Thursday, March 18, 2010

Re: Conservative Gay rights: Don't Ask, Don't tell

Thank you for your email regarding Minister Kenney`s decision to remove
any references to gay history and gay rights in Canada from the latest
edition of the federal Citizenship Guide.

New Democrats are concerned about this total disregard of the
contributions of the gay community to Canadian history. We have called
for Minister Kenney to apologize for censoring the document and to
reverse his decision. Our Party`s statement on this matter can be found
at this link:
http://www.ndp.ca/press/dont-write-gay-community-out-canadian-history.

The New Democratic Party will continue to speak out against inequality.
We think Canada should take a leadership role in standing for human
rights both in Canada and abroad and call on all Canadians who believe
in social justice to add their voices to this effort. Together we can
demonstrate that the relationship between Canadians is one that should
be built on respect, dignity and fairness.

New Democrats remain steadfast in calling for the extension of the basic
rights that many Canadians take for granted including equal rights for
gays and lesbians. NDP MP Bill Siksay, in his role as our Party`s
spokesperson on Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transsexual and Transgender
Issues, remains a strong advocate for these communities.

Again, I appreciate hearing your perspective. I invite you to visit our
website at www.ndp.ca to read the latest about the New Democrats.

Sincerely,


Jack Layton, MP (Toronto-Danforth)
Leader, Canada's New Democrats

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