From the mailbox...

Here's an e-mail I received from Ireland tonight.

Hi Fred,

I have just come across your interesting blog. I'm following the election campaign in Canada very closely but unlike you I am hoping for a Liberal victory along with stronger NDP representation.

It's clear from your blog that you have strong views regarding gay rights. That's clear from reading your eye opening posts on the outrageous human rights abuses perpetrated against gay people in places such as Jamaica and Iran.

But I can't understand how you can then support a movement and philosophy that has opposition to gay rights as a core part of its agenda. Do you not see the inherent contradiction in this?

I can understand a fellow gay person supporting a libertarian outlook where he/she combines a right wing position on economics with a left view on social issues.

But for me, a gay person supporting a conservative agenda across the board is troubling and a complete mystery.

Your own Conservatives are a prime example. How can you, as an out and proud gay man, support a party whose opening salvo in the election campaign was a promise to "review" the equal marriage law.

Stephen Harper is a homophobe who has shown nothing but contempt for gay people and our rights. As well as opposing marriage equality, he opposed including sexual orientation in hate crime laws, he insulted Svend Robinson with a homophobic slur and in a calculated insult to the LGBT community, he addressed religious groups on the day of Pride and talked about how their values were under threat.

In short this man and his backward party would be a disaster for gay Canada. A Tory victory would also be a huge blow to gays such as myself who are not Canadian but who point to Canada as a model for gay rights and equality in general.

What makes your support for them even more puzzling is that the alternative is hardly a raving socialist outfit determined to destroy freedom as we know it. Come on, the Liberals are a centrist party that tilts left socially and slightly right economically!

I don't mean to belittle your views and I support diversity within our own community. But I cannot understand the mentality of people like the Log Cabin Republicans in the States and other right wing gays who go out of their way to attack progressive politicos who defend our interests while at the same time trying to defend and justify the bigoted, homophobic views and actions of those on the right.

This is just not a credible position to hold.

Here is my reply:

Thank you for your e-mail. You know, I get 3 types of e-mail from my blog. First, I get e-mail from conservatives who are pissed off that I am gay; then I get e-mail from gays who are pissed off that I am a conservative; and then I got lots of e-mail from mostly gay conservatives (and others) who love the blog.

Look, there is no such thing as a liberal gene for gay people. I AM a conservative (small c). I believe in small government, lower taxes, free enterprise, a strong military, support for Israel, a end to preferenes for women in child custody and divorce, an end to political correctness, sensible environmental policies that target real pollution, not CO2, free speech, significant changes to bilingualism, a return to the merit principle in hiring, balanced budgets, a sane policy on aboriginals, etc. Oh, I also believe in complete equality for gays.

If you read through my blog, you'll notice MANY posts that are very critical of the Conservative Party. That being said, I prefer a conservative minority government to that of a Liberal minority government....largely because I want the corrupt liberals out of power...and I want a government that is more conservative.

The plain fact of the matter is that gay marriage is here to stay. First, there will NOT be enough support in Parliament to overturn it. It is clear that the conservatives will NOT get a majority government...and there are more Tories this time around who support same-sex marriage. Here in Ottawa, there are at least 2 Tories who strongly support SSM. And at the last Conservative party conference, 25% of the delegates voted to support same-sex marriage. This is huge progress...and more will come since younger conservatives are overwhelmingly in support of SSM.

Secondly, Stephen Harper has said that he will NOT use the notwithstanding clause to overturn SSM. This seals the deal, in my opinion.

You claim in your e-mal that you don't mean to belittle my views...yet you seem to do exactlly that. You seem to think that all gays have to vote for left-wing parties. Bah, humbug!