Ottawa police promote screening of Gladstone's anti-QuAIA doc
NEWS / Liaison committee in hot water over listserv
Noreen Fagan / National / Friday, October 29, 2010
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The Police Liaison Committee to the queer community sent a press release promoting the documentary film Reclaiming our Pride by Martin Gladstone on Oct 29. The move was rapidly denounced by queer leaders.

The film covers the participation of Queers Against Israeli Apartheid (QuAIA) in Toronto’s 2009 Pride parade. The film was denounced by queer organizations in Toronto and Ottawa after it was used in a failed campaign to oust QuAIA from the Toronto Pride parade this spring.

The liaison’s listserv activity echoes the release of a statement in May in which a gay man was labelled a “sexual predator” for failing to disclose his HIV status before having sex.

Jeremy Dias, executive director of Jer’s Vision, has been outspoken on the latest faux pas of the committee.

“For them to promote... this film, it’s not just offensive and insulting and embarrassing, but it is really a clear indication that this police service has no idea about the community they are working in,” says Dias.

Dias says that the Ottawa Police Service is a public institution, and if they had done some research before sending the event to the mailing list they would have understood the controversy surrounding the film.

Tim McCaskell, spokesperson for QuAIA echoes Dias’s sentiments.

“If rightwing people want to organize a film festival, that is their right, but my objection would be that the liaison committee to the Ottawa Police is a public institution and they shouldn’t be promoting that kind of political agenda,” says McCaskell.

Staff Sergeant Mederios, co-chair of the Police Liaison Committee, said that the normal procedure for posting information on their website is that requests are sent to the administrator, Joyce Druin, who then posts the information on the website.

Mederios says the committee has not endorsed the event, but admits that administrative procedures should be reviewed.

“I don’t have the background information on it as you [Xtra] do. If it is something that is going to upset the community, then maybe we create some sort of a screening thing that when things involve hate, or are contrary to our philosophy in terms of our organization and in terms of our mandate as a committee, then we cannot be supportive of that or we can’t be posting these kinds of things,” says Mederios.

Dias is more critical of the committee members and their handling of the mailing list. Dias says that the same thing happened in May where the press release with the words “sexual predator” was forwarded to Druin who immediately posted it to the website.

“They claim to be one of the oldest queer organizations in our community. They claim to have an in-depth knowledge of who we are, and yet the mechanism to promote stuff on the mailing list is — you send it to them and they put it up,” says Dias.

Dias also feels that this is just one more example of the inadequacies of the liaison committee.

“At the end of the day, the goal of the liaison committee is to allow or to encourage a space for critical thinking, critical dialogue and solution finding. That is not happening and it hasn’t happened for a while,” says Dias.

Both Dias and McCaskell feel that the Police Liaison Committee should issue an apology and a statement saying that the committee has not endorsed the film.
 



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Reader Comments


 
Dias and Xtra, the New Censorship board?
This self made quasi documentary/ film is one persons view. We are not drones. "we" get that. What I don't get is why is it that Mr. Dias and (yawn) Xtra feel they need to dictate to me/police/liaison committee what is and isn't hate and what should and should not be filtered to the community. um, THAT is in itself censorship. I love you Jeremy and the ongoing work you do. You/Xtra do not represent the community. You don't talk for us all. The community is split on supporting the QuAIA activity of Pride 2009 and banning any signage that promotes hate. Some of the signnage can be interpreted as hate. Again, a personal issue. I see Pride as celebratory, yes with political beginning. The Isreali/Palestine issue is not mine. I love my Jewish and Muslim brothers and sisters. Don't insult us by telling us what we can and can't watch. There is a fine line between freedom of speech and encroaching the rights of others.Two sides to every story. Mind you, sigh, tired of only one side presented by Xtra. I will be going to see this film. If I feel it is about hate, I will be the first to say so, and the first to lobby the film to be banned from being shown again. Thing is, this film has the support of the Museum of Tolerance...and finally, allow us the dignity to make up our own minds will you, and stop dictating/censoring our own network of information. Don't like the emails from OPS, then take your name off the list.
sylvia martinL, Ottawa ontario
10/30/10 8:19 PM EST
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Museum of Tolerance? ha.
That the film is endorsed by the museum of tolerance is not surprising, as it paints people expressing a legal, legitimate viewpoint that runs counter to Israeli right wing propaganda as hateful monsters. It has been shown that the imagery in this "documentary" has been doctored for the purpose of fear mongering - its very purpose is to stifle legitimate (not hate) speech from a parade that celebrates free speech at its very core. For an organization like the OPS to promote the film is simply a stupid maneuver. Sylvia claims to be anti censorship, which is ironic, since this movie actively advocates censoring legitimate and completely legal speech.
Dan, Toronto ON
10/30/10 9:20 PM EST
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Sylvia: Has it wrong
To censor "to examine in order to suppress or delete anything considered objectionable". Nobody cited in the article is, as far as I know, in a position to carry out such examination and suppression. They are merely raising concerns. Further, it's not simply that content is "objectionable." It's fabricated; concrete verifiable details -- we're not talking abstract arguments -- are fabricated for malicious and political reasons. That's propaganda, pure and simple, and it needs to be called out and shunned. Naming it is not censorship; it's simply naming it.
Rick Telfer, London Ontario
10/30/10 10:43 PM EST
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QuAIA cersorship police comment above
Most people who do understand politics and even history do understand that conservatives and liberals are different in every society they are different in Israel, Canada, Europe, and the United States. First can anyone even prove that the Israeli government made the film? No. I believe the film was made by a certain Toronto Area Lawyer. Rick,propaganda is something that you seem to be good at such how you seem to twist everything and most of the propaganda you and your trolls have come out with are usually at least half truths and twist the rest of it into your propaganda. No Rick I do not work for the Israeli government(as you have said nor a evil Zionist, or the other cyber-bullying tricks you use to stop people who don't agree with you SO DON'T EVEN BOTHER USING IT) and I think a trip to the Museum of Tolerance might do you a lot of good since you and the trolls have alienated ethic group and call it Human Rights.(Wow talk about Germany 1939-45 or old Soviet Union used the same cards) Propaganda might help you in the short run but I believe people will start seeing your little group for what it is and yes your using a page right out of a certain book that says a certain ethic groups secretly controls the world.(what a guess?) Also censorship is something the QuAIA like to do too let us remember the Gaza Strip Club or even how they send their trolls to attack anyone and try to silence them even on comment forums and I could give a link on the script they are told to say does it come from a certain blog? What has happened here is discrimination but it was twisted in with the word censorship. Sad how somethings can repeat itself I think the trolls might attack this position. But I say good for Ottawa Police
Peter From, Toronto ON
10/31/10 3:17 AM EST
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I think Xtra has to come out of the closet
They are clearly in bed with the QuAIA and seem to care more about representing their interests then the community at large and are no longer the community's paper but the QuAIA paper
James, Toronto ON
10/31/10 3:45 AM EST
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re: Peter From
Yes Peter we all know your ridiculous definitions of censorship, to you disagreeing with you is censorship as is protesting something also censorship, you do your side of the debate no favours by making up your own definition of common words. As you know as well QuAIA protested the Gaza Strip Club and handed out flyers at its doors, they made no effort to get them shut down though, they were just there to get their side of the issue out there, that's hardly censorship by any definition except yours. The problem with the video is that its full of lies, manipulations and distortions and is nothing but a smear campaign against a group they disagree with in an effort to dictate what people can say or hear at Pride. One of the most outlandish lies is the claim in the video that someone from QuAIA marched wearing a swastika on their t-short when in reality it was very clearly a crossed out out swastika, as in how a no smoking sign has a crossed out cigarette, so clearly the meaning of the symbol was an anti-nazi/fascist one and not one in support of neo-nazis like the video claims, besides the guy wasn't even a member of QuAIA, they have no idea who he was. The video also show demonstrations from other countries and cities that have nothing at all to do with QuAIA and tries to make it seem that they are in fact QuAIA demonstrations. There are other "problems" with the video as well. The thing is if you know QuAIA you know they're lieing about them in the video but if you don't then the video might seem realistic and a honest depiction of QuAIA which it most definitely is not. It would have been a very different and less problematic video if it had presented QuAIA realistically and then laid out its disagreements with them and tried to show how QuAIA was wrong in their view, but the video doesn't do that, it presents a smear job parody of QuAIA that isn't even close to an accurate portrayal of them. The video pretends to be a documentary but its pure fiction in r
Rich, Toronto Ontario
10/31/10 1:46 PM EST
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The QuAIA Sucks
QuAIA sucks!!!! These stupid kids need to get a fucking life!!! This must be what happens when GLBT people become to accepted in larger society. There's nothing left to protest so these posers make up a stupid bullshit group that has nothing to do with GLBT issues AT ALL and march around pride, pretending that GLBT's every where actually give a fuck and support this crap. Here's a message to all of the ''queer'' first year poly-sci students ''proudly'' marching for the QuAIA. Finish your degrees and get a fucking job, pay some taxes, get married and buy some property, like most other GLBT people these days.
Blah, Barrie Ontario
10/31/10 2:15 PM EST
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Rich
another of QuAIA censorship police you do this many times and not just to me. Your just a waste of my time when you can't even see what you are doing and yes sweetie what you do is censorship since you seem to attack anyone that is not in line with the QuAIA.
Peter From, Toronto ON
10/31/10 2:19 PM EST
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Whatevs
Firstly, there is no such thing as a "queer leader," there's only a coterie of self-appointed busybodies who have nothing better to do. I hate to be all "not in my name" about it, but seriously, this is ridiculous. Nobody ever voted for these people. Secondly, don't you love it how the entitlement of free speech is only for those who fall in line with Xtra's bizarre political views?! Hypocrisy at its finest.
William, Montreal QC
10/31/10 3:42 PM EST
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Peter: All fury, no evidence
Reminds me of this: http://goo.gl/Nncf
Rick, London Ontario
10/31/10 5:49 PM EST
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@ Rick came out he a troll
read your link again sweetie you fall under it since you do what it says but at least you have finally admitting to it and your bullying tactics are just so amazing well I guess you are the Master troll. So Rick answer the Question was this film made by the Israeli Government? or a Toronto Area Lawyer.I just wonder because the QuAIA story seems to change . Since you can never prove anything you say with evidence then you are a troll sweetie.
Peter From, Toronto ON
10/31/10 6:22 PM EST
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Calling out lies and smear campaigns...
...is not censorship. As Rick said, you do your side no service by engaging in these kinds of tactics. It is more than obvious to the broader community paying attention to these things that the OPS/Police Advisory Committee is exceeding its mandate in promoting a very dodgy film that is really a libelous smear campaign. It seems that Staff Sgt. Mederios has entirely missed the point, when saying: "I don’t have the background information on it as you [Xtra] do. If it is something that is going to upset the community, then maybe we create some sort of a screening... thing that when things involve hate, or are contrary to our philosophy in terms of our organization and in terms of our mandate as a committee, then we cannot be supportive of that or we can’t be posting these kinds of things". The issue isn't so much "hate" (although fake allegations of hate speech are a serious matter for those genuinely concerned with anti-racism, which Gladstone and some of the commentators here clearly aren't) but active, politically-motivated disinformation smearing groups in the community. You don't have to look too far to see examples of what I'm talking about: look at this thread. Where exactly did anyone in this thread say that this film was created by the Israeli government? And what's up with the offensive reductio ad Nazi trope of Peter from Toronto? This kind of thing is pathetic and shameful, and denigrates the memory of those who died in the Holocaust. However, no tactic in the anti-QuAIA camp seems to be beyond using, proving that they can't handle rational argument and principled position-taking.
John, Ottawa ON
11/01/10 1:12 PM EST
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Public Institutions Can't Promote Political Agend
The bottom line is that the Ottawa Police Serivce is a Public institution and should not be promoting a politcal agenda. Period.
J Roman, Toronto ON
11/01/10 2:05 PM EST
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Wrong again
The problem with the apriorism is not fundamentally decided upon the correctness of the release. Moreover, it is an issue of the Police Liaison Committee's ineptitude in understanding its community. The point is not if they are for or against the film, but the slightest inkling of common sense, which does not appear to be that common, would tell them not to wade into the issue at all. What is worst is the whole committee, some whom have posted above, are puppets for the police. They represent the views of the police to my community and not the other way around as was intended. The board is so incompetent, obtuse and futile that it needs to be completely disbanded and overhauled or risk sinking further into irrelevance.
Elliott Youden, Ottawa Ontario
11/01/10 2:28 PM EST
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Astounding Ignorance
"... public institution ... should not be promoting a political agenda." Wow, that statement demonstrates fundamental ignorance of how our government works. Civil servants act and promote policy agendas as set out by elected officials. Elliott's comment is probably closer to the mark, but even then, it could be argued that it is probably a useful community exercise to demonstrate how a peaceful celebration can be hijacked by a bunch of hateful American yobs.
William, Montreal QC
11/01/10 7:12 PM EST
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In case you are not sure what this is about
Check out this clip on YouTube -- perhaps this will help you better understand what this issue is about. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hQjqOh320VA&feature=related
Bruce, Ottawa ON
11/01/10 7:48 PM EST
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See also
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bt4ZTuyBtyE&feature=related
John, Ottawa ON
11/02/10 3:16 AM EST
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See also
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bt4ZTuyBtyE&feature=related
John, Ottawa ON
11/02/10 8:40 AM EST
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