Western Pride NL is has filed a complaint with the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary alleging that The Newfoundland Herald has propagated hate against the LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bi-sexual, transgendered queer and/or questioning) community by publishing an article that speaks of the “evil homosexuals.”
They say the publication of the blog article “The Coming Christian Revolt,” from the fundamentalist Christian blog site Barbwire is a hate crime under the Criminal Code of Canada.
The article which only appeared in The Herald’s latest print edition can be found online at http://www.donotlink.com/framed?515521.
In an open letter to The Newfoundland Herald, representatives of Western Pride NL say the article was one that was entirely out of context.
They say it was an article addressing a debate plaguing U.S. popular politics concerning Christian rights vs. LGBTQ rights.
The article criticized the U.S. government administration for the crime of proposing equal rights to those with differing sexual orientations from the heterosexual mainstream.
Conversely, the group said, Canada is a country that values diversity and equality and has legislation in place to protect underrepresented social/cultural groups (such as the LGBTQ community).
Putting aside the “rampant homophobia and ignorance” of the article, the group questions why the Herald, a television guide, has published an article, one that fits the bill of hate speech, which is completely out of touch with the social, cultural and political contexts of this province and the country at large.
The group said the article “will cause harm” to LGBTQ people across the province.
