Pride – mackaycartoons

Tuesday August 27, 2019

September 3, 2019 by Graeme MacKay

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Tuesday August 27, 2019

Andrew Scheer said gay couples lack ‘inherent’ quality of marriage in tape of 2005 speech unearthed by Liberals

The Liberals are challenging Andrew Scheer to march in Ottawa’s Pride Parade this week, after unearthing a 2005 speech the Conservative leader made suggesting same-sex marriage cannot be considered marriage at all.

December 13, 2017

Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale released a video of the speech on Twitter on Thursday that shows the then 25-year-old Scheer giving a speech in opposition to the Civil Marriage Act, which legalized same-sex unions in Canada.

“There is nothing more important to society than the raising of children, for its very survival requires it,” Scheer said.

“Homosexual unions are by nature contradictory to this . . . Two members of the same sex may use their God-given free will to engage in acts, to cohabit and to own property together. They may commit themselves to monogamy. They may pledge to remain in a loving relationship for life.

“In that sense, they have many of the collateral features of marriage, but they do not have its inherent feature, as they cannot commit to the natural procreation of children. They cannot therefore be married.”

May 31, 2016

Scheer, along with the rest of then-leader Stephen Harper’s caucus, voted against legalizing gay marriage in 2005. Harper said at the time a Conservative government would revisit the law if elected, but avoided reigniting the debate over the almost decade he spent in power.

Like his predecessor, Scheer has tried to distance himself from major social conservative issues like abortion and same sex marriage. But the Conservative leader — a devoted Roman Catholic — has consistently refused to take part in Pride parades attended by politicians across the country.

December 8, 2006

Scheer’s office did not immediately respond to questions on whether his position on same sex marriage has evolved over the past 14 years. But earlier this month, a spokesperson for the Conservative leader said the party has a “proud history of fighting for the rights and protection of all Canadians, including those in the LGBTQ community, at home and abroad.”

Scheer’s office was responding to questions about why the leader avoided the Vancouver Pride Parade this month, which was attended by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh and Green Party Leader Elizabeth May. (Hamilton Spectator)

Tuesday June 27, 2017

June 26, 2017 by Graeme MacKay

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Tuesday June 27, 2017

Canada’s Self-Loathing150

July 1 is Canada’s 150th anniversary, but nobody seems particularly eager to join the party. The muted attempts at celebration have so far produced either awkwardness or embarrassment. A giant rubber duck, six stories tall, is supposed to arrive in Toronto Harbor on Canada Day, but its imminent appearance has been greeted by outrage over costs and suspicions of plagiarism. In March, the CBC, Canada’s national broadcaster, began televising a documentary series called “The Story of Us” to the almost instantaneous howling of Quebec and Nova Scotia politicians at what they regarded as significant omissions in our supposedly collective narrative. Resistance 150, an indigenous political movement, is planning to disrupt the anniversary itself.

June 22, 2017

The principal excitement of our sesquicentennial so far has been the fury of national self-critique it has inspired.

The irony is that Canada, at the moment, has a lot to celebrate. Our prime minister is glamorous and internationally recognized as a celebrity of progressive politics. We are among the last societies in the West not totally consumed by loathing of others. Canada leads the Group of 7 countries in economic growth. Our cultural power is real: Drake recently had 24 songs on the Billboard Hot 100 at the same time — for one shining moment he was nearly a quarter of popular music. Frankly, it’s not going to get much better than this for little old Canada.

So why is Canada so bad at celebrating itself? The nationalism that defined the country during the last major anniversary, the centenary in 1967, has evaporated. The election of Justin Trudeau has brought a new generation to power, a generation raised on a vision of history more critical than laudatory. We dream of reconciliation with the victims of our ancestors’ crimes rather than memorialization of their triumphs. (Continued: New York Times)

Letter to the Editor, Hamilton Spectator, July 3, 2017

Cartoon didn’t do justice to Canada 150

RE: Celebrating Canada then and now, (editorial cartoon June 27)

During this year of celebrating Canada, it was very disappointing to see such a negative and incorrect editorial cartoon about how Canadians feel during this, our 150th birthday celebratory year.

I am not saying that there are some Canadians who have negative or frustrated feelings with various situations in our country, but those feeling were also present in 1967.

But if you are supposed to represent the majority of Canadians, then you are so far off the mark. Canadians are thrilled to be celebrating our country from sea to sea whether on the Via Rail 150 pass or the Parks Canada 150 pass.

Small communities are having street parties and large communities are having festivals. Big or small, loud or quiet, we are all proud to be Canadian. So fly that flag right side up and with dignity. True North Strong and Free!

Sheila Drury, Mount Hope

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Tuesday June 14, 2016

June 13, 2016 by Graeme MacKay

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)