THAT Homosexual Survey AGAIN

By C. Gwendolyn Landolt
National Vice President
REAL Women of Canada

REAL Women and the official opposition, the Reform Party, have repeatedly objected to the tainted government-funded homosexual survey. (See Reality, March/April 1998, "Phony Statistics by Homosexuals," p. 7.) We complained that it was a biased, unethical questionnaire since it was developed and disseminated to bath houses and participants at gay pride parades by the special interest homosexual lobby group, EGALE, which has a vested interest in the results. (See Reality, May/June 1998, "High Cost to Taxpayers for Homosexual Survey," p. 7.)

It appears, however, that our strong condemnation of the survey is more than justified in light of a determination by the Health Canada Research Branch that the survey is seriously flawed, both statistically and ethically. In fact, the Health Research Branch gave the study a rating of "zero" and refused to consider it for funding "until serious ethical and other concerns" had been addressed, including the lack of safeguards to protect the confidentiality of the participants. (EGALE kept a database of those who contacted its office to request a copy of the questionnaire. According to the researchers, this is "unequivocally wrong.") Aside from the ethical concerns, the Research Branch stated that it was found the study would NOT produce accurate statistics, nor did it address the problem of the incidence of HIV and AIDS infection. The Health Research Branch also objected to the fact that a "sizable amount" of the proposed budget for this project was to go to "consultants," who would be functioning in a role ordinarily fulfilled by a research officer at the branch, whose rate of payment would have been considerably less. In short, the budget was padded in order to give money to associates and/or supporters of EGALE.

Notwithstanding this scathing analysis of the study, however, Hedy Fry, Head of the Status of Women Canada, announced that her department and the Department of Justice would proceed with a $200,000 grant to carry it out.

There is no evidence whatsoever that the federal government attempted, at any time, to withdraw its funding from this deeply flawed project. As a result, the survey forms, which carry the official Government of Canada logo, were enthusiastically distributed by EGALE.

Fortunately, the study has now come to a standstill due to a dispute between EGALE and the two researchers, one of whom is the partner of the former Vice President of EGALE. (See Reality, "Hate Amendment Hits Snag," November/December, 1999, p. 10.)

Purpose of Survey to Amend Hate Law

It should be made clear that the purpose of this survey is to provide "statistical proof" for the Department of Justice to amend the hate section (S.319) of the Criminal Code to include sexual orientation as an identifiable category for protection. Never mind the fact that the statistics are totally inaccurate!

In this regard, homosexual MP, Svend Robinson, introduced a private member's Bill in the House of Commons on October 26, 1999, to protect homosexuals/lesbians in the hate crime section because:

Ironically, according to a report in the National Post (January 12, 2000), the allegedly "anti-hate" MP Robinson appears to have some hate problems himself. In December, he angrily grabbed a sign from a Roman Catholic priest, who regularly demonstrates against abortion and homosexuality on Parliament Hill. Robinson tried to crush the sign and then throw it over a concrete wall. MP John Nunziata has written a letter to Robinson requesting that he apologize to the Rev. Van Hee.

Liberal MP, Dan McTeague, (Pickering Ajax) called Robinson, "Bully on the hill," (Ottawa Citizen, January 14, 2000) and the Vancouver Province in an editorial (January 18, 2000) stated: "… it staggers us that the latest opponent Svend Robinson has thrown into a headlock is … good old Canadian free speech."

Unfortunately, Ontario Premier Mike Harris has decided to join Mr. Robinson's "anti-hate" propaganda team. Mr. Harris has already amended 67 Ontario statutes to accommodate the campaign of homosexual activists. (See Reality, "The Ontario Government and the Supreme Court of Canada," November/December, 1999, p. 4.) He has supported a call to Ottawa to make "hate-mongering" against homosexuality/ lesbianism a crime by co-writing a letter with Ontario NDP leader, Howard Hampton requesting this amendment to the Criminal Code. Mr. Robinson, according to the homosexual newspaper (Capital Xtra, December 10, 1999) of course, is reported as welcoming Mr. Harris' support.

Little Evidence

It is important to note that there is little evidence that homosexuals/lesbians are, in fact, victims of hate crimes. The term "hate crimes," as set out in the Criminal code refers to the offence of willfully promoting hateful comments or propaganda against an identifiable group (S.319). In all of Canada, in the past 25 years, there have been exactly two (2) convictions under this section.

A hate crime under S.319 of the Criminal Code is NOT the same as a crime motivated by hate, which under another amendment to the Criminal Code last year, increases the sentence against someone found guilty of damaging property or harming a homosexual, etc.

If an amendment is made to the Criminal Code to protect homosexuals/ lesbians from "propaganda," or "hateful comments," then they will have a powerful tool to curb freedom of speech and public debate on the homosexual issue.

In other words, any amendment to S.319 to protect homosexuals/lesbians will be bound to have a chilling effect on public debate about this highly controversial issue. Canadians do not require that the Criminal Code be amended in this regard!

Please write to:

The Hon. Anne McLellan
Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada
Justice Building
239 Wellington Street
Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0H8
Tel: 613.992.4621
Fax: 613.990.7255

The Right Hon. Jean Chrétien
Office of the Prime Minister
80 Wellington St., 2^nd Floor
Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0A2
Tel: 613.992.4211
Fax: 613.941.6900

Your MP
House of Commons
Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0A6

The Hon. Michael Harris
Office of the Premier
Room 281, Legislative Building
Queen's Park
Toronto, Ontario M7A 1A1

and object to any amendment to the hate section of the Criminal Code which would provide special protection for homosexuals/lesbians as an identifiable group.

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