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table of contents
Easy Solutions to Major Problems
by Nichole Huck
Celebrate World Environment Day on June 5th with a pledge to improve Mother Earth
Back Away from Our Wheat
by Paul Beingessner
Monsanto is forced to abandon plans for mutant wheat
By Chelsea Looysen
Briarpatch Magazine
June 2004
As we fight for the recognition of same-sex couples and protection under anti-harassment laws, the backlash makes the struggle look quite daunting for people who have been oppressed on the basis of their sexual orientation. Homophobia is woven so tightly into the social structure that challenging its legislation is a very difficult battle.
When the same-sex marriage debate became widespread throughout Canada, Canadians for Equal Marriage, a grassroots organization with chapters all over Canada, took the lead. They have developed a broad-based national campaign that is aimed at ensuring that the voices of lesbians and gays are heard. Founded by Egale Canada and the Metropolitan Community Church, the organization is leading the national fight for equal marriage and securing fundamental rights for lesbians and gays. Their campaigns are also designed to confront the backlash that has arisen from those opposed to recognizing same-sex couples.
Canada is a country divided by hatred and fear fuelled by the build up to the federal election. Demanding rights for an oppressed group often results in defensive reactions by some of those who are privileged enough to have those rights. Focus on the Family (Canada), a conservative, right-wing fundamentalist organization, announced this spring that they are fundraising for a planned $1.5-million national media ad campaign in support of “traditional” marriage. They see the coming election as “a tremendous opportunity to raise awareness of the value and significance of marriage, its incomparable benefits to society.” This means that for many, same-sex marriage will be the issue that decides how they vote in the upcoming federal election.
Oppression for Votes
The success of some politicians running in an election relies on the presence of homophobia. Many politicians in Canada and the United States have openly admitted that they are more concerned with votes than granting equality to gays and lesbians. Bush recently called on Congress to approve a Constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriages. Many see this as an election tactic to appeal to conservative groups and motivated solely by the goal of becoming re-elected.
Backlash
While the issue at hand is same-sex marriage, the underlying issue is much larger; the acceptance of gays and lesbians in our community. Lesbians and gays live in fear of being harassed, physically attacked or even killed if they are open about their sexual orientation. Since their freedom to live their lives is limited by this reality, Bill C-250, the Canadian anti-hate legislation bill, will protect gays and lesbians from extreme hate propaganda.
Ignorance and fear has bred backlash to this attempt at equality. Dr. Charles McVety, president of both the Canada Family Action Coalition and the Canada Christian College, published a recent news release stating that, “Bill C-250 passed just in time to silence opposition to same-sex marriage during the election.” He is urging “all Canadians not to vote for Members of Parliament who passed this new law.” He is also concerned that, “many citizens may take heed to the threat of incarceration and not express their positions in public discourse.”
Another example of backlash occurred on April 17, 2004. A rally was organized on Parliament Hill to protest against this Bill, arguing that it criminalizes the expression of opinions against homosexual behaviour. That people would call on Parliament to prevent the protection of a vulnerable group demonstrates how far we are from true equality.
The Cost of Homophobia
Homophobia causes preventable health problems and increased health care costs. In 200l, Gay & Lesbian Health Services of Saskatoon released a study that looked at the economic impact of homophobia in Canada. They found that homophobia costs Canada at least $8 billion a year in increased health care costs and loss of productivity. Other studies have shown alarmingly high rates of suicide, substance abuse, depression, low self-esteem, school drop-out, and unemployment in the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community. In a study conducted by The Institute for Social Research at the University of Saskatchewan, it was revealed that as many as 5,500 Canadians die premature deaths each year as a result of homophobia. These deaths are due to the stressors of living in a homophobic environment and a society that devalues the lives of LGBT people.
Silencing
The fear of homophobic retaliation keeps many LGBT people silenced, which perpetuates inequality, and many policies are in place to keep them silent. For example, most daily newspapers will not publish anonymous letters to the editor. If members of an oppressed group wish to address inequality, they are forced to have their name in print if they want to be heard. Even someone who has been “out” for a number of years may harbour legitimate fears of possible repercussions that could follow, given the recent reactions to struggles for equality.
Another silencing factor associated with homophobia is the fear of being included in the backlash. Saskatchewan teens have identified that they are afraid to be friends with gay peers as they too become targets of harassment. Many same-sex parents hide a great deal of their lives to prevent their children from being ostracized by other children. Lesbians and gays who are teachers, coaches, clergy members and many other professions remain closeted for fear of losing their jobs and to avoid harassment. People continue to be treated unfairly based on their sexual orientation despite the presence of laws and collective agreements in place to protect them.
Aside from gays and lesbians, there are many others who are being hurt by the failure to accept LGBT people in our society; it also affects everyone who knows they have a gay family member, friend, teacher, neighbour or care-giver. Someone you love is gay. Homophobia is everyone’s issue.
Time for Change
Solutions exist to take action against this inequality. Contact organizations in your area such as PFLAG (Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays) or a gay/straight alliance group to build allies. Check out websites for organizations like Egale or Canadians for Equal Marriage to keep informed. At election time, make educated decisions before voting to ensure the politicians will be part of the solution instead of the problem. Walk in your city’s gay pride parade–a large percentage of the people in the parades are allies who march for support of their gay brothers and sisters. In Regina alone, there are several events that are organized by the gay community but exist for the larger community: Queer City Cinema 5, Pride Week events, and a concert by Prairie Pride Chorus–to name only a few. Check out queer culture in your city and see it’s not much different from any other cultural event. Only when we stand together will we make our society more understanding of the issues facing gays, lesbians and other oppressed people.
This is everyone’s struggle. Our culture is far more tolerant and accepting than mainstream media would have us believe. Much of the fear of accepting gays and lesbians is based on a lack of knowledge and fear of being included in the backlash. We need to listen critically and question homophobic remarks and actions, such as those taken by Focus on the Family or the arguments linking equality for LGBT to limiting the freedom of expression. Until same-sex couples are legally permitted to marry, until anti-hate legislation is not only passed but widely recognized, homophobia will remain a disease of our culture. Future studies will continue to show the high incidence of premature deaths of LGBT people. Suicide will remain a solution considered by many troubled LGBT youth. Fear of homophobic retaliation will prevent us from making allies and lifting the shroud of ignorance from our oppressors. Is this the world we want for our future generations?
Chelsea Looysen is the administrator for Briarpatch and sits on the Board of Directors. She is actively involved with several LGBT groups including Lavender Social Club and Prairie Pride Chorus. For more information, check these websites: Egale at www.egalecanada.ca, and Canadians for Equal Marriage at www.equal-marriage.ca.
By Terry Zahorski
Briarpatch Magazine
June 2004
The government in Colombia is fascist and reactionary, regular violator of human rights, and it views unions as blocking “progress.” The intent of the government is to liquidate the trade union movement completely in order to wipe out the gains made over the years by labour.
In mid-May, political leaders of the USA and Canada were in Bogota, Colombia negotiating a bi-lateral agreement Meanwhile, Jorge Alvin Anaya, the treasurer and financial secretary for the Central Unitaria de Trabajadores de Colombia (CUT), was in Regina as part of a cross-country tour sponsored by three Canadian public sector unions (CUPW, CUPE and PSAC) and the Canadian Labour Congress. The CUT is the largest labour federation in Colombia.
The “Defending Public Services: Canadian and Colombian Workers on the Front Lines” tour provided an opportunity for Colombian trade unionists and activists to talk to members of the three unions, community organizations and the public about their struggles to prevent the privatization of public services, and about the impact of privatization to date on workers, services and communities in Colombia.
Anaya informed that he was here not for charity, but to request the highest form of solidarity from Canadians. This he felt manifests itself in our ability to unite the working class over issues that threaten the gains made by the labour movement, not only here in Canada but internationally as well.
Colombian Security
Over the last 40 years in Colombia, there has been constant fighting between the armed insurgents of the left, the right-wing paramilitary, and guerilla groups. The people of Colombia were at the end of their ropes and demanded a peace process be put in place. Their demands were answered in the form of “Democratic Security,” which was the platform of Alvaro Uribe Perez in the last Colombian election. This resulted in his being swept into power on the motto of “Firm Hand, Big Heart.” If people spoke out against this, they were seen as terrorists and not in favour of peace.
Uribe has sold the Colombians a bill of goods; that “democratic security” will bring peace to Colombia. What Uribe really needs is to have the economic policies and the military policies mesh; this would achieve his hidden agenda of privatization of the public sector. It is the accepted duty of the trade unions to expose this hidden agenda for all to see. Only then will they have a chance to hold off privatization.
The strategy of the Colombian government is to take away the traditional role of the state (public services), and hand them over to private sector corporations. This is accomplished in a two-fold method. First the government makes large cuts to social spending in both the federal and provincial budgets. This, in effect, removes the responsibility of the state to the people; at the same time any ability of the state to function socially is lost. This opens the door to privatization, where all the services can be sold to the highest bidder. Secondly, an attempt is made to discredit public services and manufacture the situation that they are inefficient and not cost-effective. This provokes an artificial crisis which is used to discredit the unions by placing the blame directly on them for the crisis. An opportunity is then created for the private sector companies to come in and have the public see them as “saving the day” by purchasing the failing public services.
The World Plan
This situation is not limited to Colombia. Throughout the world, private corporations are demanding the right to deliver public services. They are being supported by governments who are pressured to do so by the policies of the World Bank, International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Trade Organization (WTO). In Colombia, against the backdrop of a prolonged civil war, trade unions are courageously fighting an extremely repressive government which is completely restructuring the Colombian public sector through privatization at the command of the IMF.
In order to make a profit, the private sector companies cut corners that result in reduced services, the creation of user fees, lower wages and benefits for workers, as well as a lack of accountability for these services.
The Colombian Method
The neo liberal model for Colombia was first introduced 14 years ago. Pressured by the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the model was applied by signing accords between the IMF and the Colombian Government, and then passing massive reforms to laws (labour, taxation and judicial), the governments, and even their Constitution. They could then implement the model by way of a three pronged attack:
In terms of the constant threat of privatization, the Colombian unions and civil society have worked together. The last 14 years have had a huge negative effect on Colombian society and on the workers. About 300,000 workers have lost their jobs and 4,000 trade unionists have been assassinated.
The Reaction
Throughout this, the trade union movement in Colombia has taken on a leadership role by becoming a social agitator. They have been successful in revealing the hidden agenda of their current government, and in changing public opinion. This was never more evident than when the Colombian trade union movement garnered enough support with a huge national protest to defeat a national referendum that was designed to clear a path for privatization.
The National Democratic Coalition (NDC) was created out of this movement and committed itself to defend the working class and civil society. In October of 2003, the NDC managed to get trade union leaders elected to several different levels of government. This was significant because it strengthened the trade union movement and showed civil society that the trade union movement could play a key role in government.
Not only is it important to get Labour leaders into government; it is equally important to hold them accountable to those from where they came. Now, more than ever, the ability to develop policies for the future is a reality. The challenge becomes how to undertake these new ventures without compromising dedication to the working class and civil society.
Economic globalization is the umbrella that trade talk is carried out under. Their program of macroeconomics is to transcend all levels of government in all countries.
To be successful in combating this, a base of interest and commitment must be constructed in the international trade union movement to develop a capacity between workers everywhere to work together to produce strategies on anti-privatization with an international perspective.
Terry Zahorski is a member of the Regina local of the Canadian Union of Postal Workers who realizes the necessity of international solidarity.
