Le Devoir, June 2nd 1994
Transcripted without permission
Transleted by the trancriptor - comments and recommendations welcomed


- --------******************-----------------

Regarding gay and lesbian rights
Quebec should follow Ontario's lead


Carole Montpetit - Le Devoir 

	Homosexual couples should be recognized by the different Quebec 
government institutions as well as by private companies.
	These couples should therefore be allowed the same access to 
retirement and pension plans, insurance, and other social benefits just 
the same way heterosexual couples have.
	This is one of the 41 recommendations from the Commission of
Human Rights of Quebec, formulated in a report on violence and 
discrimination towards gays and lesbians of Quebec, made public 
yesterday, under the title 'From illegality to equality' ('De l'illegalite 
a la legalite').
	On this past May 19th, the Sollicitor General of Ontario, Marion 
Boyd, introduced in the Chamber a project aimed at the recognition of the 
rights of homosexual couples.
	According to Roger Leclerc, president of the Comittee against 
violence towards gays and lesbians, which initiated the public hearings 
of the Commission, the recognition of the rights of homosexuals is a 
first step in the prevention of homophobia.  In his list of 
recommendations, which will be forwarded to six different ministries, the 
commission asks a clear definition of the notion of 'hate crimes', 
especially when aimed towards gays and lesbians.
	In a press conference yesterday, the president of the 
consultation committee which produced the report, M. Fo Niemi, declared 
that the two things that had surprised him the most during the hearings 
where the high suicide rate amongst young homosexuals (an american study 
suggests that more than 40% of teen suicides is related to the sexual 
orientation) and the 'intense' and 'insane' violence people who looked 
gay had to suffer.
	Regarding this last item, the Commission recommends that the 
Ministry of Justice and of Public Security (Note of the translator: this 
is the ministry responsible for the police) should establish a definition 
of hate crimes based on race, color, ethnic or national origin, religion, 
sexual orientation, sex and handicap.
	The report also sheds some light on some practices that are 
judged discriminatory such as the latex gloves worn by police officers 
during police interventions dealing with gays and lesbians in the 
Hochelaga-Maisonneuve district.
	It also highlights that many organisms serving the community have 
illustrated, in the memoirs deposited to the commission, of harassment 
towards homosexuals during police interventions.
	Some members of the community hesitate to lodge a complaint to 
the police when they are victim of violence from fear of being 
identified as gay or lesbian.
	To fight the difficulties encountered by the homosexual youth, 
the commission also recommends that the network of CLSC ( Centre Local 
des Services Sociaux- a local community center where social services are 
provided such as health care ) develops programs specifically aimed at 
this clientele.
	The 41 recommendations are aimed at the Police, six provincial 
ministries, professional corporations, CLSC, women's centers, regional 
Regies of health, Conseil Permanent de la Jeunesse (Youth 
organisation), Office of the handicaped persons and schools.  
	Quebec was the first province to make illegal discrimination 
against homosexuals in 1977.  Organisms representing the gay ans 
lesbian community will make public todaqy their complete position on 
the work made by the Commission.

- -----------------***************---------------      
-- 
______________________________________________________________________________
/- o  o -\    "Je me crois en enfer, donc j'y suis" -Arthur Rimbaud     
 .: () :.   __   Feel free to email me at gauthm@ERE.UMontreal.ca   __  
___~UU~_____\/___________________(_Marc_Gauthier_)__________________\/________