Government-funded ‘registry of homophobic acts’ launched today

by John-Henry Westen

QUEBEC, June 18, 2012 (LifeSiteNews.com) – In what they are touting as a “world first,” a Quebec homosexual activist group has launched a “registry of homophobic acts” with support and funding from the Quebec Government’s Justice Department.  Standing alongside Montreal Police Chief Johanne Paquin and Commander Alain Gagnon, the leadership of the group Gai Ecoute launched the anonymous tipster registry at a press conference today. 

Included in the definition of actions classified as “homophobic” and deemed worthy of reporting to the registry are: “any negative word or act toward a homosexual or homosexuality in general: physical abuse, verbal abuse, intimidation, harassment, offensive graffiti, abuse, injurious mockery, inappropriate media coverage and discrimination.”

A press release from the group says that anyone who has experienced or witnessed an act of homophobia “must” report it to the registry of homophobic acts.

Funding and support for the venture comes from the Quebec Justice Ministry’s department of “The Fight Against Homophobia.” The Justice Ministry was tasked with fighting homophobia in 2008 and last year pledged $7 million to ‘anti-homophobia’ activities.

LifeSiteNews spoke briefly with Roger Noël, the coordinator of The Office of the Fight against Homophobia in the Department of Justice. Noël refused to answer questions about the registry and directed calls to Gai Ecoute or else to the Communications department of the Quebec Government.  Calls to the Communications department were not returned by press time.

Laurent McCutcheon, President of Gai Ecoute, boasted that the registry was the first of its kind in the world. “We created it to know the real situation of homophobia,” he said. “The compilation and analysis of these data will better identify the problem and will enable us to act at the level of prevention.”

Georges Buscemi President of the Montreal-based pro-life and pro-family group Campagne Quebec Vie told LifeSiteNews he saw the registry as a “means to instill a climate of oppression and fear to anyone who disagrees with any of the opinions of the homosexualist movement in Quebec.”

“Anyone who might believe that a homosexual act is unacceptable at a moral level” is being sent a warning “that they will end up on a list,” he said. “A list to be used for a future purpose which in my opinion is to punish.”

Buscemi gave examples of possible reprisals being the loss of charitable status for churches or teaching positions for professors.  “It’s the beginning of a soft persecution,” he said. “It is really about inciting a climate of fear using the media, especially with the presence of the police. Any criticism will be interpreted as homophobia and eventually down the road there will be consequences.”