It’s time to end homophobia now: Mulcair

OTTAWA – On the 10th anniversary of the International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia, New Democrats are renewing their calls to end discrimination and hatred against LGBT people.

“Canada has made great progress in ending discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people; however, the battle is far from won,” said Official Opposition Leader Tom Mulcair. “Too many LGBT Canadians continue to face discrimination at work and in their community, and tragically some even pay for this discrimination with their lives. This is unconscionable and cannot be tolerated in Canada today.”

The facts are stark. LGBT Canadians still face harassment, discrimination and violence at a rate higher than others demographics. Hate crimes based on sexual orientation remain as prevalent as ever and these crimes are twice as likely to be violent in nature.

“A good place to start is right here in Parliament. We need to set the example in the House of Commons itself,” New Democrat LGBT critic, Randall Garrison. “We also need to continue to remove the barriers to political participation for members of the LGBT community by adopting policies of inclusion and encouraging further dialogue between members of the LBGT community and political parties.”

The NDP remains as committed as ever to end homophobia and transphobia with the most diverse caucus ever, including many LGBT MPs.