Criticizing the Liberals...
One of the comments on a recent post begged me to criticize the Liberals for once. Well, just this weekend I already blogged that I couldn'te vote for the Liberals no matter what. And, that's true. I don't see the huge need to criticize them - their corruption is well known. Not much I can add to that.
I'm much more interested in a conservative alternative. I want a conservative government for Canada. But, I want a conservative government that would respect the dignit of gay couples. A conservative government that is not afraid of speaking directly to the gay community. A conservative government that is not afraid of political correctness and can speak out to many of the issues I have talked about in this blog (see my post on the 7 issues the Conservatives won't touch).
Many people have suggested that I vote or join the NDP. Sorry, I hate socialism. I want lower taxes, a smaller Federal government, an end to bilingualism as we know it, equal parenting for divorced couples, a sane policy on aboriginals, an end to coddling Quebec, a return to the merit principle for hiring in the Government, a end to hate-crime legislation combined with more support for free speech, an end to supply management, etc.
Fortunately, the Conservative party has a big tent! But, I will keep pushing for support for the diginity for gay couples. It's an important issue for me...and I hope for you.
posted by GayandRight @ 12:49 PM
10 Comments:
How do you define "dignity for gay couples"?
Is this determined by how you are treated as a human being by another person or an institution? Whether people are straight and honest with you, and non-patronizing in their approach? Whether people listen to your concerns, respond honestly with their viewpoint and accept yours as being sincere?
Is it a commitment to respect and protect your rights and to ensure that you, as a person in a committed same sex relationship have exactly the same financial and legal rights in your relationship as a two gender relationship has (whether leagally married or common law)?
Or is the only symbol of dignity that you demand, the ability to confirm your relationship under the category of "marriage".
In chats with gay friends on SSM, I have had just as many people say they're pissed off at the desire for same sex marriage to be recognized as those that support it. A lot of these folks have fought all their lives to establish positions of respect in the general community which totally disregards and ignores the opinions and conventions of traditional society. For them, demanding that conventionalists recognize SSM is a step backward.
I don't see recognition of SSM as being a big deal - it affects directly only a few thousand people. And almost everyone with a socially conscious brain is prepared to accept the fact that SS couples canoodle and some want to stay together forever with all that that means. But for the vast majority of gay men and lesbian women, marriage is not wanted (evidenced by the couple of thousand marriages from a gay/lesbian population that likely is more than a million).
All that being said, Cheers
ferrethouse - what do have against gays with wings?
Fred,
You mentioned before that your Conservative candidate supports Gay Marriage.
So I guess that means you're voting Conservative?
How do I define dignity for gay couples? The same rights and privileges as straight people, pure and simple. And, that only comes with same-sex marriage.
The bottom line here, Ottawa Core, is that Fred deserves the same courtesy from those who disagree with him that he gives to those who he disagrees with. That is not a lot to ask, especially since you consider yourself to be part of the same political "family" as he.
Let me ask you this. Do you not think it took a lot of guts for Fred to hitch his wagon to the Tory party? Do you not think that he takes a lot of heat from people he knows in the gay community for being a Conservative? You may say that the party is a big tent but your profanity, dismissive tone and comparison of Fred to a "whiner from Quebec" and calling him part of a "new form of humanity" would lead others to draw a different conclusion, I'm afraid.
I think that you have done yourself and your party a massive disservice by not acknowledging Fred's right to an opinion and the legitimacy of that opinion, whether you agree with it or not. And when you hear from family and friends that the Tories are not politically mature enough to be trusted with the keys to 24 Sussex, don't blame the left-wing media or the stupidity of the Canadian voter. Take a look in the mirror instead.
Ottawa Core - "conservative ideology? don't fuck with the definition of marriage."
The Conservative Party's official postion is a free vote on Same Sex Issue (and other matters of social conscience) - saying otherwise is lying!
Re: How do I define dignity for gay couples? The same rights and privileges as straight people, pure and simple. And, that only comes with same-sex marriage.
But according to your comment, only Gay couples who live in Holland, Belgium and now, Canada, can have any dignity.
Are there not any Gay couples anywhere else in the world who have dignity?
Furthermore, those Gay friends who I have spoken with on this issue believe that imposing gay marriage on their relationshop is an insult to their dignity. That their dignity is defined by them, not by the courts or traditionalists who they have rebelled against for a generation.
As a person (not as a Conservative)I fully and absolutely respect your right to have a committed relationship with anyone you choose. And I fully believe that in such a relationship you should have the rights of inheritance, rights to pensions, and rights to spousal support as would a dual sex couple. So does The CPC and Stephen Harper.
This doesn't necessarily require the application of the word "marriage" to refer to your committed relationship.
I actually took Keith campaigning in gay bars in Ottawa Centre, and Keith has advertised in the gay newspaper, Capital Xtra. He is looking forward to partipating in the all-candidates debate for the gay community on January 6th. Hope to see you there.
Perhaps the way to assure that there is accurate representation of the broad range of conservatives is to go back to what was lost: two or more right wing parties. The old PC party was far less objectionable and scary, plus more hospitable to dissent. The old Reform was an excellent representative voice for the west. Hell, toss in the ecocapitalist Greens for shits and giggles and you might have a hope in hell of having a welcome umbrella for conservatives of all stripes.
It is important to see clearly what Mr. Harper has done with the same sex marriage issue. First, he has cynically exploited his own anti-SSM supporters by promising a "free vote" that will be meaningless. Message: Harper is lying to his own people here.
Second, he is exploiting anti-gay bigotry, which in rather a racist way he assumes runs deeper in immigrant communities than elsewhere. Third, and worst of all, he is fomenting anti-gay bigotry by using the SSM question as code for "the gays aren't good enough to have the same rights." Every gay high school kid who hears the official Tory position understands that s/he is considered less of a person than his/her straight neighbour. That is just the plain truth.
If you don't think Harper is doing this, ask yourself: just what IS he doing here?
Maybe you're not gay, so you don't think this is such a big deal. I'm not gay either, but if you live in Canada you should ask yourself: "what kind of country you want to live in?" My very young child has already asked me if she can marry her best friend (they're both girls). I've been able to say "yes, if you both want to when you're grown up" because that's the beautiful truth about this country. That is plainly NOT a truth which Mr. Harper is prepared to endorse - he'd rather exploit the fear and hatred of that truth.
I am a formerly ardent supporter of the reform conservative cause, but I find it impossible to give my vote to a Party prepared to inflame this bigotry in order to pull votes. Every one of you ready to mark the ballot beside your Tory candidate, and that includes good old Fred in Ottawa, really should reflect on this.
good luck and God bless
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