Another conservative is moving not just to block so-called "special rights" for gays, but to take away their existing rights. (See also: Fletcher item from yesterday.)
Aligning himself with Fred Phelps on the issue of same-sex marriage, Prime Minister Stephen Harper is now confirming Canadian gays' worst fears.
Ottawa and Washington might be 455 miles apart, but they haven't been this close together in a long time.
[h/t Anthony]
This makes me so mad. I got married in Canada in 2004. Harper said he would not do anything to the existing marriages. He also said he would concurrently implement Civil Unions, with all the rights afforded to the straighties. Plus, all polls indicate Canadians do not want to reopen the issue. So, it's really 100% bigotry.
Posted by: Queer Beacon | April 13, 2006 at 06:49 PM
I think this is a useful example for people who, out of hand, dismiss courts as guarantors of basic rights and application of principle to fact. Especially as this particular example shows the tyranny of the minority in the "more democratic" branch.
Yes courts have thier limits, but they have thier uses protecting liberty, also.
Posted by: Tommy | April 13, 2006 at 07:26 PM
Not to be a a pain, Mal, but you did belittle gay activists who warned of this soon after the Canadian elections (I agreed in your assesment of the over-reaching tone of the warnings).
Harper took this position BEFORE the Canadian elections. It was a subtle position, but he did say he would hold this vote.
Posted by: John | April 14, 2006 at 01:30 PM
I think it speaks to my credit that I am willing to revisit this issue when new facts emerge, rather than whistling softly and walking away.
The ready-fire-aim attitude of everyone else wasn't necessarily warranted with the approach Harper was taking at the time, and that's what I meant to point out. That is, I try to get past the spin of the admitted partisans out there and look for the truth of what's going on.
For instance, it drove me nuts to see Kos on Comedy Central referring to Democrats as "we." If I wanted a partisan view, I'd go to the DNC's blog, but I go to blogs hoping to be englightened by someone who isn't shilling for a party. If it's all about what is best of the GOP or Democrats, then I might as well put my brain on auto-pilot.
Of course, when Kos say "we," he means all Democrats except for the DLC, which represents the only wing of that party capable of winning elections in the last 40 years.
Posted by: Malcontent | April 14, 2006 at 02:41 PM
You get In-Store Credit only. No cash refunds. =)
Posted by: John | April 14, 2006 at 03:05 PM
It's just a vote to reopen the debate on the issue because the feeling of the conservatives is that some party members were strongholded by their party policies (in their case right now they mean liberals, bloc and NDP) to not vote openly on the issue. Really though, even if every member votes by their own conscious (which they should not be doing anyway... rather by their constituency reflections) then the results will still be the same. Same-Sex marriages will stand. It's as much of a bullshit issue in Canada as the whole Quebec separatist movement... and like the latter it will probably never go away.
Posted by: Dirk | April 15, 2006 at 01:11 PM