Date: Sat, 15 Oct 1994 07:09:11 EDT
From: Robert Riley <Robert_Riley@galaxy.com>
Subject: CALL TO ACTION: Reform Closes Ranks on Gay Rights Issue
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C A L L T O A C T I O N
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NOTE: Here is how you can reach Reform Party members, and other
government of Canada officials with your comments. (I strongly
encourage everyone to speak out against the Reform Party's
homophobic positions).
**All members of parliament, including the Prime Minister, can
be contacted at the following postal mail address: c/o House of
Commons, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada K1A 0A6.
**Please note that the "Internet" addresses indicated will actually
cause your e-mail message to be routed (free of charge) to the MP's
fax machine. So, if you want a reply, be certain to include your
postal mailing address and/or fax number, as members cannot respond
via e-mail.
Prime Minister Jean Chretien (Liberal Party)
Telephone: (613) 992-4211
Facsimile: (613) 941-6900
Internet: remote-printer.Jean_Chretien@16139416900.iddd.tpc.int
Roseanne Skoke, MP - Nova Scotia Central (Liberal Party)
Telephone: (613) 995-5822
Facsimile: (613) 996-9655
Internet: remote-printer.Roseanne_Skoke@16139969655.iddd.tpc.int
Svend Robinson, MP - Burnaby/Kingsway,BC (New Democratic Party)
Telephone: (613) 996-5597
Facsimile: (613) 992-5501
Internet: remote-printer.Svend_Robinson@16139925501.iddd.tpc.int
Preston Manning, MP - Calgary, Alberta (Leader - Reform Party)
Telephone: (613) 992-3602
Facsimile: (613) 947-0310
Internet: remote-printer.Preston_Manning@16139470310.iddd.tpc.int
Myron Thompson, MP - White Rose, Alberta (Reform Party)
Telephone: (613) 996-5152
Facsimile: (613) 947-4601
Internet: remote-printer.Myron_Thompson@16139474601.iddd.tpc.int
Sharon Hayes, MP - British Columbia (Reform Party)
Telephone: (613) 947-4482
Facsimile: (613) 947-4485
Internet: remote-printer.Sharon_Hayes@16139474485.iddd.tpc.int
Gary Breitkreuz, MP (Reform Party)
Telephone: (613) 992-4394
Facsimile: (613) 992-8676
Internet: remote-printer.Gary_Breitkreuz@16139928676.iddd.tpc.int
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REFORM CLOSES RANKS ON GAY RIGHTS ISSUE:
Lone voice asks: Who here speaks for homosexuals?
From:
The Toronto Star
One Yonge Street
Toronto, ON
By: Rosemary Speirs
Ottawa Bureau Chief
October 14, 1994
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OTTAWA -- Reform MPs say they have a grassroots mandate to fight
the government's proposal to amend the Human Rights Act to protect
Canadian homosexuals against discrimination.
"I do not hate homosexuals; I hate homosexuality," Reform MP Myron
Thompson, from the Alberta constituency of White Rose, told a workshop
attended by about 500 reform delegates. Some of them booed when a
delegate mentioned the name of New Democrat MP Svend Robinson, who
is openly gay.
Thompson warned that gay rights' advocates would "use the media" to
portray the Reform stance as "a hate issue" against gays, and said
he is "appalled" when that happens, because he hates the act, not
the people. Thompson and other Reformers at a party workshop on
family issues muttered in disgust when the cameras surrounded
a young Reform delegate -- Paul Homes of Victoria -- who stood
up to challenge the head table's view.
"Who spoke for the homosexual community on this task force?"
Holmes demanded of the four Reform MPs and three executive
council members who drew up a policy statement saying "sexual
orientation is not a legitimate category for protected status"
under the Human Rights Act.
Holmes, a 21-year-old delegate, was almost alone in his attempt
to turn his party's opinion. He told the workshop that he is not
gay, but comes from a generation in which "many people don't care
if you are or are not homosexual." He said Reformers should "direct
our attention to more important issues, like family violence."
As he finished, Holmes was surrounded by reporters. "It is the
same old story, the 1 per cent of the population gets all the
attention," Thompson said of the media pack.
"The media are mostly gay," muttered another Reform delegate
watching the scene.
A Reform task force, of which British Columbia MP Sharon Hayes
is chairperson, declared the issue of gay rights -- and defining
marriage as being only between a man and a woman -- as top
priorities for the party meeting.
Hayes said that a survey of nearly 3,825 Reform backers found
90 per cent opposition to Attorney-General Allan Rock's announced
intention of amending the act to include sexual orientation as a
prohibited grounds for discrimination.
The position is still unofficial. The Reform party has not yet
declared a position on gay rights, and the full national assembly
will not vote on the issue until its next meeting in a year's time.
But Hayes said "an event like today gives us (Reform MPs) a mandate."
She and Thompson told reporters that gays already have the same rights
as other Canadians: the right to join political parties like Reform,
for instance, or to run for Parliament. But they said they don't want
gays to have "special status."
MP Garry Breitkreuz said giving gays human rights protection would
"open the avenue" to them going into schools to promote their lifestyle.
And Hayes compared the right of churches, schools or other organizations
to expel gays to the right of a diet centre to fire an employee who gained
excess weight. "A church should have the right not to have a homosexual,
if they believe homosexuality is immoral," she told reporters.
During their workshop discussions, the delegates expressed strong
concerns about what they see as the breakdown of traditional morality
and of the family unit. And, with Reform MPs batting down any
delegates who expressed reservations, they gave strong support to
policy statements calling for cuts to federal spending.
The family issues workshop endorsed a policy statement opposing
any more federal spending on child care.
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