June 1 st , 2005
National Day Against Homophobia
The
Right Honourable Pierre Elliott Trudeau
receives, posthumously, the Fight Against Homophobia Award
Montréal, June 1 st , 2005 – The first Wednesday in June brings us back to a Québec initiative, the National Day Against Homophobia . For the first time this year, this event is being held all across Canada .
A Campaign Committed to the Family
The family was chosen as the theme for the third edition of the National Day Against Homophobia . This year ' s promotional campaign utilises the face of a beautiful, blue-eyed baby below whose image is written Presumed Heterosexual . The goal of the campaign is to make people aware that when they presume a child is heterosexual, they are making a mistake one in every ten times. There will come a day in a person ' s life when they discover that they ' re gay or lesbian; this is the time they need support from their family. If the family is the primary setting for a child ' s socialisation, then it will, all too often, also be the first place in which a child will be forced to deal with displays of homophobia. Mr. McCutcheon also points out that “ A family that has accepted gay and lesbian realities can only come out on top, whether it ' s for the sake of gay and lesbian parents, the parents of gay and lesbian children, families with same-sex parents and, first and foremost, children. All family members will feel they ' ve grown. ”
Fight Against Homophobia Award
For the third edition of the National Day Against Homophobia , Fondation Éme rgence presented the 2005 Fight Against Homophobia Award, posthumously, to the former Prime Minister of Canada, the Right Honourable Pierre Elliott Trudeau. By presenting him with this award, Fondation Émergence sought to highlight this politician ' s exceptional contribution to the advancement of gay and lesbian rights in Canada . We can recall two great moments in history that were decisive in the progress of gay and lesbian rights: in 1969, the repeal of clauses pertaining to the criminalization of sexual acts between persons of the same sex from the Canadian Criminal Code and, in 1982, the inclusion of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms within the Canadian Constitution during its repatriation. “ Pierre Elliott Trudeau was the head engineer of these fundamental changes and, in this sense, his contribution to the advancement of gay and lesbian rights was major, undoubtedly being the most important Canadian contribution on such a level. ” states Mr. Laurent McCutcheon, President of Fondation Émergence.
Schools: 10 Minutes at 10 O ' clock Against Homophobia
At exactly ten o ' clock , participating classes will break for 10 minutes so as to have youth reflect on the issue of homophobia. Teachers who wish to do so can organise an activity through a reading or by using a “ letter to Mom and Dad. ” The suggested letter is from a young adult to his parents and is written specifically for the occasion by the well-known author and playwright Michel Marc Bouchard. This letter can be read either by the teacher or by a student so as to stimulate in-class dialogue. Others may choose to use another text, such as the letter from Michaël, a young gay man who writes to his parents. Mr. Laurent McCutcheon, President of Fondation Émergence, points out that the goals of this activity are to cultivate open-mindedness toward the diversity and values of our society in addition to encouraging society ' s inclusion of gay men and lesbians. This activity has been organised in conjunction with the contest by the Commission scolaire de Montréal (CSDM) and the Centrale des syndicats du Québec (CSQ).
Léger Marketing Survey on Gay and Lesbian Realities
A
Léger Marketing survey carried out for Fondation Émergence,
for the National Day Against Homophobia , reveals that 49 %
of Canadian men and women believe that homosexuality is an “
abnormal
condition. ” “
It
' s
a sad statement ,
”
says Fondation Émergence President, Mr. Laurent McCutcheon, “
a
statement that may explain why homophobia is still around despite remarkable
gains over the past few years. ”
Furthermore,
66 % of respondents stated that they were, in spite of everything,
comfortable with homosexuality. The debate on same-sex marriage has
stirred up reactions from all sides. The survey conducted for Fondation
Émergence makes it possible to confirm Canadians '
acceptance
level of such a wedding within their family. Consequently, we discover
that more than one third of respondents, that is
35 %, claim to be against the union of an immediate member of their
family with a person of the same sex, whereas 28 % of respondents
would decline to attend a same-sex couple '
s wedding
if they were invited. Mr. McCutcheon states that “
Though
the survey demonstrates that homophobia still exists, it is nonetheless
reassuring to see that 24 %, of Canadians believe that their perception
of homosexuality has improved over the last five years
. ”
Conclusion
For this year ' s Day , Fondation Émergence will be holding a certain number of activities as will groups from various milieus, who have also set up their own initiatives. In addition, the National Day Against Homophobia has received support from close to 200 organisations, associations, professional organisations, political parties and government organisations, such as the Conseil de la famille et de l ' enfance. As for the Québec National Assembly, it is slated to pass a resolution of support.
As
a final point, this event has been made possible thanks to the cooperation
of the Canadian Rainbow Health Coalition (CRHC), Gai Écoute,
the Québec Government, Canadian Heritage, Department of Justice
Canada, the Borough of Ville-Marie (Ville de Montréal), the City
of Montréal Police Department (SPVM), the Centrale des syndicats
du Québec (CSQ) and the Commission scolaire de Montréal
(CSDM).
Plus, to top things off, Fondation Émergence is already expecting to see the public at the 2006 National Day Against Homophobia , which will be taking place under the themes of both the workplace and the sports world.
This press release and those concerning the survey, the Fight Against Homophobia Award, as well as the activity 10 Minutes at 10 O ' clock Against Homophobia , are available online at www.homophobiaday.com.
– 30 –
Information:
Gens
Hellquist, Canadian Rainbow Health Coalition
306-955-5130 or Toll-free 1-800-955-5129, ext. 6, gens@rainbowhealth.ca
For Québec medias: Richard Rancourt, Fondation Émergence
514-866-6788, cell.: 514-705-2050