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Canadians for Equal Marriage

Press Release

June 9, 2004

Conservative Policies Attract Senator Cools—She Has Long Record of Opposing Equality, Abortion, Feminism

Led fight in Senate against Hate Crime Protection for Gays & Lesbians

Toronto—It was reported yesterday that Senator Anne Cools has switched from the Liberals to the Conservatives.

“I can understand what attracted Senator Cools to the Conservatives,” said John Fisher, spokesperson for Canadians for Equal Marriage. “Her extreme views mesh well with others in the Conservative caucus. She led the charge in the Senate, along with several Conservative Senators, to stop hate propaganda protection for gays and lesbians. I’m sure she looks forward to gutting that protection.”

“Senator Cools is known for her opposition to equality for lesbian and gay people, to abortion, and to feminists,” said Cicely McWilliam, Outreach Coordinator for Canadians for Equal Marriage. “She has even gone so far as to claim that abusive mothers are responsible for abusive men.”

“Senator Cools has consistently denounced homosexuality and claimed that there is no evidence that gay and lesbian Canadians suffer from discrimination,” said Laurie Arron, Political Coordinator for Canadians for Equal Marriage. “She has opposed equality for gay and lesbian people at every turn. She will, I’m sure, feel right at home in the new Conservative Party.”

Quotes from Senator Anne Cools

• Blamed women for abusive men:

  “It was she who said, in 1995, on International Women’s Day no less, that abusive mothers are responsible for creating violent sons. ‘Behind every abusing husband is an abusing mother,’ were her words.” (Globe and Mail, Sat, Mar 1, 1997 p.D9, Margaret Wente)

• Condemned “feminist terrorism and aggression” for appointment of women to the bench:

  Gender feminist ideology has driven much law in Canada, and consequently has driven much injustice. It has ravaged law, justice, many careers, and many human lives. It worked for many years. It was even lucrative. It resulted in positions, jobs, grants, and even appointments to the bench. It created a terrible silence as it inflicted obvious injustices on many. It was buttressed by feminist terrorism and aggression, ready to pursue to destruction anyone who gets in its way, while chanting its mantra that all evil and violence are men’s, and that all goodness, virtue, and truth are women’s. (Mar. 4, 1999, speech in the Senate, http://sen.parl.gc.ca/acools/cools99/04mar99.htm )

  “The majority of them [false accusations of abuse] are clearly by mothers. Mothers are the accusers.” (Feb 29, 2000, radio interview, http://www.fathersforlife.org/cooltlk1.htm)

• Opposed adding sexual orientation inclusion to the Canadian Human Rights Act:

  “The concern is that pederasts and paedophiles will advance claims to engage in adult/child sexual relationships as a matter of human rights; that claims will be advanced on the legal grounds that pederasty and paedophilia are sexual orientations having entitlements.” (Senate debate, May 16, 1996, http://sen.parl.gc.ca/acools/cools96/16may96.htm)

• Opposed pension benefits for same-sex couples in Bill C-78:

  “Bill C-78’s clause 75 is flawed because it is stealthy; it is disingenuous. Honourable senators, sex, sexual activity, sex-like activities and all carnal actions are not a ground on which to found legal entitlements and obligations. Entitlements and obligations flow from social commitment, mutually accepted and given formally, not from carnal actions.” (Senate debate, Sept 10, 1999, http://www.parl.gc.ca/36/1/parlbus/chambus/senate/deb-e/156db_1999-09-10-E.htm?Language=E&Parl=36&Ses=1 )

• Opposed common-law recognition of same-sex couples in Bill C-23:

  “It is also highly significant that in each of these recent court cases on the issue of homosexual/lesbian rights, no evidence has ever been introduced to the court to support actual discrimination against homosexuals/lesbians.” (May 31, 2000, Senate Legal and Constitutional Affairs Committee, http://www.parl.gc.ca/36/2/parlbus/commbus/senate/Com-e/lega-e/16eva-e.htm?Language=E&Parl=36&Ses=2&comm_id=11 )

• Honoured by extremist group REAL Women:

  In 1999, Senator Cools was named Person of the Year by Real Women of Canada in recognition of her “outstanding contributions to promote and preserve family values in Canada.” (http://www.realwomenca.com/newsletter/1999_May_June/article_12.html )

• Anti-abortion:

  “Misguided policies in social welfare law, in family law, in divorce law, in child welfare law, in abortion law have resulted in national problems, in our crises of father alienation and fatherlessness.” (May 27, 2002, speech to Int’l Fatherhood Conference, Washington, D.C., http://mensnewsdaily.com/archive/newswire/nw02/newswire060402.htm)

• Fiercely opposed protecting gays and lesbians from hate propaganda:

  “Honourable senators, Bill C-250 will confer upon sexual activities and sexual preferences those immutable, morally neutral, physical, racial characteristics possessed by peoples of common origins. Further, honourable senators, the term “sexual orientation” is still undefined and unlimited in law.” (Senate debate, Oct 27, 2003, http://www.parl.gc.ca/37/2/parlbus/chambus/senate/deb-E/089db_2003-10-27-e.htm?Language=E&Parl=37&Ses=2#76)

  “The fact of the matter is, honourable senators, that we discourage children from smoking cigarettes because tobacco is harmful. I would submit that we are talking about some sexual activities that are dangerous and life-threatening.” (Senate Legal and Constitutional Affairs Committee, Mar 17 2004, http://www.parl.gc.ca/37/3/parlbus/commbus/senate/Com-e/lega-e/04eva-e.htm?Language=E&Parl=37&Ses=3&comm_id=11 )

For more info:
John Fisher, Canadians for Equal Marriage, (613) 321-9841
Laurie Arron, Canadians for Equal Marriage, 416-928-1238 (o), 416-839-7178 (c)
Cicely McWilliam, Canadians for Equal Marriage, 416-928-1238 (o)

Egale Canada ©2010

Égale Canada est résolue à promouvoir l’égalité et la justice pour les personnes lesbiennes, gaies, bisexuelles et trans-identifiées, ainsi que leur famille, à travers le Canada.