Mon 31 Jul 2006
The first ever World Out Games have begun this week in Montreal. This celebration of sport and tolerance opened with a Conservative cabinet minister getting booed off the stage. Sadly for the organizers of the event, that fact is making bigger news than the actual scheduling and results of the games themselves.
Many complained that Prime Minister himself did not attend. While I don’t support everything the PM has said, I think his absense is understandable. Is there any reason he would have been given a better welcome than a native Montrealer in Micheal Fortier?
I insist that it is important to tread in places you might not normally be welcomed or appreciated, in order to build bridges, but I’m glad our nation was spared the embarassment of being booed off the stage in his own country. Reading how his actions were labelled by kd lang et al as being intolerant really disturbed me. Is a group of people who boo a person off of stage simply because of his orientation really the most appropriate group to say who is and isn’t intolerant?
August 1st, 2006 at 11:52 am
I couldn’t agree more. Once again the tyranny of the tolerant left shows its true colours. Right now the PM is dealing with the middle east, afghanistan, and numerous domestic issues including getting reelected that are occupying his time. It would be unclear if the PM would even address the olympics were they held in Montreal. In athens I remember the Mayor Dora …..polous, speaking but not the president or prime minister.
The point is that we have global games called the olympics where athlethes, gay straight etc already participate. In my mind those games where ALL athletes from a wide diversity of humanity compete for the love of the game is more tolerant and does more to foster human rights than these exclusionist out games.
Cheers,
P
PS and I say this as a fairly strong opponent to this government.
August 2nd, 2006 at 8:00 am
It is sad that the biggest GBLT event in the world is an athletics competition and not something everyone can take part in.
Secondly, it seems odd to me that the GBLT community wants ‘their own’ games. I would have thought that they’d prefer that sexual orientation didn’t matter.
August 2nd, 2006 at 8:05 am
“Is a group of people who boo a person off of stage simply because of his orientation really the most appropriate group to say who is and isn’t intolerant?”
I assume you mean “his orientation” as “he leans to the right on social issues”?
August 3rd, 2006 at 7:39 pm
This is easily the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard. The PM doesn’t show up to some minor sports event in Montreal and he’s intolerant? Jack Layton doesn’t show and he’s one of GLBT’s most enthusiastic bedfellows. Personally I’d prefer if PMs avoided such obvious public appearances and get back to work. Harper can go to the Gay/Lesbian/Bi/Transgendered games only if he wants and/or has the qualifying times.