From: manz@ee.ualberta.ca (Brett {Druid Queen} Manz)
Subject: Re: Human Rights Legislation in Canada
Organization: University Of Alberta, Edmonton Canada
Distribution: na
Date: Mon, 14 Dec 1992 09:41:18 GMT

In <1992Dec11.205913.19013@bcrka451.bnr.ca> bbooth@x400gate.bnr.ca (Brad Booth) writes:


>I wrote earlier today:
>> Nigel M Burnett wrote:
>> > There was a brief announcement on the CBC news a moment ago.  Legislation
>> > is to be introduced to the House of Commons (lower house) to ammend the
>> > Human Rights Bill to make discrimination on the basis of sexual
>> > orientation illegal.  I believe that Canada may be the first to do this
>> > at a national level.
>> 
>> Yeah, I heard that this morning too... but on CTV's Canada Am.  Basically,
>> the Bill would be amended to make same-sex marriages legal.  

>I thought I better follow this up, because I was WRONG.  We'll worry about
>my punishment later... the Bill would make the following changes to the
>Canadian Human Rights Act:
>	o prohibit discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation

Which was completely unnecessary.  The courts allready took care of this,
so this is hardly ground breaking.

>	o define marital status as referring only to opposite-sex couples

Which is an out-and-out slap in the face to all LesBiGay people in this
country.  

>	o various other human rights things

I have lost what little respect I ever had for Ms. Campbell.  She has made
half-hearted attempts to introduce the legislation her government has been
promising for the past six and a half years.  She has appealed virtually
*every court ruling that gave us an advancement in LesBiGay rights
protection.  Now she pulls this stunt, trying to make it look good by
codifying the changes imposed by the courts while at the same time
caving in once again to the right-wing political back-benchers by
attempting to cut us back even further.

>The good news is that a human rights tribunal has found the definition of
>marital status to be unconstitutional.  "Max Yalden, head of the human
>rights commission, said he doesn't believe the marriage definition is
>necessary and said he doubts that the amendments will be passed before the
>next election."

Other good news is that the Alberta Human Rights Commission announced
last week that they will begin investigating and handling complaints
of discrimination based on sexual orientation, even though it is not
specifically included in Alberta's Individual's Rights Protection
Act.  They have decided that Section 15 of the Charter of Rights and 
Freedoms implies that sexual orientation is covered by the act, and will
be treating it as if it was explicitly included.  They also plan to
launch a public education program.

>If you wish to do some letter writing, I would recommend either writing to
>Kim Campbell (Justice Minister and proposor of the amendments) or Svend
>Robinson (NDP Member of Parliament and "the only declared gay in the
>Commons") at the following address:

>Parliament Hill
>Ottawa, Ont.
>K1A 0A6 Canada

And remember... if you mail it in Canada it doesn't need a stamp!

-- 
---------------------------------+-------------------------------------
 My opinions are my own.         |  You can't be proud of who you are
 The truth belongs to everyone.  |  if you're ashamed of what you are.
   I can't even *think straight! |    Cruise Men, Not Missiles! - anon