OK, kiddo! Here are all the fantastically amazing posts tagged with Stephen Harper

Tories Snub Pride Parade Again

August 18th, 2010

Stephen Harper marches at a gay pride parade shirtless.

Last Sunday was Montréal’s 18th annual Pride parade, and it was fantastic! Organizations, businesses, churches, sports groups, hobby groups, and tons of other equal-rights supporters marched down a brand new parade route in view of over 100,000 spectators. The parade even included politicians from every party—except one.

As in previous years, politicians of all stripes were invited by Pride organizers to come and join in the celebrations, and—like the years before it—the Conservative invitees ignored it entirely. Their absence didn’t go unnoticed, either. Speaking to the media in French, author and television personality, Jasmin Roy, was particularly succinct: “I don’t think we could speak of this as indifference; it’s clear the Harper government doesn’t like gay people.”

Indeed, Stephen Harper’s Tories have fought against equal rights for gay people at every conceivable step, opposing everything from marriage equality (even after it had become law) and protection from hate crimes, to smaller offensive gestures like removing all references to homosexuality from their new immigrant guides.

Given their behavioural history, I never really expected to see Tory party representation in the parade. Actually, I would have been shocked to see it and probably would have joined in a chorus of boos—an appropriate gesture of no where near the level of disrespect and consequence that this government has already displayed toward us gays.

Still, this is a very public example of what our government doesn’t represent, and that’s all Canadians. Whether Tories like it or not, the government is here to represent everybody—not just those that voted for them. And while Harper’s Tories may have a profound lack of sensitivity and understanding toward gay people, we’re still a large and vibrant community whose contributions to the country should have been acknowledged with representation at our biggest and most important cultural event. Honte à vous, Monsieur ‘Arper!

Anti-Gay Columnist Hired To Write Harper’s Speeches

October 23rd, 2009

(Furiously hiss toward camera while raking podium top.)

One of the hardest things about the whole same-sex marriage debate back in 2005/2006 was simply picking up the newspaper or turning on the television and feeling attacked and maligned every day. It was relentless: The gays are destroying this, the gays will undermine that, they’re worse than X, they have no right to Y… Unless you’re LGBT, I think it’s hard to understand exactly how that affects human spirit.

At the time, I was living in Calgary—home of Stephen Harper’s own riding and the heartland of Canada’s social conservatism. If you asked me to make a list of all the crazies in the media that irked me the most, there’s a columnist that would be near the top. Now, I didn’t exactly frame Nigel Hannaford’s delightfully panicked columns for posterity, but Xtra found some typical examples of his, uh, scribery:

Leave gays alone? Fair enough. But, let ‘em be Boy Scout leaders? Have each other’s benefits? Adopt kids? Marry each other? Ridiculous. Anybody seeking political office who suggested it would have been laughed off the hustings. Yet, the Liberals are ready to legalize gay marriage. How did we get to this point?

Well, guess who’s been hired as Stephen Harper’s new speech writer?

You know my email address, right? I’ll wait here for your guesses.

(So… Chilly weather we’ve been having, eh? That reminds me, I ought to buy a pumpkin for Halloween before it’s too late and all the good ones are taken. There’ll only be ones with squished sides totally caked in dried soil, I just know it.)

OK, I’ll just say it: It’s Nigel Hannaford!

He’s not the first anti-gay extremist to be given a top PMO gig, and won’t be the last. Still, this is an unusually visible position to give a writer whose opinion is held only by a small and shrinking minority of Canadians—and particularly from within a party that desperately needs to paint itself as moderate in order to win majority support.

If Hannaford’s speeches are any bit as unmeasured as his columns, well, we’ll see what Canadians think. He won’t just be speaking to the Conservative heartland anymore, after all; it’s the whole country.

(A big hat tip goes to Montreal Simon for alerting me to the story!)

Evangelical Lobbyists Get Top PMO Gigs

February 20th, 2009

It's beautifully unjust, isn't it?

The Prime Minister’s office has shuffled some top positions this week, and the appointments are raising some eyebrows.

Darrel Reid, the former head of Canada’s largest anti-gay lobby group, Focus on the Family Canada, has been promoted to the Prime Minister’s Deputy Chief of Staff. While working for Focus, Reid lobbied against same-sex marriage, the adding of sexual orientation to the list of minorities protected from hate crimes, and has actively promoted the harmful and discredited practise of conversion therapy for gays.  He was initially awarded a government job by Harper in 2006, and has since been promoted several times across  unrelated departments.

Reid’s old job, Director of Policy, has now been assigned to Paul Wilson, the former executive director of Trinity Western who coordinated government internships for the Christian university’s students.

Well, I’m shocked—shocked!—that Stephen Harper, of all people, would be in such tight circles with the religious right. Imagine!

In The Meantime…

January 30th, 2009

Jazz hands!

Well, there was only so much I could prepare in advance while I’m out travelling this week, so in the meantime…

Research Shocker: Gays Don’t Vote Conservative!

September 12th, 2008

The Laurier Institute for the Study of Public Opinion and Policy has released the shocking conclusion of a 36,000-person political study: Gay people don’t vote for the Conservative party!

I’ll… give you a moment to absorb that.

The report, made from data donated by Ipsos Reid, states that only 7.3% of gay men and 10.4% of lesbians voted for the Conservatives in the last federal election, compared to 40.7% of straight men and 32.4% of straight women. More interestingly, though, the study revealed who they did did vote for. Gay men were more likely to vote Liberal, at roughly 40%, while lesbians generally voted for the NDP in the same percentage.

The Tories, who have been completely shaken by these results, have vowed to win back the gay community by purchasing more fashionable and better-fitting sweater vests for all of Harper’s future anti-gay press releases.

Happy Day After Canada Day

July 2nd, 2007

Canada Day Harper

Today is a holiday here in Canada. So, in lieu of my usual post, I present my exclusive interview with Prime Minister Stephen Harper or a reasonable facsimile:

Stephen, thank you so much for agreeing to this interview.

I am Harper.

Now, you’ve been an outspoken opponent of same-sex marriage and made a promise to re-visit the issue on the first day of campaigning for the 2006 election. Why, after eight consecutive court rulings affirming same-sex marriage, a federal law, and years of parliamentary debate, did you feel this was necessary?

The first time I stared blankly into my wife’s eyes and shook her hand in marriage, I knew traditions were traditional. Let me just say this: Canada’s New Government™.

The Court Challenges Program was an inexpensive way for the government to ensure its citizens could challenge unconstitutional laws. This program was cut last autumn. In light of the Language Commissoner’s findings that this cut violated the Officials Languages Act, will the Conservative government re-instate the program?

Scoff. I hardly think it’s the government’s job to protect its citizens’ rights.

Is there anything else you’d like our readers to know?

Céline Dion is not a leader.

Thanks so much for your time, Stephen. Bonne journée!

Bonjour.

Anti-Gay Lobby Keeps On Truckin’

December 11th, 2006

Lobbyists

Well, Stephen Harper has officially announced that he considers the same-sex marriage issue settled. Well, finally! But, gee, I wonder what the anti-gay lobby is up to today? Let’s go check.

It’s the Anti-Gay Lobby Press Release Roundup!

Hey, is that Gwen and the REAL Women of Canada over there? I hear they’re doing quite well after they successfully lobbied to scrap the court challenges program. Let’s take a peek at what they’re releasing to the press, shall we?

Elitist political leaders apparently believe that Canada is still in the twentieth century, where political parties ignored the opinion of the voting public. Arrogant political leaders do not, in fact, know what’s best for everyone.

Ah, yes—yes, if anyone should be deciding what’s best for everyone, it should not be political leaders. Special interest group leaders know much better! And, although polls indicate that a whopping 76% of Canadians did not want same-sex marriage re-opened, that’s totally not representative of the voting public! I mean, what about all those embittered old folks? Weren’t they the only ones that voted?

Ah, but why don’t we take a peek at what Charles and his wacky Canadian Family Action Coalition are doing?

The people of Canada are not going to let this go, because marriage is too important an institution to just let it evaporate because of the emotions of a few people in Parliament

Interesting stuff! I didn’t know that “a few people in parliament” corresponds to a wide-margined majority of exactly 175, but I guess I kinda see what he’s saying. That 175 wide-margined majority was totally just uninformed emotion.

Hey, do you think these two groups have issued a joint press release? That would be, like, a dream come true!

Since the Canadian public has been denied a voice on the issue of same-sex marriage, a very persuasive argument can be made for a referendum on the same-sex marriage issue. [...] The time for a referendum has now arrived.

Wow; a referendum! Those are hard enough to get when the prime minister actually wants one. You guys just don’t give up! Well, good for you! Keep reaching for that star. You know, the one that fizzled out way back 1916, but the light is just reaching you now. It’s a pointless exercise, for sure, but keep at it! You’ll at least keep your shoulder joints active.

Anti-Gay Marriage Vote Delay May End

November 22nd, 2006

Marriage Cloud

Justice Minister Vic Toews has confirmed that Stephen Harper will keep his promise and vote on whether or not to revisit same-sex marriage before parliament ends this Winter. The vote is expected to fail spectacularly, so right-wing special interest groups have been pressuring the government to delay the vote as long as possible.

As for me—it’ll sure be nice to finally get this nonsense over with. If I had to describe it, I’d say it’s a little like getting through poplar fluff season… Not terrifically threatening, but not too pleasant either.

Conservatives Acting Kind Of Scary

October 6th, 2006

Conservatives Aren't Scary, Are They?

Justice Minister Vic Toews confirmed in an interview this week that the government is planning to introduce the “Defence of Religions Act.” The new act would permit a civil marriage commissioner or a justice of the peace to refuse their public services to gays without consequence.

Oddly, as soon as the popular media picked up on the story, Prime Minister Stephen Harper pooh-poohed the notion, saying that the government is “determined to protect the rights of gay and lesbian citizens.”

Uh… Determined, eh? That, coming from a government that is committed to re-voting on same-sex marriage. A government that happily kneeled to pressure from the anti-gay lobby to delay the vote past its promised timeline. A government that recently appointed a new ontario judge who represented anti-gay groups in a bid to declare same-sex marriage unconstitutional. A government that completely axed its most important (and gay-friendly) equality program despite a massive budget surplus. A government that just appointed the president of Canada’s most hysterical anti-gay lobby group as their newest Chief of Staff. Gee, that sounds pretty determined there, Stevey.

But, don’t worry, folks! Harper says he’s not scary! Although, come to think of it, I don’t recall him saying the same about the rest of his party…

When Is The Marriage Vote?

September 29th, 2006

Same-Sex Marriage Vote In A Box

Remember when Stevey promised to hold a free vote on same-sex marriage this autumn? Well, according to the anti-gay lobby, the vote’s been moved to winter! (I guess the summer break wasn’t long enough for them to convince our MPs that society has been thrust into a chaotic land of terror!)

So, what is the anti-gay lobby doing with all this new time? Well, the Canada Anti-Gay Coalition, err… Canada Family Action Coalition is forming a last-minute “national marriage caucus.” The press release was a little cryptic, but from what I can gather, the caucus’ first task is to build a fortified protective wall around every family. Or, at least, every family without gay members. So, for all those into cement stocks, BUY!

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