Subject: 2nd CANADIAN MP COMES OUT
From: [email-masked] (Rex Wockner)
Date: Wed, 19 Oct 1994 02:04:38 -0700 (PDT)

CANADIAN MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT COMES OUT
                        by Rex Wockner
                         (529 words)
 
        Canada now has a second out-of-the-closet member of its national 
Parliament.
        Real Menard, a Bloc Quebecois party MP from Montreal, outed 
himself to reporters Sept. 27 outside the House of Commons in Ottawa as 
he was denouncing anti-gay statements made by MP Roseanne Skoke of Nova 
Scotia.
        Menard, 32, said Montreal gays were outraged and worried by 
Skoke's homophobic comments -- and he added that he was "speaking for the 
community to which I belong."
        A reporter asked if this should be interpreted as a public 
statement that he is gay. Menard said: "Yes, it can be interpreted that 
way. That is what I meant." 
        One day later, Menard elaborated, "What I want people to remember 
is not that I'm  gay ... but that there is a social minority that is 
deprived of fundamental rights."
        The media took minimal notice of Menard's revelation, in sharp 
contrast to its actions in 1988 when Svend Robinson became Canada's first 
openly gay MP.
        "It wasn't a huge national news story and that's almost as 
important, that it's seen as something natural and acceptable," Robinson 
said Sept. 28.
        "It's been six years since I came out publicly and I'm delighted 
that another member of Parliament is also saying we are everywhere, in 
all walks of life," Robinson added.
        "I think Mr. Menard has demonstrated great courage," Robinson 
said. "[He will be] another strong and eloquent voice to counter what is 
often bigotry and homophobia in the House of Commons."
        The leader of Menard's party, Lucien Bouchard, said he was 
"absolutely not" worried about negative fallout from Menard's announcement.
        "And if there was, it would not bother me, because it's a 
fundamental right for individuals," he said.
        MP Skoke, whom Menard was denouncing when he outed himself, had 
said, "Homosexuality is not natural, it is immoral, and it is undermining 
the inherent rights and values of our Canadian families and should not be 
condoned."
        She was speaking during ongoing House of Commons debate on a 
hate-crimes-sentencing bill, which is expected to pass.
        Earlier, on TV, Skoke also said, "This love, this compassion 
(between homosexuals), based on an inhuman act, defiles humanity, 
destroys family ... and is annihilating mankind."
        Menard and Robinson demanded Sept. 27 that Prime Minister Jean 
Chretien remove Skoke from his Liberal party caucus.
        "I think it is shameful that she continues to sit as a Liberal 
member of Parliament while she continues to spout this kind of thing," 
Robinson said. "If she had said this about any other group, she would be 
out of the Liberal caucus in a minute."
        Chretien rejected the suggestion, saying MPs have freedom of 
speech, but a day later, behind the scenes, he told Skoke to cool the 
anti-gay rhetoric, according to Canadian Press.
        Other legislators whose districts have large gay communities have 
also criticized Skoke, who says she is a devout Catholic.
        The House of Commons is also set to debate amending Canada's 
Human Rights Act to ban discrimination based on sexual orientation, 
something a majority of provinces have already done.
        That measure also is officially supported by Chretien's Liberal 
party and also is expected to pass.
 
                            == END ==

Rex Wockner
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San Diego, California 92103
Phone: 1-619-294-8155
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