It's the one question Andrew Scheer would rather run away from than answer. For he knows that if Canadians ever learn the truth very few of them would vote for him. But his dark secret will not go away. And Michael Coren is the latest to ask this burning question.
Ever since he became the leader of the Cons, Andrew Scheer has been very careful to conceal his extreme religious views. He won the leadership with the support of social conservatives, but deleted his platform minutes after he was elected. And although does send out an occasional dog whistle to his rabid religious base, he has been able to conceal his own extremist past. Like the angry way he reacted when Dr Henry Morgentaler was awarded the Order of Canada. Or how he began his political career working in the office of one of the ugliest religious bigots this country has ever known...
A Missouri-born Baptist preacher and Canadian Alliance MP named Larry Spencer, who believed that gay people should be arrested and jailed. In late November 2003, Spencer caused controversy in Canada by Vancouver Sun reporter Peter O'Neil when he said that he would support any initiative to outlaw homosexuality. He stated that in the 1960s, a "well-orchestrated" conspiracy began and led to recent successes in the gay rights movement. This conspiracy, he further said, included seducing and recruiting young boys in playgrounds and locker rooms, and deliberately infiltrating North America's schools, judiciaries, entertainment industries, and religious communities. According to him, this conspiracy started with a speech given by a U.S. gay rights activist in the 1960s whose name he could not remember. Spencer was eventually fired as Canadian Alliance Family Issues critic by Stephen Harper. He left politics and went back to preaching, forgot that apology, and started portraying himself as a victim of religious persecution. In the manner LGBT people know only too well...
But as for Andrew Scheer, he never apologized for having worked so cheerfully for such a ghastly bigot.
On the contrary, as Neil Macdonald points out, not only is his anti-gay record abominable.
He voted against a law normalizing same-sex marriage, arguing in the Commons that "homosexual unions" are antithetical to raising families.
Not only he did he refuse to extend hate crime protection for transgender Canadians, one of the country's most brutalized minorities.
He even defended another religious bigot who called for outlawing, and presumably jailing LGBT Canadians.
He also defended Alberta Bishop Fred Henry, who told parishioners in a 2005 letter that gay sex is "an evil act, whether it is performed in public or private" adding that:
"Since homosexuality, adultery, prostitution and pornography undermine the foundations of the family, the basis of society, then the state must use its coercive power to proscribe or curtail them in the interests of the common good." Henry faced complaints to the province's human rights commission. That angered Scheer, who maintained Henry was merely instructing the faithful.
"To think that a Catholic bishop must answer to a civil authority over matters of faith is abominable. It is abhorrent to me, to other Catholics and to every member of every faith community," he said. A person who has met Scheer many times, tells me that his hatred for gays is palpable, and horrifying to behold. And for those who think that there is nothing Scheer can do to hurt gay Canadians, they obviously haven't been watching what has been happening in Trump's America. Social conservatives in the United States have used all sorts of creative schemes to impose their views on populations in states where they hold sway. You often don't need legislation to get your way. A little de-funding here, a little creative regulatory tweaking there, and you can accomplish what you want without big, loud, bothersome House of Commons debates. So here's my question: When Scheer tells his religious base that they should not be afraid, because he will protect them. What I want to know is who will protect women, gay people, Muslims and others from his Christianist fanatics? And when will Canadians finally realize who Scheer really is?
And what he might do to this country and its values, if he ever becomes Prime Minister.
Uh oh. Just when I thought I'd seen and heard the last from the wacky Bishop of Calgary Fred Henry...he's back in the news. And as wacky as ever. Three years ago he was making a bigot monkey out of himself suggesting that gay people should be arrested. "Since homosexuality, adultery, prostitution and pornography undermine the foundations of the family, the basis of society, then the State must use its coercive power to proscribe or curtail them in the interests of the common good." Now he's making people with AIDS pay for his crazy war on rubbers. Gawd. I hate having to criticize religious extremists all the time. Because just thinking about the shite that comes out of their pieholes makes me want to vomit. But what ever happened to good old fashioned morality? You know loving your brother and your sister. And trying to prevent them from getting sick. Oh well....I guess loony Freddy knows which side his holy cracker is buttered on. So all I can do is give him my Simon salute. Press the wingnut emergency button. To warn people he's BAAAACK !!!!
And dream of the day when all these inhuman religious fanatics can be bagged...preferably with a giant rubber. Like these other wiggly things...
Wouldn't THAT be a lovely feeling? Good for the Catholic teachers for helping the poor women and children of Africa who are living with HIV/AIDS. But as for the nasty bigot Bishop, he should be ASHAMED...
