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4 . THE OTTAWA CITIZEN • TUESDAY, MARCH 8, 1988 AS. Canada r Liberals, New Democrats Lesbians denied OHIP benefits walk softly on prospect Court rules gay pair not equivalent to married couple of free vote on abortion TORONTO (CP) — Lesbian with teenage children, did not He pointed out that the Ontar- The single-person premium is couples are not entitled to meet its definition of a spouse. io Health Insurance Act defines $29.75. For married couples it is The Canadien Press also took a guarded approach, health-care benefits as if they The case has been considered a spouse as someone of the op- $59.50, which covers children as telling reporters in Quebec City Liberals and New Democrats were married, the Ontario Su- an important test of homosexual posite sex, as do leading diction- well. he wants to see what kind of leg- expressed polite interest Monday preme Court ruled Monday. rights. Had the judge upheld her aries. islation the government brings in Andrews said in an interview but said they would have to think Karen Andrews, a Toronto argument, premiums for both "Homosexual couples are not before he decides on a free vote. then that the province's refusal it over before agreeing to let MPs public library board employee, Andrews and Trenholm would similarly situated to heterosexu- "Our position will depend very to grant her equal treatment vote according to conscience on had claimed that she and friend have been paid by the library al couples," he said. "Heterosex- much on what is in that bill," with heterosexuals in common- the abortion issue. Mary Trenholm were entitled to board. ual couples procreate and raise law relationships is an attack on Turner said. "It is something that we as a be considered as a married Mr. Justice Nicholas McRae's children. the dignity of homosexuals. Mulroney told reporters, after a couple under the Ontario Health written judgment noted the An- "They marry or are potential party would at least consider," weekend Conservative caucus "I have jeopardized my career Insurance Plan. Andrews said drews' argument that the couple marriage partners and, most im- New Democrat House Leader Nel- meeting, that his government is by coming forward and asking she and Trenholm have lived in "own a home together, share a portantly, they have legal obli- son Riffs told reporters a day after not only considering a free vote for equal treatment," she said. a homosexual relationship for bank account, are each other's gations of support for their chil- Prime Minister Brian Mulroney but is also thinking about handing about nine years. sole sexual partner and have dren whether born in wedlock or At the hearing last month, hinted at a possible free vote. the job of drafting a new abortion Her bid was supported by her raised children, all of which con- out and for their spouses (under McRae was told the provincial Riffs rejected suggestions that law to an all-party Commons union, the Canadian Union of firms that they are spouses even the provincial Family Act). government routinely grants debate on a new federal abortion committee. Public Employees, but opposed if they are of the same sex." "A same-sex partner does not health insurance coverage to policy could divide MPs more deeply than last year's emotional He had hinted earlier that any by the Ontario health ministry But "I am afraid I do not and cannot have these obliga- heterosexual common-law new law would involve Criminal tions." battle over capital punishment. because Trenholm, a divorcee agree," added McRae. spouses and their children. Code amendments, in effect re- "My sense is that when the dust criminalizing at least some abor- settles there's going to be very tions that became legal when the close unanimity between the three Supreme Court of Canada struck Montreal voters chose gay councillor in '86 political parties," said Riffs. "I down the previous law in Janu- don't think it's going to be very ary. MONTREAL (CP) — It's (are) gay acquaintances with divisive." called the Gay Village — a But the prime minister later AIDS who are going to die." But neither Riffs nor Liberal backpedalled, saying no decision stretch along Ste-Catherine Blain and other residents of Street East in the St-Jacques House Leader Herb Gray would has been made on either a free St-Jacques still remember speculate on their legislative vote or the use of criminal sanc- district — with bathhouses and who represented Claude Charron, strategies or comment on how tions. sex shops next to older thrift the riding in the Quebec legisla- stores and the fiv e-and-dime. caucus members would line up if 66 I wanted people ture for a dozen years as a freed from party discipline. Several Tory backbenchers say There are gay bars, gay guest- member of the Parti Québécois. their caucus is considering wheth- houses, gay doctors, a gay cine- to take me as I am. There was a difference, how- "We haven't had a chance to er to dust off the elaborate three- ma ... and, since November ever — a difference in timing: get into all this," said Gray. "I stage plan that was devised for 1986, a gay city councillor. didn't want to hide it Charron, young and combative hope we'll discuss it fairly soon." last year's debate on capital pun- when he was first elected in Liberal Leader John Turner ishment. While New Democratic MP or be afraid. J Svend Robinson, 36, has only 1970, waited until after he left now publicly declared his homo- —Raymond Blain public office to declare his ho- sexuality, Raymond Blain, also Montreal City councillor mosexuality. Dutch to train pilots over Nfld. 36, came out two years ago, be- By the time Blain sought the fore running for election, letting nomination to run for city coun- despite protests from natives people know who and what he cil, he felt his homosexuality had become pivotal to his identity — was. THE HAGUE (AP) — The is disturbing the caribou, their so pivotal that he decided to "My challenge was to get a Dutch parliament has approved a traditional quarry. avow it publicly before the elec- gay accepted like any other can- project to train air force pilots During the past two years, didate," he says. "I wanted peo- tion. been taking its toll in the vil- "but the police are still at the "The decision came by itself," over Newfoundland, ignoring pro- small groups of natives have ple to take me as I am. I didn't say lage. stage where they say there's no he says. "It was clear in my tests by Canadian natives who staged demonstrations in the want to hide it or be afraid." the flights disturb the caribou The AIDS virus has infected problem; it's gays that have a mind." Hague, but they failed to rally Gays and straights alike voted 10 to 30 per cent of the Montre- problem. Jean Doré, running for mayor they hunt. popular support for their case. for Blain, a member of the The parliamentary vote in the al homosexual community, esti- "It's the same problem as dis- on the same party ticket, ac- Under the Dutch-Canadian pact Montreal Citizens Movement mated at anywhere from 50,000 crimination among the ethnic cepted it. Blain's parents also 150-seat legislature took place by a show of hands today. One left- approved by parliament today, all which swept to power in the to 200,000. And it has taken the communities." accepted it, and even worked in wing fringe party, which holds a 450 Dutch air force fighter pilots 1986 election. lives of 259 people in Quebec — Blain is adamant on one point, their son's campaign. single seat, voted against the proj- are to spend three weeks annually Alphonse Perron, a non-gay some of them Blain's friends. however: He doesn't want to be "My official candidacy as a ect. at Goose Bay between April and lifelong resident of the district, A continuing problem in the known as being concerned only member of the gay community August. supported him. gay community is with the po- about gays. "I never felt a voca- Under the training program, was a step further than what fighter pilots from various NATO lice. tion to save the gay world just was able to do," Blain The program is scheduled to "Everyone is entitled to his Charron countries have used Goose Bay as run at least until 1996. Military private life," Perron says. "The Blain, who says prejudice and because I'm gay." says. "People said, even if misunderstanding are at the root When it comes to his constitu- a base for staging low-level officials say the terrain in New- same goes for Blain." (Charron) was gay, he was a flights over thinly-populated areas of the matter, has set up a com- ents, he makes no distinction. good representative. It changed foundland is ideal for training be- The collective show of mittee to deal with tensions. But "People living in lamentable since 1986. cause it is much like that of the nothing. The flights have drawn protests central European regions where strength couldn't have come at a he's realistic. housing who can't afford their "He paved the way for me. I from about 800 local Innu hunt- NATO jets would fight in a con- more crucial time, for AIDS has "Things are better," he says, rent are as important to me as owe him that." ers, who say the jet fighters' noise ventional war.

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