Premier and Provincial Party Leaders Snub Gay Community

Egale Canada Forced to Cancel "Queering the Vote"

Toronto: The Ontario leaders’ debate on gay issues, originally scheduled for September 9th was cancelled yesterday because three of the four invited provincial party leaders refused to attend.

Premier Dalton McGuinty, Progressive Conservative leader John Tory and NDP leader Howard Hampton all turned down the invitation. Only Green Party leader Frank de Jong accepted.

The debate, "Queering The Vote" was organized by queer lobby group Egale Canada with a coalition of almost forty leading LGBT organizations from across Ontario.

"I’m extremely disappointed," says Egale Canada executive director Helen Kennedy, "each has known about the debate since early July, so scheduling is not the issue. We weren’t given any concrete reasons."

The debate was organized as an opportunity for Ontario’s political leaders to discuss LGBT issues and for the community to hear each party’s platform leading up to the vote in October.

"While each make great proclamations of support for our community, when it comes down to it they refuse to give us two hours of their time to discuss serious issues," said Kennedy. "Premier McGuinty has lots of time to attend the opening of a furniture store in Kitchener but little time to talk to the gay community about homophobia and bullying in our schools and the inclusion of gender identity in the Ontario Human Rights Code."

Kennedy says Egale Canada still plans to host a candidates’ debate in the riding of Ottawa Centre and a federal leaders’ debate in the run-up to the next general election.

Egale Canada advances equality and justice for lesbian, gay, bi-sexual and trans-identified people and their families across Canada.

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For more information:
Helen Kennedy, 416-642-5027 / 416-270-1999 cell

Egale Canada ©2011

Égale Canada est l'organisme national de défense des droits des personnes LGBT, voué à la promotion de l'égalité, de la diversité, de l'éducation et de la justice.