Harper's Minister for Democratic Reform and gay men

[CaramonLS]

Originally Posted by flamey_mcflame

"Let me put it to you this way -- there's As and Bs. The As are guys like me. The Bs are homosexual fa----- with dirt under their fingernails that transmit diseases."

And now he doesnt feel that way?? Wow, what a remarkable turn around. I think maybe he realized that he was a public figure, put his feelings of hatred into the closet along with his many other shames. But he said he was sorry, so that makes everything alright. I didn't know saying sorry was a way to get out of everything. I'm surprised criminals don't use that as a defense at their trials.

Judge: Mr. Doe, you are on trial for killing and mutilating 5 women.

Mr. Doe: I'm sorry your honor, it was 6 years and it was a stupid thing to do.

Judge: Case dismissed.

I won't charge for that legal advice.

Do you forgive your parents/grandparents for probably being racists back in the 50s/60s/70s?

Killing people... yeah, wonderful analogy. Get over yourself.

Back in Junior high I used to think that gays "weren't normal" and "not right", so yeah, I did think less of them as people. If you were like me or any of my friends, you called people homos and said "that's gay" or "you're a fag" a lot. And yes, gay bashing (non-physical) was pretty acceptable, at least in the situation I grew up in.

Granted, my attitudes have changed significantly over the time period (that was ~12 years ago) to the point now that I believe that people who are gay are a) perfectly normal, b) acceptable in society and c) deserve all the benefits of any other citizen - aka equal treatment.

Take a good hard look in the mirror before you condemn someone for what they 'said' 16+ years ago.

[GeoffSK]

If you watch the video it is pretty tongue in cheek. It looks like a bunch of people having a party after the debate. It looks like he was trying to be funny and he wasn't.

What he said about gays was wrong and he gave an apology.

Here in Saskatchewan the radio talk shows are all over Premier Brad Wall for his impersination of a Ukranian Farmer in the video. In the impersonation he said Romanow has his head up his but. Also note that he preformed the "Whitehouse Rap" in the video.

The whole video is a bunch of people making bad jokes while drinking, so I don't think the video should be taken seriously at all.

[ben voyonsdonc]

I'd be willing to forgive Lukiwski for his transgressions from 17 years ago, if he had demonstrated that he actually didn't still believe what he said. But Lukiwski, in his time in Parliament, has voted against gay rights at every turn...at no point has he joined with moderate Conservatives, the NDP, Liberals and Bloc to show in any way that supportive of gays and lesbians and as such he hasn't shaken off any of the homophobia that he demonstrated in that video.

Lukiwski has had the opportunity to make a difference by the position given to him by the citizens of Regina Lumsden Lake Centre but has shown that he is no more supportive of gays and lesbians than Larry Spencer and no less homophobic than he was in 1991.

[RougeUnderoos]

Originally Posted by CaramonLS

Back in Junior high I used to think that gays "weren't normal" and "not right", so yeah, I did think less of them as people. If you were like me or any of my friends, you called people homos and said "that's gay" or "you're a fag" a lot. And yes, gay bashing (non-physical) was pretty acceptable, at least in the situation I grew up in.

He was 40 years old.

[Resolute 14]

Originally Posted by EddyBeers

I am assuming that by several levels you mean one level, you mean a one-person adjudication panel. http://www.canada.com/topics/news/na...6f2e29&k=65806

But hey, do not let the facts get in your way.

So basically, one level denied the man his claim, why should Finley get be any different.

Oh, wait, factual evidence is not all that important when you are trying to defend an incompetent Immigration Minister. Conservative ignorance at its finest

Fair enough, I had assumed in typical Canadian fashion that he had had numerous appeals, as nearly every other aspect of such proceeding seems to have.

But, you do ask the appropriate question: His claim was denied. Why should Finley overrule, and on what grounds is he labeled "incompetent" for not overruling?

[Mean Mr. Mustard]

Originally Posted by RougeUnderoos

He was 40 years old.

My grandfather said some pretty racist things to the day he died, yet can you really condemn the person for expressing the attitudes that he had been raised with and that were prevalent at the time within the general population. Seventeen years in the rear that video looks very incriminating, but look at the time and place, AIDS was still a pretty unknown disease, which was seen in no small part to be impacting homosexuals and drug addicts who shared needles. There was incorrect information amongst the general population regarding how the disease was spread and there was still systemic hatred being brought against homosexuals based upon the culture in which Tom Lukiwski was raised.

[Slava]

Was AIDS really that unknown in 1991 though? I did a highschool project on it in 1992 and I certainly wasn't some master scientist but I had no trouble digging up information.

Bottom line here is that in politics, stuff you did/said years ago hurts you. Its no different than the Liberals today getting branded with the NEP even though current party people had nothing to do with it. These guys did something they probably regret today, and there is a political price to pay for that.

Also, the federal minister had been kicked out of the Canadian Alliance before for his thoughts on homosexuality, and saying it should be outlawed...so this isn't exactly an isolated incident with him.