In this issue:

1)      GLBT Rights - “International Role Model Award” – Guess who?

2)      Who Started Re-defining Marriage?  The Not so Fantastic Four

3)      Liberals Stack Committee for Marriage Bill C-38

4)      Action Items:  Letters and Laughter

5)      Rallies: April 9 The Biggy in Ottawa “March 4 Marriage” & Others

6)      Famous Players’ Boycott Update

"Canada really propelled this issue. They are a role model for us and an inspiration."        Malcolm Lazin, Executive Director, Equality Forum

(Formerly known as Pridefest America)

(Philadelphia Inquirer, Apr. 25, 2004)        

1)    GLBT Rights’ International Role Model Award

Dear Supporter,

Guess who will be receiving Gay Rights Activists’ most prestigious award at next month’s Equality Forum in Philadelphia?

Our very own Jean Chrétien.     http://www.equalityforum.com/2005/ibc.cfm

Our former prime minister will be crowned with Equality Forum’s 10^th Annual “International Role Model Award,” Friday April 29 as part of their weeklong celebration.  “Mr. Chrétien will attend to accept the award and speak about international GLBT (gay, lesbian, bi-s_xual, transgender) civil rights,” said Joe Farrell, Equality Forum’s chair of the Board of Directors.  http://www.samesexmarriage.ca/advocacy/EF221104.htm

It is a back-to-back sweep for Canada.

Last year’s International Role Model recipient was former Attorney General Martin Cauchon.  Not only was Cauchon honoured, but also Canada was unanimously chosen as last year’s Featured Nation. "Each year we have a different Featured Nation. The choice for 2004 was unanimous. Canada has led on issues of GLBT civil rights.”  http://www.samesexmarriage.ca/advocacy/equality_forum.htm

19 Canadians in total were named to the 2004 delegation including Attorney General Martin Cauchon, MP Svend Robinson, Ontario Health Minister George Smitherman, Mayor of Winnipeg Glen Murray, Former Chief Commissioner of the BC Human Rights Commission Mary-Woo Sims, and North America’s first gay married couple Kevin Bourassa and JoeVarnell. http://www.equalityforum.com/2004/canada.cfm

How did Canada ever arrive at the point where it is perceived as an international leader in re-defining marriage when the majority of Canadians (66%) oppose it? 

2) Who Started Re-defining Marriage?  The Not so Fantastic Four

Carman Bradley summarized, “In June 1999, Parliament ratified the traditional definition of marriage by 216-55 votes. Yet in June 2003, Prime Minister Chrétien announced he would not be appealing the lower court rulings which over turned federal marriage law. The Liberal Government then asked the Supreme Court to rule on what the Charter authors (Parliament and Legislatures) had intended for homosexual union entitlements. Democracy at each stage has been thwarted by the will of a few. In May 2004, former Justice Minister Martin Cauchon, gave a speech before a US homos_xual organization, which honored him with an award for his pro-homos_xual position. He admitted that only four individuals in Ottawa were instrumental in making same-s_x marriage Liberal policy - himself, Paul Genest (policy advisor to PM), Alex Himelfarb (Clerk of the Privy Council) and Morris Rosenburg (Deputy Minister of Justice). In spite of his pledge to address the "democratic deficit," Prime Minister Martin has reversed his 1999 vote and has ordered 39 cabinet ministers to vote for same-s_x marriage regardless of the majority wish of their constituency.”  http://marriagereality.org/

Said Mr. Cauchon at that awards ceremony, "Tonight I'm pleased to receive this very dear [award] but I would like to share it with Paul Genest. I do remember when we started to talk about that question, Paul was the special policy advisor to the then-Prime Minister Jean Chrétien.  Paul and I, on a daily basis, were talking about the question, about the approach, about the strategy. He really was the guy around Jean Chrétien, talking to him on a daily basis ... Paul played a key role and tonight Paul, I would like to thank you. Two other people that I would like to thank very much is the Clerk of the Privy Council, Alex Himelfarb and my Deputy Minister of Justice Morris Rosenberg. The four of us have been a fantastic team that allowed the delivery of the draft bill before the Supreme Court.” http://www.samesexmarriage.ca/advocacy/EF040504.htm

Who is running this country, our elected officials or unelected civil servants and judges?

3)    Liberals Stack Committee for Marriage Bill C-38

Bill C-38 is still before the House debating on 2^nd Reading.  As the House only sits for 9 days in March, and over 100 MPs are scheduled to take their allotted 10 minutes to address this bill, vote on 2^nd reading will not likely happen until late April or early May.  Should it pass second reading, the bill will then be referred to committee.

It looks like the democratic deficit is continuing to slither along in Ottawa under Paul Martin’s leadership, because the Liberal government has strategically stacked the parliamentary committee for Bill C-38 with MPs who favour re-defining marriage.

(Composition of the Committee can be viewed at:

http://www.parl.gc.ca/committee/CommitteeList.aspx?Lang=1&PARLSES=381&JNT=0&SELID=e18_&COM=9494)

Rather than sending the bill to the Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights, Mr. Martin chose to send it to a special ad hoc committee.  Why?  The Liberals have much more say over an ad hoc committee than over the Justice Committee.

The purpose of the committee, in theory at least, is to select and hear from a balanced pool of witnesses representing both sides of the issue. (When the issue was last brought before committee in 2003, during the ‘Marriage and the Legal Recognition of Same S_x Unions’ Meetings before the Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights, the witnesses in support of re-defining marriage outnumbered those defending marriage by a margin of over 4:1.) Following the hearings, the committee’s job is to make amendments to the bill prior to being returned to the House for third reading.  (Government bills rarely undergo amendments at the committee stage.)

Although Mr. Martin’s Liberal party is divided on the marriage issue, all 6 of the Liberal committee members selected support the re-definition of marriage.  In fact, of the 13 members on the committee, 9 MPs are in favour of the bill – including two from the Block Quebecois and one New Democrat.  Only 4 Conservative MPs oppose the bill.

http://www.canada.com/national/story.html?id=a9337477-608e-4b92-b972-36c5ec3ef024

4)    Action Items

1)      Send a Letter – In just “1-Click” send off your own letter to Mr. Martin to let him know what you think about his stacking of the committee for C-38. All it takes is 5 minutes to make a difference http://www.1clicklobbyist.ca/index.php?affid=216

2)      Laugh – If you haven’t read this article yet, take a minute to explore Lorrie Goldstein’s “Same S_x Survival Guide.” http://www.canoe.ca/NewsStand/Columnists/Toronto/Lorrie_Goldstein/2005/02/06/922308.html

Here are a variety of columnists offering some further food for thought:

http://www.christianity.ca/news/social-issues/marriage.html

3)      Support:  In order to keep up our momentum and run a national marketing campaign we need your financial support as well. If you are able to contribute $40, $75, $100 or more to protecting the family, please click here: http://www.unitedmothers.ca/donate.php  

5)    Rallies: The Biggy in Ottawa “March 4 Marriage” & Others

Many of you have written to inquire whether there is going to be a big rally on Parliament Hill.  The answer is YES!

United Mothers, Fathers and Friends is pleased to announce its sponsorship of the April 9 “March for Marriage” www.march4marriage.ca along with other pro-family organizations. 

Thousands of individuals and families are expected to March for Marriage and Freedom on April 9 from Noon to 4 p.m.  “For Our Children, For Canada, For Our Humanity.”

Spread the word!  Please print off or download the PDF poster on the above website and spread the word by sharing the flyer, posting it on bulletin boards, and inserting it in church bulletins and other publications.

OTHER IMPORTANT RALLIES 

EDMONTON – Saturday March 19, 12 noon to 1:30 p.m. on the front steps of the Alberta Legislative Building in Edmonton

Sponsored by Bible Presbyterian Church and the Presbyterian Reformed Church of Edmonton.  Contact:  780-477-5622 or prcedm@yahoo.ca

To find out more about the many important rallies listed below, go to the

Defend Marriage website: http://www.defendmarriage.ca/site/index.php?option=com_content&task=category&sectionid=5&id=70&Itemid=52 (& Click on the corresponding link)

FRIDAY MARCH 11

Ottawa, ON – 3 rallies

SATURDAY, MARCH 12

Calgary, AB

Markham, ON

Brampton, ON

Richmond Hill, ON

Thornhill, ON

TUESDAY MARCH 15

Alberton, PEI

SATURDAY MARCH 19

Edmonton, AB

SUNDAY MARCH 20

Chatham & Leamington, ON

SATURDAY MARCH 26

Dunnville, ON

SATURDAY APRIL 2

Edmonton, AB – MP Anne McLellan

SATURDAY APRIL 9

Edmonton, AB – Legislature

Ottawa, ON – Parliament Hill

SUNDAY MAY 1

Edmonton, AB

6)    Famous Players’ Boycott Update

Thanks to all of you who voiced your concerns to Famous Players head office regarding the anti-marriage ads that they were running before the start of every movie shown in its Canada-wide chain.

The ads were scheduled to run for 2.5 weeks and that time period came to an end at the end of February.  When approached by a pro-family group willing to pay for ads to give equal time to the issue, Famous Players conveniently explained that they had JUST introduced a policy that no longer allows the running of any “issue driven advertising.” As a result, CFAC is encouraging everyone to continue boycotting Famous Players because, “It would appear they have an anti- marriage bias. So we suggest you spend your entertainment dollars in more family friendly places.”

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/ArticleNews/TPStory/LAC/20050219/SAMESEX19/National/Idx

Thank you for your continued efforts to defend marriage!

Sincerely yours,

Michele Dow

United Mothers, Fathers and Friends

Click here to unsubscribe:
http://www.1clicklobbyist.ca/sendstudio/users/unsub.php?Mem=216456&ConfirmCode=4c27d98a10c6a08eb0507448e62df008

Same sex marriage