Gay Rights are Making Their Way into Canada's Official Guide

Working in a provincial non-profit role, I deal with many agencies who represent ethno-specific communities in Ontario. They often work with first generation immigrants, new to Canada and perhaps culturally unprepared for the vast array of sexual preferences openly explored in this country. When it comes to LGBT issues, many of these first generation immigrants are not always informed with the correct knowledge, often due to homophobic policies or sentiments in their home countries.

So it's a pretty awesome endeavor that gay rights are making their way into Canada's official guide to educate those applying for Canadian citizenship. It's vital that those who wish to enter the great land of hockey and maple are exposed to the social issues at play. Considering the fact that Canada aims to be supportive and inclusive of its LGBT citizens, it is especially important.

The current guide hasn't been updated since 1995, which is the year that Seal's Kiss From A Rose was popular (and so, clearly, things have changed. For the better.). While gay rights were included in the latest "Welcome to Canada" guide, this is the first time they will appear in the "Discover Canada" book. Wow, there's a lot of reading involved in immigration. "Discover Canada" will detail things like gay marriage and the prohibitions against discriminating based on sexual orientation.

The only reference to "gay" in the current version of the guide is a picture of swimmer Mark Tewksbury, who will be Canada's spokesperson for the next Olympic games, under which a tagline reads that he's an activist for LGBT rights.

And, who knows? Perhaps we'll see an influx of new LGBT activists coming from Canada's immigrant community. Time will tell.

Photo Credit: Wikimedia Commons