Obama and the Cruelty of Hatred
It was long overdue. “At a certain point, I’ve just concluded that for me personally it is important for me to go ahead and affirm that I think same-sex couples…
gay rights
Dan Savage and Some High School Kids
Dan Savage is talking to some high school age kids at a conference about journalism. When the subject turns to homosexuality in the bible a bunch of them walk out.…
Parliament in Review: December 5, 2011
Monday, December 5 saw the House of Commons debate the NDP’s motion on climate change. And while the Cons tried to put up a relatively brave facade on an issue…
Prop 8 and the Dark Wall of Discrimination
First they were allowed to get married, and then they were told they couldn’t. One day they had human rights, the next day they were stolen. But today in California…
Psst…Torture’s OK. Pass It On.
Vic Toews, Minister of Torture and Morality We’ve always known that the Tories mission is to makeover Canada into a far-right Republican spa resort by stealth, since most Canadians hold…
California Gays Headed to the Supremes
It’ll be up to the US Supreme Court to decide the validity of California’s ban on gay marriage. A US Federal appeals court has ruled the ban violates the US…
Bully for you, Minister Baird
John Baird has never been one of my favourite politicians. There is too much of the bully about him. Nonetheless, I applaud him for his speech Monday in the UK…
Stand against homophobia on the Vancouver School Board
Robin Perelle, writing for Xtra!, gives a good background on the swell of opposition to anti-homophobia policy in the lower mainland. Basically, NPA trustees Ken Denike and Sophia Woo have…
Friday Morning Links
Assorted content to end your week. – Carol Goar criticizes the tax giveaways that have blown a massive hole in the federal budget: But there is one area of government…
Burning question
In re: the credibility of Stephen Harper in declaring that his government’s legal stance that Canadian gay marriage can be retroactively nullified by government fiat shouldn’t be taken as an…
Stephen Harper’s Brutal Assault on Gay People
He can try to hide behind big legal words. He can claim he didn’t know. But nobody can deny that this is a brutal assault on gay people. The Harper…
Introducing the Liberal Queer Caucus
The Liberal Party has a lot of work to do this weekend as Liberals from across the country schlep to Ottawa for our biennial convention. This morning we are all…
Civil Unions vs Full Marriage Equality
Civil unions, as opposed to gay marriage, are often advocated for by the moderate right, and sometimes as a pragmatic solution on the left. The main idea is that civil…
NC family group uses crosshairs graphic to attack same-sex marriage
Rev Mark Harris is one of the leading voices calling for a ban on same-sex marriage in N. Carolina. He heads up the state’s Baptist Convention this year and will…
Christy Clark’s staff respond to homophobic bullying
5 days ago I sent a form letter to Christy Clark, as my MLA, asking her to address homophobic bullying in BC schools. Dear Christy Clark, Premier and MLA, I…
Leadership 2012 – Policy Roundup 2
Following up on my earlier post, let’s take a quick look at the policy proposals that have been unveiled by NDP leadership candidates over the last couple of weeks. –…
Help fund Project Homophobia film – Friday Film Pick: The Boy Next Door
Gregor Schmidinger’s 2008 short film The Boy Next Door has received its share of positive attention, and to date, has had over 52,000 viewings on Vimeo. The film, while mildly…
The Authoritative Conservative-to-English Dictionary
Conservative-speak can be confusing for the less practice ear. I know, I know, it sounds like English, but perhaps it is just a different dialect? And it just all sounds…
Parliament In Review: October 31, 2011
Monday, October 31 saw a study in contrasts as two matters were debated in the House of Commons: a private member’s bill which understandably saw broad agreement, and an opposition…
Parliament In Review: October 21, 2011
Friday, October 21 saw another day of debate focused largely on the Cons' anti-consumer copyright legislation.The Big IssueOnce again, copyright was the largest issue, with Tyrone Benskin summing up what's…