By Tim Waggoner
OTTAWA, September 11, 2008 (LifeSiteNews.com) – A recent survey by Wilfrid Laurier University has found that Canada’s homosexual community strongly opposes the Conservative Party of Canada. While the conventional wisdom is that the reason for the strong anti-Conservative sentiments amongst homosexuals is the Conservative Party’s opposition to same-sex “marriage”, social conservatives have long charged that this “opposition” has been tepid, at best.
The National Post reported that the Laurier Institute for the Study of Public Opinion and Policy (LISPOP) found that 7.3 percent of homosexual men and 10.4 percent of homosexual women voted for the Conservatives in the 2006 federal election – stark numbers given that 40.7 percent and 32.4 percent of heterosexual men and women respectively supported the Conservatives.
LISPOP researcher and Laurier professor, Barry Kay, addressed these finding on Canada’s homosexual community, saying, “Clearly, they are anti-Conservative… The hostility there is dramatic … these are numbers that are worse than the NDP gets in much of the country.”
Out of the 36,000 respondents to the survey, 1,484 acknowledged that they were homosexuals. Most homosexual participants were students under the age of 35 living in major Canadian cities. Their support was strongest for the Liberals followed by the NDP at 35.8 percent and 33.3 percent respectively.
One speculation as to why most homosexuals oppose the Conservatives is because of the in-power party’s perceived past opposition to same-sex “marriage.” In 2006, a Conservative party motion was defeated in the House of Commons that sought to restore the traditional definition of marriage in Canada. However, conservative critics have charged that Harper knew the motion would fail and was only attempting to appease social conservative voters by appearing to oppose same-sex “marriage.”
“Even if it did pass – would have had no force of law,” said CTV’s Ottawa Bureau Chief Robert Fife at the time. “If Mr. Harper was serious about outlawing same-sex marriage, he would have put in a resolution to invoke the notwithstanding clause to override the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, and he wasn’t willing to pay that political price.”
Harper in the past appeared to support social conservatives by proclaiming the need to implement more protection for workers who do not wish to support homosexual activities. “The so-called protection that the government has offered for even basic religious freedom is, frankly, laughably inadequate,” said then Opposition Leader Harper on February 16, 2005. In the memorable speech in the House of Commons in response to the introduction of the same-sex ‘marriage’ Bill C-38, he added, “It is totally dishonest to suggest that it provides real protection.”
Yet, after his motion failed, Harper was asked if he saw the need for a defense of religions act, something which many religious Canadians were hoping for. Harper replied: “The government has no plans in that regard. As I just said, if there ever were a time in the future where fundamental freedoms were threatened, of course the government would respond to protect them. The government has no plans at this time.”
Since that time numerous human rights complaints have been filed against Canadians who have spoken out against homosexuality based upon their religious convictions. In one such case, late last year Christian pastor Steve Boissoin was found guilty of “hate speech” for writing a letter to the editor of the Red Deer Advocate expressing his disagreement with the homosexualist agenda. He has since been punished with heavy fines and with an order to apologize to the complainant in the case.