Date: Thu, 24 Jun 1993 13:30:29 -0600 (CST)
From: RICHARDS@sklib.usask.ca
Subject: Gay Rights Finally in Saskatchewan/Kim Campbell

On Tuesday evening June 22 the Saskatchewan Legislature gave third and
final reading to Bill 38, a bill to amend the Saskatchewan Human Rights
Code. The most important and only controversial amendment was the
addition of sexual orientation to the list of prohibited grounds of
discrimination in employment, housing, contracts and access to public
services. The amended act will also prohibit 'hate literature' directed
against individuals and groups due to their sexual orientation.

The bill was introduced and shepherded through the seesion by
Justice Minister Bob Mitchell, whose New Democratic Party party
holds 52 of the legislature's 63 seats.  The amendments were
strenously opposed by the 10 member Conservative Party opposition
and by a very vocal coalition of rightwing evangelical Christian
groups. The coalition was clearly influenced  if not directly
supported by similar groups in the U.S.A. Many of the same slogans
and tactics  employed in Colorado and Oregon were used by the
opposition - emphasis on 'no special rights', 'no adoption by gays',
'no same sex spousal benefits' and a wide distribution of the video
THE GAY AGENDA.

Now that the amendments have been passed the anti-gay coalition
is busy trying to collect 100,000 signatures which would mandate
a non-binding referendum on the issue.  Fortunately much of the
wind has been taken out of their drive by Justice Minister Mitchell's
declaration would disregard the outcome of any such vote.

Saskatchewan is the seventh of Canada's ten provinces to prohibit
discrimination on the basis of sexual oriention , joining Quebec,
Ontario, Manitoba, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick  and British Columbia.
Discrimination is also prohibited in Yukon Territory.

There have been a few posts regarding Canada's new female prime
minister Kim Campbell. In an otherwise interesting post Dan
Wilson stated that earlier these year Campbell as federal
Justice Minister had passed amendments to the Canadian Human
Rights Code to prohibit discrimination on the basis of sexual
orientation in areas under federal jurisdiction. I wish this
were true.  Campbell did introduce such an amendment but it was
never passed in the House of Commons - largely due to redneck
opposition in her own Tory caucus. The House of Commons ended
its spring session last week leaving the human rights amendments
and much other legislation in limbo.  It seems unlikely that there
will be a fall session for this Parliament to deal with this
legislation as Campbell must call an election soon.

I do not overly regret the death of Campbell's amendments since
to appease the more reactionary segments of her party they
included provisions seeking to preclude the possibility of
same sex marriages and spousal benefits. Although I am not
a Tory supporter and would never vote for Campbell I do see
her victory as generally beneficial to our communities. Most
of the more notable homophobes in her party unsuccessfully 
backed her main challenger Jean Charest and will hopefully be
now less influential in government.  I suspect the sincerity
of her committment to most of our concerns. However as the
representative of Vancouver Centre, probably Canada's gayest
consitutuency, she knows them infinitely better than most
other Canadian politicians. 
                             

                                   Neil Richards