Hate hurts
Hate crime amendments needed


   With the rise of neo-Nazi and other right-wing groups in Canada,
measures to fight hate crime are of increasing concern.
   Under the Criminal Code it is an offence to promote hatred or
genocide against an identifiable group.  "Identifiable group" is
defined as "any section of the public distinguished by colour,
race, religion, or ethnic origin."
   The Law Reform Commission has suggested that this definition of
identifiable group may be too restrictive, and might be expanded.
As the Commission has noted, "in recent history, homosexuals have
been subjected to hateful attacks which led to their physical
harm....homosexuals were also victims of the genocidal policies of
the Nazis."
   It is clear that lesbians, bisexuals and gay men continue to be
the victims of hateful attacks based solely on their sexual
orientation. The distribution of anti-gay hate literature and gay-
bashing incidents are common in Canada. 
   Neo-Nazi skinheads have been charged with the murder of two
Montreal gay men in December 1992. At least thirteen gay men have
been murdered in Montreal since 1989.




The EGALE questionnaire asked

Do you support amendments to the Criminal Code to prohibit hate
crimes based on sexual orientation?  


Conservatives: No
"Broadening the type of speech caught by the hate propaganda
provisions of the Criminal Code would make them vulnerable to
attack under the Charter as an unjustifiable infringement of
freedom of speech."


Liberals: Yes
"The Liberal Party is opposed to hate crimes of any kind and would
most definitely take steps to ensure that just as discrimination on
the basis of sexual orientation is outlawed, so too would hate
crimes based on sexual orientation be outlawed."


New Democrats: Yes








At least 13 gay men have been murdered in Montreal since 1989. 

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