Egale requests censorship
DARING TOGETHER / Organization needs to get a grip on queer history
Gareth Kirkby / National / Wednesday, April 02, 2008
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You'd better sit down for this one.

The latest from Egale Canada: a letter to the president and CEO of Canada Post. Asking them to censor the mails.

Yes, to censor.

The group that claims it's Canada's national legal organization acting on behalf of gays and lesbians (and bisexuals, trans, and two-spirited) is now requesting that the Canadian government censor.

Ignoring 30-plus years of Canadian gay activism against government intrusion into our sex lives, Egale has asked for a meeting with Canada Post to discuss the use of the mail by record companies and bookstores to distribute dancehall music. Egale is trying to snuff out the opportunities for Jamaican artists like Elephant Man, Buju Banton and Sizzla to distribute their work. Their lyrics often speak of killing gays and, according to Egale, promote hatred based on a person's sexual orientation.

Canada's national group is spending a lot of its energy these days working to help Jamaican gays and lesbians. They claim a direct link between song lyrics and the high rate of violence against the sunny island's queers.

Personally, I'm pretty skeptical of the suggestion that people kill gays because of a song. And I'm pretty skeptical about Egale's making this a priority — isn't that for international gay and lesbian organizations with a specific mission to do this kind of work, like the International Lesbian and Gay Association (ILGA)?

Seems like Egale has been spinning its wheels since the attainment of same-sex marriage rights. They're all over the map since moving headquarters from Ottawa to Toronto and hiring Helen Kennedy as executive director. In the Ontario election, they stepped on the toes of the Coalition for Lesbian and Gay Rights in Ontario (CLGRO), a group that, frankly, has a history of far more competence at the provincial level than Egale. (It also bears noting that while Egale was dealing with marriage equality, and afraid of taking on sexual freedom and equality issues, CLGRO brilliantly stepped into the breach to oppose first Paul Martin's Bill C-2 and then Stephen Harper's Bill C-22.)

Egale has also taken on issues of school safety and curriculum. At first blush, that's great stuff. On closer examination, it seems that progress on the school front is more likely to be accomplished through activism at the local and provincial level.

So, they're flailing. Revenues have plummeted since marriage equality was won. Interest in the organization has waned. Its reputation has been seriously battered by internecine warfare and board politics.

And then Elephant Man's visit to Canada last fall breathed new purpose into Egale: they could fight to censor lyrics and on behalf of Jamaica's gays and lesbians. And they've run a classic fear-based campaign ever since. Beware the music bogey-man. Be very afraid. Drive him out of Canada. Try to stop his record sales. Threaten the Jamaican government with a tourism boycott. Threaten HMV Canada, Archambault Musique and Amazon.ca for daring to sell dancehall music. And now, ask Canada Post to censor.

For the sake of argument, let's accept that lyrics cause violence in Jamaica. It's fair, then, to use economic sanctions and censuring (not censoring) of artists and record companies that promote the violence. Target their wallets.

But don't call for censorship by the Jamaican government. And how could anyone who knows our own history call for censorship by the Canadian government?

In trying to help beleagured Jamaican gays, Egale is doing something hateful to Canadian gays.

For decades, Canadian gays and lesbians were harassed for distributing our information and our gay magazines and newspapers by mail (and let's not forget the other censoring arm of the government, Canada Customs, and their targeting of our community).

Perhaps best known are the charges against Pink Triangle Press, publishers of The Body Politic (and also of this publication) in 1978 under Section 164 of the Criminal Code — "use of the mails for purpose of transmitting anything that is indecent, immoral or scurrilous." Police objected to a journalistic piece exploring intergenerational sex and used Section 164 for charges because The Body Politic mailed the magazine to its subscribers (PTP won at court).

More recently, Canada Post refused to deliver the election pamphlet of BC's Sex Party in the 2006 federal election. The legitimate, registered political party wants to amend anti-sex laws, such as those used against gays and lesbians, leather aficionados and SM practitioners. The court ruled Jan 15 that Canada Post did not have legal authority to refuse to delivery the pamphlets.

Egale's dragging Canada Post into their music campaign is so wrong-headed it's hard to know where to start. I'd suggest all those gays and lesbians who object to government censorship and to regulation of our rights to sexual freedom, think twice about giving this organization another penny until they get a grip on queer history.


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Reader Comments


 
On a note of clarity....
It is interesting that censorship is now been used against Egale for its campaign against violent homophobic lyrics. As well it is even more interesting that this author who perhaps has never been to Jamaica, barely understands dancehall music( which is quite different from the wider genre of reggae) most likely has no idea how dancehall music has violently repressed LGBT people in Jamaica and wider Caribbean. Censorship is not about limiting the expressions of these artiste it is however sending a message that their is violent, offensive and is not accpeted or tolerated by LGBT people not only in Jamaica where many dont have the opportunity to register their views but also with the solidarity of other gay people in cultures that is more accpeting of LGBT rights . The absence of LGBT rights based cultures have limited the effectiveness of these campaign in Jamaica and eslewhere in the Caribbean while in other places such as Canada and the UK the visibility of these campaigns have been useful for gay people in the region. It would seem the author is more concerned with the operations of Egale rather than this campaign and the work it is doing. While this may be his main motivation for the article, one must be careful about speaking on other issues of LGBT rights especially in light of his attempt to address Jamaica. This is quite sad, as once again it demonstrates ethnocentric thinkings to the LGBT issues of other peoples that are not Canadians.
Alexander, Kingston, Jamaica n/a
04/03/08 10:00 AM EST
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An issue of equal rights
Gay people, like others, have the right to protection from hatred and incitement or promotion of violence, murder, or genocide, here in Canada. Acts of hatred, violence or murder, against a targeted group do not suddenly happen without the corresponding social atmosphere to provide the motivation. This music, in part, can contribute to brutalizing the atmosphere. True, it's not solely responsible, not the whole picture, but I reject that it's benign. Wrongful government decisions in the past, as proven in court, against the gay community or others, do not mean government action is always wrong. These are disparate issues discussed in the article. Each has its own arguments. I can't think of how this promotion of violence and murder of gay people in songs or anywhere else, helps or is neutral of gay people's place in society, and not having this specifically threatens us. Egale is not "hateful" towards gays because of anti-gay gov't decisions in the past or possible ones in the future, when Egale did not support the gov't position. If one is arguing idealogically against any attempt by gov't to interfere or censor, because it's bad for everyone, that's another matter, but doesn't make Egale "hateful" of gays. This present request from Egale would represent the government treating us with the equality and basic respect that every Canadian is entitled to, as I see it, and said in my opening.
Clint Babula, Thunder Bay Ontario
04/07/08 3:28 AM EST
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Can't fight fire with fire.
Many international observers and commentators don't seem to understand the intricacies of the Jamaican experience. Dancehall stars in Jamaica are granted almost god-like status. They support a lot of people financially. Any action against them will bring more more wrath from their supporters who are largely the poorer demographic. Even if these gay organizations are successful in killing the career of one or two of the genres big stars, these records will still be produced in Jamaica. Jamaica produces the most records per capita any where in the world and the next potential Buju and Beenie are lined up outside the studio gates ready and waiting to do their gay bashing song. These songs get frequent play on sound systems and ghetto people love them. The attitudes of middle class and upper class Jamaicans might be influenced by internationa sanctions but as long as there are so many poor and uneducated Jamaicans the problem of gay bashing will persist and get more intense if the attack against their heroes continue.
Roger Kerr, Ocho Rios ST. Ann
04/07/08 5:05 PM EST
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Dangerous precedent
I think the first couple posters failed to understand the point of this article. Anyone who has read anything about LGBT history in Canada knows that censorship laws, no matter how well-intentioned, will be used primarily against our community. The push for strict anti-porn laws in Canada in the 1980s from feminists were definitely well-intentioned, and activists thought that stronger laws would attack the root of misogynistic sexual violence. But inevitably the government used these same laws to almost exclusively target queer porn - even lesbian porn! Kirkby has a point - if you want to target these artists, do it through a boycott of their music and concerts. Don't encourage the government to get into the business of censorship!
Natasha, Toronto Ontario
04/07/08 10:17 PM EST
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Censorship is a red herring
I support Canada's laws that suppress the inciting of hatred against others. As a woman, I know from experience that the climate that a person exists in has a huge impact on the peer pressure that permits violence or forbids it. Many of us know from experience that if popular culture permits hatred, it becomes a lot harder to challenge it and stick up for oneself or others. It makes sense, given that Xtra's main advertizers are the pornography industry that censorship is a big issue for you. However, not having people promote that it's okay to kill us is a big issue for many women and queers. It is naive and out of touch to believe that expressions of hatred and encitement to violence don't have real effects against real people. This goes for violence against queer people and against women. If you haven't experienced how peer pressure can facilitate or ban real violence, you have no clue.
Sophia, Vancouver BC
04/09/08 6:47 PM EST
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Dangerous Precedent and EGALE's Failures
I have to agree wholeheartedly with the position taken by # 4 above. The fight against censorship has been a hard-fought one, and continues to be fought today. (Bill C-10 anyone?) Given our progress on this issue, the last thing that those who profess to be our advocates ought to be doing is requesting that the government get back into the censorship game. While it is important to prevent speech which incites hatred or violence, such speech is already prohibited by law under hate speech provisions, and does not require the passage of new laws or policies. What is being requested by EGALE here is rather a practice of censorship of literature which does not violate these laws, but which relates to organizations which we dislike. The lyrics of the music are hateful, violent, and violate laws around hate speech. This is a reason to ban their play on public airwaves, or their printing in public press, but NOT to ban the discussion of certain types of music. To expand the limits of hate speech and create a precedent for censorship is to create a slippery slope. As the author notes, however, in recent years EGALE has made a practice of haphazard decisions - decisions which more often than not are designed to raise the profile of EGALE, rather than aid those it purports to represent. An example to add to those above can be found in the conspicuous absence of EGALE at the Ottawa rally at which queer groups from 8 Universities and 2 provinces came together with MPs from a number of parties to call for an end to bans on gay organ donation. EGALE, though professing support for the cause, has been careful to avoid any form of public stand which might challenge their overly cozy relationship with Canadian Blood Services (they recently signed off on consultations which effectively endorsed the ban on gay blood donation), or with the Conservative-run Health Canada. Now we see them arguing for censorship. One could be forgiven for wondering where the CPC ends and EGALE begins.
Craig, London Ontario
04/15/08 11:24 PM EST
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No To Censorship!
As much as we queers may find the lyrics of these Jamaican musicians offensive, we should not go down the slippery slope of censorship. This is so important, especially since we have had to fight so much to stop censorship from various government agencies against homosexual materials in Canada. Once you censor even one title, you make it OK for others to censor anything else for whatever reason. I am sure that the religious right would quote EGALE on this in future calls for censorship on "moral" grounds. ** They should have the right to publish their awful music, and we have the right to expose and condemn them and encourage society to boycott their products. CENSORSHIP IS TOTALLY THE WRONG WAY!**
Prodan @ Glad Day Bookshop, Toronto Ont
04/16/08 11:58 AM EST
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Agreed
No matter how odious the murder music is, this community should never ask the government, and this government in particular, to engage in censorship. Censorship is already alive and well in this country and should always be protested, not supported. I had to think about this for a while because I am not convinced people are not being hurt by this music. I am convinced, however, that censorship can not be imposed selectively. It's all or nothing. Egale should be careful what it asks for.
Peter Bochove, Toronto Ontario
04/16/08 1:51 PM EST
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WE queers? THESE Jamaicans??
Um, hey # 7, although i agree with you EGALE has missed the boat on this entirely, I gotta say your comments and references to Jamaican people and culture are ill-chosen at best if not redneck ig'nant. Ya might want to retract/revise your comments as you otherwise come off as the representative/Grand Wizard of the Glad Day Book-learnin' Shack!"As much as "WE" queers may find the lyrics of "THESE" Jamaican musicians offensive... "They have the right to to publish their awful music.." etc. Let's not be hypocrites + let's keep it REAL: It's a few isolated artists within a culturally significant and wonderful genre of music, and if EGALE wants to play numbers, the MURDERS, KILLINGS and HATE CRIMES against women + children in ANY region far out numbers violence against gays EVERYWHERE, including this country. EGALE's stupid, approach might have been taken seriously if they had bothered to involve/consult the dancehall community in the first place. Instead they comes off as a bunch of arrogant, racist colonizers having the audacity to criticize an independent Caribbean nation. Canada's self-appointed gay leaders need to clean up their own glass houses before throwing temper tantrums.
JORIAL (John Richard Allan), Toronto Ontario
04/16/08 5:37 PM EST
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Finally, EGALE exposed
Thank you Gareth, Finally someone writes an objective article about this whole issue about Jamaican gays and the malicious smear campaign EGALE and Mr Akim Larcher have been running against Jamaica. Canadians have now seen that EGALE is an illegitimate organisation, devoid of any real value advocacy for gays. Just another money-grabbing self-promoting bunch of idle middle class people. Mr Akim Larcher says he emigrated from St. Lucia because his life as a gay man was in jeopardy there. Why is he not bringing his campaign to St Lucia? Hypocrite that he is.
Hellen Anderson, Kingston Jamaica
04/16/08 9:36 PM EST
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