OTTAWA, July 18 (LSN.ca) - The Canadian contingent of the World March of Women has asked supporters of the World March to begin lobbying political leaders for, among other things, public funding for a lesbian lobby group. Interestingly, when the revamped demand list was mentioned recently by the National President of the Catholic Women’s League Sheila Pellerin, this particular initiative was absent.
The latest list of demands called, “It’s Time For Change! Women in Canada Call on the Federal Government” includes a list of “immediate demands - a feminist dozen.” The March organizers urge all supporters “to encourage women everywhere to take these demands and lobby their local Member of Parliament.” Under the demand to support women organizing for equality and democracy is the sub-demand “funding a national meeting of lesbians to discuss and prioritize areas for legislative and public policy reform.”
CWL President Pellerin mentioned this new demand list in a letter to CWL members in May. In her letter Pellerin quoted approvingly from the revamped demand list and said, “Notably missing from the condensed version of the demands is the call for free, public abortion services.” She failed however to mention the funding of the lesbian lobby as something that would be highly problematic for Catholic support. As well, the radical feminist National Action Committee on the status of women and the Canadian Abortion Rights Action League are still on the coordinating committee of the march.
See the March’s revamped demand list: http://www.canada.marchofwomen.org/en/index.html