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Quebec Issues New Policy Against Homophobia

By Howard M. Friedman

In Canada last Friday, Quebec's Minister of Justice released the first-ever Quebec Policy Against Homophobia. The new 40-page policy document follows up on a report issued in 2007 (background). Key principles set out in the new policy include elimination of discrimination and respect for the dignity and differences of sexual minority members. It calls for government to be a leader in this regard, and also points to "the responsibility and commitment of all institutional and social players, and of the general public, to combat homophobia." Xtra.ca says that the Justice Minister is expected to appoint a committee to implement the policy next month. LifeSite News, reporting on the new policy, quotes Georges Buscemi, president of Campaign Quebec-Vie, who is concerned about the potential impact of the new policy on religious freedom. He predicted:

They're going to try for the longest possible to just use social pressure and increasingly isolate the recalcitrant entities and institutions.... It's going to lead to ostracizing different churches that have doctrinal oppositions to homosexual behaviour.... [W]e won't see overt sanctions, overt punitive measures, for a while. But those will come eventually.

Full post as published by Religion Clause on December 16, 2009 (boomark / email).