gay

Tuesday June 14, 2016

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator Ð Tuesday June 14, 2016 Hamilton Pride Week follows deadly mass murder of gay night club in Florida The City of Hamilton and its LGBTQ Advisory Committee held a Pride Flag Raising Ceremony on June 13 from 12 to 1 p.m. in the Hamilton City Hall forecourt to kick off Pride Week 2016 and celebrate and honour Hamilton's LGBTQ community. The rainbow Pride and Trans Pride flags will fly at City Hall throughout Pride week. (Source.) http://www.thespec.com/community-story/6719440-hamilton-s-lgbtq-community-raises-the-pride-flag-monday/ Pride week was launched the Monday following a horrific mass shooting occurred on Saturday night in a gay night club in Orlando, Florida.ÊÊIt marked the deadliest mass shooting in the United States and the nation's worst terror attack since 9/11, authorities said. (Source CNN)Êhttp://www.cnn.com/2016/06/12/us/orlando-nightclub-shooting/ Hamilton, LGBTQ. LGBT, Pride, mass shooting, massacre, gay, ISIS, terrorism, hate

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Tuesday June 14, 2016

Hamilton Pride Week follows deadly mass murder at gay night club in Florida

The City of Hamilton and its LGBTQ Advisory Committee held a Pride Flag Raising Ceremony on June 13 from 12 to 1 p.m. in the Hamilton City Hall forecourt to kick off Pride Week 2016 and celebrate and honour Hamilton’s LGBTQ community.

The rainbow Pride and Trans Pride flags will fly at City Hall throughout Pride week. (Source.)

Pride week was launched the Monday following a horrific mass shooting occurred on Saturday night in a gay night club in Orlando, Florida.  It marked the deadliest mass shooting in the United States and the nation’s worst terror attack since 9/11, authorities said. (Source: CNN)

 

Tuesday May 31, 2016

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator Ð Tuesday May 31, 2016 'Freedom and respect': Conservatives strike marriage definition from party policy Conservative delegates at the party's policy convention in Vancouver have voted to strike the definition of marriage in the party's official policy document. In a 1,036-462 vote, delegates from all provinces except Saskatchewan cast majority votes in favour of no longer defining marriage as a union between one man and one woman. "I think our party got a little more Canadian today," Calgary MP Michelle Rempel said after the vote. "It's a milestone and it's not just a milestone for our party, it's a milestone for all Canadians.Ó "Yes, it took us 10 years to get to this point, but I think this is something that is a beacon for people around the world who are looking at equality rights. Canada is a place where we celebrate equality.Ó The result followed a heated debate and prompted some high-fives and cheers across the hall. It shifts the party's official position on same-sex marriage from being against the unions to neutral. Eric Lorenzen, from an Eastern Ontario riding, said during the debate that as a gay Conservative, he found it troubling that his party told him his relationship with his partner was not valued. "What other group does our party have a negative policy towards? A policy of restricting civil rights and restricting full participation in society?" he said, drawing applause. The result followed a heated debate and prompted some high-fives and cheers across the hall. It shifts the party's official position on same-sex marriage from being against the unions to neutral. Eric Lorenzen, from an Eastern Ontario riding, said during the debate that as a gay Conservative, he found it troubling that his party told him his relationship with his partner was not valued. "What other group does our party have a negative policy towards? A policy of restricting civil rights and restricting full parti

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Tuesday May 31, 2016

‘Freedom and respect’: Conservatives strike marriage definition from party policy

Conservative delegates at the party’s policy convention in Vancouver have voted to strike the definition of marriage in the party’s official policy document.

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator Ð Thursday May 19, 2016 Some Conservatives now ready to support bill on transgender rights When C-279, the private member's bill that would have added gender identity to the Canadian Human Rights Act and the Criminal Code, came before the House of Commons for a vote in 2013, Conservative MPs Rona Ambrose and Tony Clement voted against it. This time around, Ambrose and Clement say they will be voting in favour when the Liberal government's bill to add gender identity to the human rights act and the code, C-16, comes before the House for a vote. Neither vote is likely to be crucial to the bill's success: with Liberal and NDP support, the bill should pass the House of Commons comfortably. But they could mark a change of opinion that might still be significant. Clement pointed to the influence he takes from his three children. "I have three children, ages 24, 22 and 18. They span the political spectrum but in their generation this is a foregone issue," he said. "They don't even understand why this would be debated.Ó He also says it makes sense that transgender Canadians should be included among those who have their rights acknowledged. While Liberals, New Democrats and 18 Conservatives supported the bill tabled by NDP Randall Garrison, Conservatives accounted for all of the 137 votes opposed. Clement says that in 2013, the advice to Conservatives from the Justice Department was that the bill was unnecessary because gender identity was already covered by the law. Ambrose and Clement follow Conservative MP David Tilson who told CBC News on Monday that his view had changed since voting against C-279 in 2013. That change of opinion is not unanimous. Conservative Senator Don Plett, who opposed C-279 and moved amendments that excluded areas such as bathrooms from the bill's provisions, told reporters on Tuesday that his position has not changed. "You know my feeling on transgender rights," he said. "They hav

May 19, 2016

In a 1,036-462 vote, delegates from all provinces except Saskatchewan cast majority votes in favour of no longer defining marriage as a union between one man and one woman.

“I think our party got a little more Canadian today,” Calgary MP Michelle Rempel said after the vote. “It’s a milestone and it’s not just a milestone for our party, it’s a milestone for all Canadians.”

“Yes, it took us 10 years to get to this point, but I think this is something that is a beacon for people around the world who are looking at equality rights. Canada is a place where we celebrate equality.”

January 13, 2012

The result followed a heated debate and prompted some high-fives and cheers across the hall. It shifts the party’s official position on same-sex marriage from being against the unions to neutral.

Eric Lorenzen, from an Eastern Ontario riding, said during the debate that as a gay Conservative, he found it troubling that his party told him his relationship with his partner was not valued.

“What other group does our party have a negative policy towards? A policy of restricting civil rights and restricting full participation in society?” he said, drawing applause.

December 8, 2006

The result followed a heated debate and prompted some high-fives and cheers across the hall. It shifts the party’s official position on same-sex marriage from being against the unions to neutral.

Eric Lorenzen, from an Eastern Ontario riding, said during the debate that as a gay Conservative, he found it troubling that his party told him his relationship with his partner was not valued.

“What other group does our party have a negative policy towards? A policy of restricting civil rights and restricting full participation in society?” he said, drawing applause. (Source: CBC News)

 

Friday February 19, 2016

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator Ð Friday February 19, 2016 Pope Francis says Trump's views on immigration 'not Christian' Pope Francis said Thursday that Donald Trump is "not Christian" if he intends to build a wall along the U.S.-Mexican border. Trump immediately fired back, saying it is disgraceful for a religious leader to question a person's faith. Trump, a leading U.S. Republican presidential candidate, has promised to build a wall along the Mexican border from Texas to California and expel 11 million people who are in the country illegally if elected president. The Pope's comments en route home from Mexico came hours after he prayed at the Mexico-U.S. border for people who died trying to reach the United States. "A person who thinks only about building walls, wherever they may be, and not building bridges, is not Christian," Francis said. "This is not in the Gospel." Not having heard Trump's border plans independently, Francis said he'd "give him the benefit of the doubt." But he added: "I'd just say that this man is not Christian if he said it this way." Texas Senator Ted Cruz, another Republican presidential contender, has also supported building a border wall, and joked that he will make Trump pay for it. Trump, a Presbyterian, last week criticized Francis' plans to pray at the border. He said the move was ill-informed and showed Francis to be a political figure being exploited by the Mexican government. "I don't think he understands the danger of the open border that we have with Mexico," Trump said in an interview with Fox News. "I think Mexico got him to do it because they want to keep the border just the way it is. They're making a fortune, and we're losing." On Thursday, he responded to the Pope's comments during a campaign stop in Kiawah Island, S.C. "No leader, especially a religious leader, should have the right to question another man's religion or faith," he said. "They are using the Pope as a pawn and they sh

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Friday February 19, 2016

Pope Francis says Trump’s views on immigration ‘not Christian’

Pope Francis said Thursday that Donald Trump is “not Christian” if he intends to build a wall along the U.S.-Mexican border. Trump immediately fired back, saying it is disgraceful for a religious leader to question a person’s faith.

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator - Wednesday February 10, 2016 Poll: Trump, Sanders lead ahead of New Hampshire's vote Donald Trump continues to lead the Republican race in New Hampshire on the eve of the vote, the final CNN/WMUR tracking poll finds. On the Democratic side of the race, it remains Bernie Sanders' primary to lose, with the Vermont senator holding a 26-point lead over Hillary Clinton. The field of candidates vying for a second place finish behind him is finally beginning to separate, according to the survey. Trump holds 31%, down two points from the February 3-6 release, but within the poll's margin of sampling error. READ: The full CNN/WMUR tracking poll results Behind him, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio earned 17% support -- within the margin of sampling error of Texas Sen. Ted Cruz at 14%, but significantly ahead of the fourth and fifth place candidates in the poll, Ohio Gov. John Kasich at 10% and former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush at 7%. Behind Bush, Carly Fiorina stands at 5%, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie at 4% and retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson at 3%. Aside from Trump, none of the Republican candidates moved more than 1 point in either direction compared with the previous CNN/WMUR tracking poll. About three-quarters of the interviews conducted for this poll were completed before the Republican candidates debated Saturday night, their final such match-up before Tuesday's election. Although the post-debate sample size is too small to produce a separate estimate of the vote, interviews conducted Sunday and Monday found no drop in support for Rubio, and actually showed a slimmer margin between Trump and Rubio. There has been little movement in the last two days in the other metrics tested in the survey, with about two-thirds still saying they expect to see Trump win on Tuesday (64%), and about a third saying they would never vote for Trump (32%). (Source: CNN) http://www.cnn.com/2016/02/08/politics/donald-trump-bernie-sa

Wednesday February 10, 2016

Trump, a leading U.S. Republican presidential candidate, has promised to build a wall along the Mexican border from Texas to California and expel 11 million people who are in the country illegally if elected president.

The Pope’s comments en route home from Mexico came hours after he prayed at the Mexico-U.S. border for people who died trying to reach the United States.

“A person who thinks only about building walls, wherever they may be, and not building bridges, is not Christian,” Francis said. “This is not in the Gospel.”

Not having heard Trump’s border plans independently, Francis said he’d “give him the benefit of the doubt.” But he added: “I’d just say that this man is not Christian if he said it this way.”

Texas Senator Ted Cruz, another Republican presidential contender, has also supported building a border wall, and joked that he will make Trump pay for it.

Trump, a Presbyterian, last week criticized Francis’ plans to pray at the border. He said the move was ill-informed and showed Francis to be a political figure being exploited by the Mexican government.

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Rock Star Pope

“I don’t think he understands the danger of the open border that we have with Mexico,” Trump said in an interview with Fox News. “I think Mexico got him to do it because they want to keep the border just the way it is. They’re making a fortune, and we’re losing.”

On Thursday, he responded to the Pope’s comments during a campaign stop in Kiawah Island, S.C.

“No leader, especially a religious leader, should have the right to question another man’s religion or faith,” he said. “They are using the Pope as a pawn and they should be ashamed of themselves for doing so, especially when so many lives are involved and when illegal immigration is so rampant.”

He also said the Mexican government has disparaged him to the Pope and separately invoked the Islamic State group, saying that if it attacks the Vatican, “I can promise you that the Pope would have only wished and prayed that Donald Trump would have been president because this would not have happened.” (Source: CBC News)

 

Social Media

As I turned the page on this story in my newspaper, I was greeted with an editorial cartoonby artist Graeme MacKay that took a different spin on this same piece of news. Mackay’s cartoon had Trump on one wall with a banner saying “No Illegal Mexicans” and the Pope is on another wall with three plaques saying, “No Gays. No Women Priests. No Apologies.”

Everyone deserves a reality check. We all have our own walls. Being a follower of Jesus has to allow for hard questions. We need to continually ask ourselves as Christians,

  • Where should I be building a bridge?
  • What walls do I need to tear down?
  • How can I be more holistic in my faith?

Source: Hamilton Commons

Monday June 29, 2015

Editorial cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator - Saturday June 27, 2015 The U.S. Supreme Court has made same-sex marriage legal throughout America, ruling Friday that the constitution gives gay and lesbian couples the same rights as straight couples. The historic decision invalidates the same-sex marriage bans of 13 states, from Texas on the Mexican border to Michigan and North Dakota on the Canadian border. The vote was 5-4, reflecting the deep divide on the issue in American society. The courtÕs four liberals were joined by the conservative Anthony Kennedy, who wrote his third landmark opinion expanding gay rights. In powerful, unequivocal language, Kennedy declared same-sex relationships no less worthy of the sacred institution of marriage than relationships between men and women. (Source: Toronto Star) http://www.thestar.com/news/world/2015/06/26/us-supreme-court-legalizes-same-sex-marriage-nationwide.html Meanwhile, a growing number of third parties are exploiting a loophole in the law that puts no serious restrictions on how much is raised or spent before the campaign officially begins. Canada's electoral laws are intended to limit the influence of big money in campaigns by enforcing strict contribution limits, making the names of all donors public and banning donations from corporations and unions. The newest entrants are Engage Canada and HarperPAC, and they are not really third parties so much as offshoots of the three main political parties. Engage Canada was started by two former senior Liberal staffers in Ontario, Don Guy and Dave Gene, and Kathleen Monk, an equally prominent federal NDP strategist. Take my word for it, because you won't find any disclosure of who is behind the group from its website. On the other side is HarperPAC. The name tells you all you need to know. The group is a "political action committee" in the U.S. mould and dedicated to re-electing the Harper government. It's the brainchild of Stephen Taylor, the form

Editorial cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Monday June 29, 2015

The U.S. Supreme Court has made same-sex marriage legal throughout America, ruling Friday that the constitution gives gay and lesbian couples the same rights as straight couples.

The historic decision invalidates the same-sex marriage bans of 13 states, from Texas on the Mexican border to Michigan and North Dakota on the Canadian border.

The vote was 5-4, reflecting the deep divide on the issue in American society. The court’s four liberals were joined by the conservative Anthony Kennedy, who wrote his third landmark opinion expanding gay rights.

In powerful, unequivocal language, Kennedy declared same-sex relationships no less worthy of the sacred institution of marriage than relationships between men and women. (Source: Toronto Star)

Meanwhile, a growing number of third parties are exploiting a loophole in the law that puts no serious restrictions on how much is raised or spent before the campaign officially begins. Canada’s electoral laws are intended to limit the influence of big money in campaigns by enforcing strict contribution limits, making the names of all donors public and banning donations from corporations and unions.

The newest entrants are Engage Canada and HarperPAC, and they are not really third parties so much as offshoots of the three main political parties.

Engage Canada was started by two former senior Liberal staffers in Ontario, Don Guy and Dave Gene, and Kathleen Monk, an equally prominent federal NDP strategist. Take my word for it, because you won’t find any disclosure of who is behind the group from its website.

On the other side is HarperPAC. The name tells you all you need to know.

The group is a “political action committee” in the U.S. mould and dedicated to re-electing the Harper government.

It’s the brainchild of Stephen Taylor, the former Manning Centre and National Citizen Coalition activist, and a dozen former Conservative staffers whose photos and bios are prominently displayed on the group’s website.

PACs aren’t entirely new to Canada. In Ontario, a coalition of unions under the banner Working Families is credited, or blamed, for undermining the campaign of former provincial Conservative leader Tim Hudak in the 2014 election. (Source: CBC News)

Thursday, February 26, 2015

Thursday, February 26, 2015Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Thursday, February 26, 2015

Sex education debate at Queen’s Park gets nasty

As several hundred social conservative protesters loudly rallied against Ontario’s new sex education curriculum outside the legislature, the debate inside was even more heated.

Progressive Conservative MPP Monte McNaughton (Lambton-Kent-Essex), a leadership hopeful, attacked Premier Kathleen Wynne on Tuesday for not doing enough to consult parents before implementing the new syllabus that takes effect in September.

McNaughton told the house that the premier should not be imposing views upon mothers and fathers concerned about the revised program designed to protect children by better informing them about sex.

Wynne, Ontario’s first openly lesbian premier, suggested the Tory MPP was being homophobic.

She rhetorically shot back at McNaughton that perhaps he thought she wasn’t qualified to weigh in on the subject because she’s a woman, a mother, a grandmother, a former school trustee, a past education minister or that she has a masters of education.

As Wynne thundered at the Tory member, Liberal MPPs heckled that that wasn’t “the real reason” he was complaining.

Outside the chamber, McNaughton said it was “ridiculous” to accuse him of homophobia and said the main reason the premier is unqualified is that her government faces so many scandals that are being investigated by police, including the Sudbury byelection, the ORNGE air-ambulance fiasco, and the deleted gas-plant emails affair.

He and his rival PC leadership candidates — MPP Christine Elliott (Whitby-Oshawa) and MP Patrick Brown (Barrie) — met with the raucous protesters, many of whom brandished anti-abortion signs. (Source: Toronto Star)