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"It is more important than ever to remain vigilant as we see our rights and freedoms being trampled on every day by this Conservative government," said Clancy.
Ottawa (12 June 2012) - Each June the National Union of Public and General Employees (NUPGE) celebrates Pride month to recognize the contributions lesbian, gay, bisexual and trangendered (LGBT) people have made everywhere.
The origins of GLBT activism stem back to 1969 when the police raided the Stonewall Inn, in New York City's Greenwich Village. At the time, under the pretense of enforcing alcohol control laws, police regularly raided gay bars. On this particular night of June 27, the police conducted a raid but the patrons and the crowds gathered around the Inn fought back against the police harassment. These protests became known as the Stonewall Rebellion and led the way for the modern political movement for gay and lesbian liberation.
In 1977, the rainbow, or pride, flag was first raised as a symbol of LGBT pride. The flag was created to commemorate Harvey Milk, an LGBTQ activist from San Francisco, USA who was assassinated. It first debuted in the San Francisco Gay and Lesbian Freedom Day Parade and has since been adopted as the symbol of LGBTQ Pride in Canada and around the world.
Today, throughout the month of June, in communities across Canada and the world, events are held to recognize and celebrate the lasting contributions made to society and recognize the ongoing struggle for equality. Pride week events usually take place between June 24 and July 3.
"Pride celebrations in June are an ongoing reminder of the struggle for human rights, free from harassment and discrimination," says James Clancy, NUPGE National President. "It is a specific time for our members across the country to recognize the value of diversity and to recommit ourselves to work for equality for all."
NUPGE embraces a philosophy of full human rights for all in the belief that, to be meaningful, these rights must include:
- the right to organize and bargain collectively;
- a national network of community-based services that allow citizens to fully participate in society;
- an end to poverty and homelessness; and
- elimination of discrimination in respect of employment.
"It is more important than ever to remain vigilant as we see our rights and freedoms being trampled on every day by this Conservative government," said Clancy. "Just last week, government ministers supported a Conservative backbencher's motion to remove sections of the Human Rights Act banning hate speech over the internet or telephone. We cannot expect this government to uphold or enforce human rights and equality, so we must be ready to stand together to protect each other."
The bill would effectively strip the human rights commission of its ability to regulate, receive, investigate or adjudicate complaints dealing with hate speech on the Internet. The onus will now be on those facing the hate speech to pursue the issue through the courts.
As a way to honour this struggle for equality, NUPGE has created a poster entitled, One Good Idea Deserves Another - Full Human Rights for All. We invite our members and the public to download it and distribute it as widely as possible by clicking on the graphic in this article or the link below.
NUPGE
The National Union of Public and General Employees (NUPGE) is one of Canada's largest labour organizations with over 340,000 members. Our mission is to improve the lives of working families and to build a stronger Canada by ensuring our common wealth is used for the common good. NUPGE