Opponents of equality for lesbians, gay men and bisexuals frequently complain that the courts are usurping the role of Parliament. It’s not the role of judges to make laws, they argue, but rather the responsibility of elected legislators.

So, how do these brave defenders of legislative prerogative react when they are actually presented with the opportunity to bring federal law into compliance with the Charter of Rights and Freedoms? By systematically undermining the legislation in committee hearings or on the floor of the House of Commons.

Some of the things they’re saying aren’t very pretty.

The most prominent of these ugly remarks were uttered just last week by Conservative MP Elsie Wayne.

“If they are going to live together, they can go live together and shut up about it. There is not any need for this nonsense whatsoever and we should not have to tolerate it in Canada,” seethed Wayne.

“Why do they have to be out there in the public always debating that they want to call it marriage? Why are they in parades? Why are they dressed up as women on floats? They do not see us getting up on the floats, for heaven’s sake, to say we are husband and wife. We do not do that. Why do they have to go around trying to get a whole lot of publicity?”

After the uproar that greeted her hateful comments (including mostly tepid criticism from within her own party), Wayne released a prepared statement indicating that “it was never my intention to offend anyone âe¦ I regret that some have been offended by my remarks, because this was certainly not my intention.”

Although Prime Minister Chr

picture-2299.jpg

Scott Piatkowski

Scott Piatkowski is a former columnist for rabble.ca. He wrote a weekly column for 13 years that appeared in the Waterloo Chronicle, the Woolwich Observer and ECHO Weekly. He has also written for Straight...