottawa. The day closed with a short meditation and the singing of a modified version of "We are one in the Spirit" - but everyone was reluctant to leave! [author box: the Rev David Bewley is a retired priest of the ] [diocese of Ottawa. He maintains the diocesan website.] ================ [96-2-10] PUSHING THE DOOR OPEN >> RON CHAPLIN reports on the "Opening Doors" conference "I have lived a beautiful ecumenical experience." "Let's not let this feeling die!" "Overwhelmed by a feeling of rejoicing." "Reconfirmed the importance of biblically-based church experience and expression -- bravo!" "I wish other congregations had the courage and the will to have such a consultation -- a rich learning experience." "Can we have a follow-up workshop?" These are among the comments that participants in the April 13 workshop, >Opening the Door to Gays and Lesbians<, made in their evaluation forms. It was a truly extraordinary experience. Straight and gay people shared their stories, and surprised each other with our common experiences of alienation and rejection. We shared our gifts with each other, the wisdom we had learned, the solace we find in Scripture. And we realized that we all, gay, lesbian, straight, bisexual and transgendered, formed a community, the people of God. This workshop was not put together overnight. It was part of a continuum, part of spiritual journey, and one that might be a model for other parishes. I have been involved, on and off, with the Anglican Church of St John the Evangelist since the early 70's. It was the church I attended most often while a student at Carleton University. When I moved back to Ottawa from Toronto in 1982, I visited many local churches. It was not until about three years ago, however, that I made the plunge and jumped in to become actively involved in the parish life of St John's Church. St John's had always been a liberal parish. There were many gay and lesbian parishioners. But the issue of homosexuality had never been addressed head-on. In the fall of 1994, a group came together to follow the church's study program on homosexuality, >Hearing Diverse Voices: Seeking Common Ground<. It was an enormously gay-positive experience. One of the ways we reported back to the parish was the sermon I preached from the pulpit in February 1995, a sermon about what St Paul had to say, and didn't have to say about homosexuality in his letter to the Romans. The sermon set off a firestorm among the more conservative members of the parish. In consequence, a second >Hearing Diverse Voices< study group was set up. I and two other openly gay parishioners were recruited into service as resource persons. The first three sessions were hair-raising. Prejudice, fear, ignorance and vitriol dominated the sessions. But the process worked. By the end of the six weeks, many of the most conservative members of the group explained to me that, while they had reached no conclusion, their "hearts were open". At the same time that this was going on, another group was re- examining the parish mission and ministry and outreach as part of the "Transformation" process, a re-examination of all our parish structures. And that Mission and Ministry Committee recommended that St John's commit itself formally to ministry and outreach to the gay and lesbian community. The motion went to Parish Council, and ultimately, in October 1995, to a special meeting of the entire parish. Many of our former opponents attended and, while their concern was palpable, no voice was raised to object. The "Opening the Doors" workshop was the first concrete expression of this new mission statement. It will not be the last, for we on the Planning Committee have always regarded this as a process, rather than a stand-alone event. Dr. Patricia Kirkpatrick from McGill University will be invited back to lead another workshop, possibly in the fall. Interest has been expressed in establishing a study/ counselling/ support group for gay and lesbian couples. A list is to be developed of local clergy who feel comfortable in counselling gay, lesbian and bisexual people. A bibliography of study materials will be put together for distribution to local churches. The event has already had its consequences. Over the last month, there have been several new faces at St John's on Sunday mornings. I am particularly pleased about one person in particular. I did some gentle arm-twisting of my transgendered friend, Diana, to convince her to attend the workshop. The day after the workshop she called me. "Ron, I just wanted to thank you for inviting me to the workshop. As you can probably imagine, I have been an outcast all of my life. I was simply overwhelmed by the welcome I received yesterday. If I had not experienced it, I could never have believed that I would find such acceptance from a Christian church!" Diana and her boyfriend now worship with us regularly each Sunday morning. God be praised! ================== End of volume 96-2 of Integrator, the newsletter of Integrity/Toronto copyright 1996 Integrity/Toronto comments please to Chris Ambidge, Editor chris.ambidge@utoronto.ca OR Integrity/Toronto Box 873 Stn F Toronto ON Canada M4Y 2N9