A knock-back for Canada's fundamentalists
Canada's fundamentalist right wing and their conservative allies are focusing on a new target. In British Columbia, they are touring the smaller towns and suburbs agitating about the "queer threat to the family" They hoped to build support away from the eye of the media. But the left was waiting for them. Richard Banner This kind of strategy has allowed homophobic groups in the US to win control of a number of towns and school boards. Once in power, they have passed local laws to prevent
Analysis w There is only one magazine in • the leaders of France's trade union lesbians and gays from teaching, and forbid all teachers from discussing homosexuality.
In Canada, a group of activists from the religious right- wing, the "Citizen's Research
Institute" (CRD is having much less success.
Not because the fundamentalists don't know what they're doing. CRI executive director Kari Simpson has been touring the west coast province of British Columbia on a low-profile campaign to convince voters and school boards that tolerance to homosexuals means danger to kids. Another CRI director was elected to the Surrey school board as one of several conservative Christians, without declaring his CRI membership.
In April of this year, CRI began distribution of 10,000 copies of a "Declaration of
Family Rights," encouraging parents to pressure schools to reject materials that discuss or portray "the lifestyle of lesbian, gay, ith Attitude the English language where left debate how best to articulate the bisexual or transgendered individuals as one which is normal, acceptable or must be tolerated." The Surrey school board banned three books from school libraries that portray same-sex couples as parents. A strong reaction
In spite of support for the bigots from some school board members and residents, queer students, teachers and their supporters have successfully countered her message with their own stories, and persuaded local boards to avoid a homophobic response. Some Surrey teachers and parents recently launched a court case against their school board, arguing that the board's intolerance amounts to discrimination.
An opinion poll commissioned by the BC Teacher's Federation suggested that almost 70% of adults believe that schools should promote acceptance of homosexuals. Editorials in the mainstream media have widely condemned CRI as a group that promotes intolerance.
The change in popular attitudes is also illustrated by the ease with which British Columbia's social democratic NDP government recently introduced legislation extending family rights to same-sex couples. It met only token resistance in the provincial parliament. Several years ago a similar proposal in Canada's most populous province, Ontario generated a huge campaign of resistance, including some NDPers. The absent moral majority"
The CRI's most dismal showing to date came on June 7, when it called on its supporters to gather in downtown Vancouver, "to stand together and send a strong message to the government that families will protect our children and our values." Less than 100 people showed up Robson Square, many of
International Viewpoint
1996
The 1996 collection costs £10/$20.
Bound volumes for previous years
(90, "91, '92 '94, 95) cost E5/$10.
20% Discount on orders of four or more volumes. Full Index included.
new mood of resistance to public sector cuts and unemployment.
• Tahiti's NGO activists explain why they feel Greenpeace marginalised them during the campaign against French nuclear tests.
• Indian activists argue that we shouldn't ban imports on countries with deficient environmental and labour legislation.
Founded by Ernest Mandel,
International Viewpoint is the world's largest international Marxist news and analysis magazine.
VIEWPOINT ational
Correspondents in over 50 countries report on popular struggles, and the debates which are shaping the left of tomorrow. Direct from the front line in the fight against neo-liberalism.
This magazine is a window to radical alternatives worldwide.
For a free trial subscription (three issues), call us now, or mention this advert to our local sales agent!
Australia: International Viewpoint, PO Box 1638, Collingwood 3065, Victoria
Britain: Outlook International, PO Box 1009 London N4 2UU © (081) 800 7460
Canada: Socialist Challenge, PO Box 4955, Main P.O, Vancouver V6B 4A6
USA: International Viewpoint, PO Box 1824, New York, NY 10009
Ao BP 85, Paris cedex 11, 75522 France © +33 1/43792961
Fax: +33 1/43792961 E-mail: [email protected]
• Australia $33 • Britain £25 • Canada $80 • Denmark 380 DKK • Ireland £25 •
• South Africa R100 • Sweden 400 SEK • New Zealand $35 • USA $70 •
20
20 International Viewpoint #293
them leaders of the conservative Christian movement. They were met with several hundred angry lesbians and gay men who hundred angry lesbians and gay men who shouted down their attempts to speak and forced them to leave the square without making a single speech.
No less effective was the response to CRI leader Kari Simpson's speech in the provincial capital, Victoria, a week later. Queer Victorians filled the hall, waving bright pink slips of paper at her whenever she made a homophobic remark, and cheering her references to the Gay and Lesbian Educators of BC. She was so unnerved she had trouble continuing her speech.
While these noisy, confident demonstrations have driven the fundamentalists off the streets, many on the left and in the lesbian and gay movement are worried that the excessively confrontational tactics of some sections of the far left actually make it harder to build a movement against the fundamentalists.
According to Will Offley of Socialist Challenge, the 'hard' tactics the far left traditionally proposes may be appropriate in opposing fascist and racist groups, but they are not always appropriate in campaigns against religious bigots. In spite of their prejudice, most supporters of the CRI are ordinary conservative Christians, who would probably reject the CRI if it were identified with physical attacks on lesbians and gay men. The broadest progressive coalition
"Part of any strategy has to be to deny the Christian label to groups like CRI. We have to expose their agenda as being a right-wing agenda, not a Christian one. This makes it extremely important for us to build bridges to the progressive Christian community, and mobilise them into the struggle." The evidence in British Columbia is that it is possible to win majorities in favour of tolerance on school boards.
According to Offley, "to win, we have to create the broadest possible coalition uniting the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered community, and extending to embrace the students, parents and teachers in districts where the religious right is seeking control of school boards, the left, the union movement, people of colour [especially the Sikh community] and others, to ensure that we win a durable victory, not just a transient success."
Lesbians, gay men, bisexuals and transgenders have made real changes in people's attitudes and won broad support by fighting for basic human rights. In British Columbia, queer communities have proven that they can beat the organising strategies of right-wing homophobes. We can gain more and change society by pushing for full equality at every opportunity and challenging ignorance and prejudice wherever it appears. * preiudice wherever it appears.