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Loading ...Canadian politician says he’s ‘more tolerant’ since writing anti-gay email
04.28.2009 3:22pm EDT
(Vancouver, British Columbia) A British Columbia Liberal candidate who wrote an email more than a decade ago in which he said he did not support homosexuality says a lot has changed since then and he’s now much more tolerant.
Marc Dalton, an elementary school teacher and the Liberal candidate in the riding of Mission-Maple Ridge for the May 12 B.C. election, sent the email to a colleague in 1996 in the midst of a raging debate over same-sex marriage and education.B.C. New Democrats seized on that email Friday and demanded that the Liberals remove Dalton as one of their candidates in the upcoming provincial election.
Dalton apologized for the email but did not offer his resignation and insisted that he’s a different man than he was when it was written.
“I would say that I’ve become much more tolerant, much more open,” he said in an interview Friday.
“It’s not something I would write now. There’s been a lot of change since then.”
An NDP spokesman said the email came from a former colleague of Dalton’s and it arrived in a brown envelope.
“I’m not against homosexuals as people, but I do not support their lifestyle choice,” says the email. “I believe homosexuality is a moral issue.”
It says most people agree on moral issues like respect, honesty, and kindness, and most people do not condone behaviours and acts such as rape, robbery, pedophilia and incest.
But “there are other moral issues that large segments of our society do not see eye to eye: gambling, abortion, adultery, pornography,” it says. “I believe that homosexuality fits in this category.”
The email says many, many people hold homosexuality to be an “improper and high-risk behaviour,” but doesn’t condone violence against “these people.”
Dalton said it was never intended to be offensive or hurtful, but he could understand how it could be misconstrued.
He said he’s always tried to respect the diversity in communities and the contributions of people from all backgrounds and walks of life.
“I anticipate having colleagues that are gay and it’s essential for me to have a good rapport, to work together, with teachers, as an MLA or with my constituents,” he said.
Dalton said he recognizes and applauds the significant contributions of the gay community and wouldn’t want to cause offence to them or anyone else.
“`It was never my intention to pass judgment on any individual and I have always been respectful of every individual’s right to privacy and self-expression.”
He said it’s not his intention as an elected official to impose his personal values in any event, or “to revisit an issue that has been historically divisive and that our communities have endeavoured to move beyond.”
It was enough for Liberal Leader Gordon Campbell, who did not ask Dalton to step down.
“First of all, I can understand why this would be hurtful to people. I’m sure that he’s as sorry as everyone else is,” Campbell told reporters. “He’s issued an unequivocal apology…. I accept the apology.”
The French immersion teacher represented the federal Conservatives in the 2006 federal election but was not allowed to run for the Tories last year, despite winning the local nomination process. The party did not give a reason for refusing Dalton’s candidacy.
Spencer Herbert, the incumbent MLA and NDP candidate in Vancouver-West End, considered the heart of the city’s gay community, said Campbell should denounce the comments and fire Dalton as a candidate.
Last weekend, the NDP candidate in Vancouver-False Creek stepped down after racy photos posted on his Facebook site came to light.
Last fall’s federal election saw candidates from across the political spectrum felled by online gaffes and embarrassing situations from their past.
Three federal New Democrats, two Tories and two Liberals stepped down during the race for everything from a decade-old skinny dip to online videos showing them smoking up.
“Gordon Campbell said that his party had a vigorous screening process, so either this candidate chose not to disclose these kind of comments or they’re acceptable to Campbell’s Liberals,” Herbert said.
“If Mr. Dalton hid his homophobia, then I think he should be asked to resign.
“They should do the right thing and denounce these comments and ask the candidate to step down.”
Campbell said the Liberals did not know about the email, despite a rigorous vetting process.
“This is a 12-year-old email,” he said. “We do our best in terms of the vetting process but we don’t often go back more than 10 years.”
Dalton said he learned the email had come to light Friday while campaigning but didn’t seriously consider stepping down.
“I know where I stand right now. I know the type of person I am, though the NDP are trying to make it seem that I’m such and such a person, I feel like this is totally contrary to the type of person that I am,” Dalton said.”
It was a tough day for the Liberals on the campaign trail.
In addition to the call for Dalton’s resignation, Public Safety Minister John van Dongen announced his licence had been suspended over speeding tickets.
Van Dongen was responsible for the Insurance Corp. of B.C. and the Office of the Superintendent of Motor Vehicles, which suspended his licence. Both have been transferred to the Labour Ministry.
Oh, Canada…
Although I wouldn’t bat an eye if Dalton resigns, it’s difficult for me to get riled up, seeing as his bigotry, past and/or present, lost and equality is winning in Canada (for the most part…).
That said, I think my favourite part is the public safety officer with speeding tickets…
I am always wary of leopards that try to change their spots.
Give moi a break!
A moral issue, my ass. Only the Abrahamic religions have made a moral issue of homosexuality.
Read the Wolfenden Report. The Baron’s inquiry committee arrived at its decision to decriminalize homosexuality by sticking to the legality of it, e.g. same-sex relations give pleasure to those who engage in them and do not harm others.
The morality of it was dropped in the London sewage system.
Shortly afterwards, P.E. Trudeau, as our Liberal Prime Minister, stated publicly and clearly that the government has no business in the bedrooms of the Nation.
Misconstrued Dalton’s message? Yea, sure. Dalton put a turtle on its back on top of a fence post and we misconstrued that it got there by itself.
Liberal Leader Gordon Campbell will rue the day when he did not ask Dalton to step down.
Three cheers for Spencer Herbert and the NDP.
So the e-mail is 12 years old. The bible is a tad more than 12 years old and its homophobia is still creating crackpots who are persecuting and murdering gays, young and old.
Sorry, Mr. Dalton, but your self-serving apology is a mask of virtue that conceals the two most odious passions of human nature: cruelty and intolerance.
Do yourself a favor and exit the political stage gracefully while you still can.
And drive carefully now!
‘I do not support their lifestyle choice”he’s now much more tolerant.’
yeah way tolerant ‘lifestyle choice’ using the word ‘choice’ here tells me he has learned nothing.
and really i have no need for people who ‘tolerate’ me. have the balls to say you don’t like me but don’t go all wishywashy trying to get political support. i really can’t stand pansies who cant speak their mind
“First of all, I can understand why this would be hurtful to people. I’m sure that he’s as sorry as everyone else is,” Campbell told reporters. “He’s issued an unequivocal apology…. I accept the apology.”
It’s not Campbell’s place to acept or reject the apology.
Go NDP!
Those who yell the most about morality – the holier then thou group, are just hiding their immorality.
The world is full of the types like Ted Haggard, whose name should live forever in infamy. That asshole, btw, said he was cured, yes sure, and then it is exposed he had sex with 18 and 20 yr olds. Legal yes, assuming it was consensual. Moral – the guy doesn’t know the meaning of the world.
Or should I be sympathetic to this pathetic individual, who is obviously gay or bi, and was terrorized into a closet of self hatred and shame, which he himself furthered in his ball less public homophobia.
But Canada does have gay marriage nationwide. We happened to be in Victoria BC on vac on just the day it took effect – strange. And everyone I asked about it – prob a dozen or so, were either supportive or “it doesn’t matter to me” accepting
He has still fallen short on his apology. In order to formally apologize, he needs to completely disavow those statements as something he was misinformed and ignorant about. He even needs to do something to prove that he is, in fact, different by even stating that he supports marriage equality and would do nothing to attempt to change it.
For sure, eh! It’s election time in BC and I am afraid these so Called Liberals will get in again. They have weaken every social services, education, healthcare and screwed the seniorsof BC. Of course we have the Olympics comming in 2010 and a huge deficit as a bonus. The US and the rest of Canada will be out of the recession , only BC will be stuck into it. They will say anything right now to win seats.So PC !
Jessi–THANK YOU!
Louis–yep, and as you well know, BC Liberals bear a scary resemblance to Tory freaks like Harris and Flaherty when they were busy dismembering Ontario.
Mission’s up there at the end of the Lower Mainland, but it seems like every damn one of those towns down the Fraser is just as bible-crazed as the other. (And don’t forget Surrey, the Vancouver suburb which is arguably the most book-banning place in Canada).
It should be a little embarrassing when your party head (Campbell) even opens the door to questions of acceptable values, considering his drunk-driving episode a few years ago (complete with a pic from the Nick Nolte School of DUI). Mark Dalton still talks the talk of a bigot–”lifestyle choice”? That’s a buzzword used by the calculating and the stupid–which is he?
As a long time resident of Vancouver & having lived for many years in San Diego , I’d like to add a short rundown of the political parties here in BC.I am a widely recognized expert in nothing (!!), but I’ve seen them all. Pertinent to the above article , it’s important to note that the Liberal Party of BC is not part of the federal Liberal Party of Canada. It is liberal in name only; being the more right wing of the political groups here. Fot many years there was a major political party Called the Social Credit Party , which was BC’s answer to hard core right wing and deeply religious ; Republicanism.But , the electorate grew so fed up with their arrogance and extremism , that thy folded . So a conservative party by any other name was the only hope they had of electing anyone to the provincial parliament.Our ‘liberal’ party is the NDP ( New Democratic Party).BC is a huge province ; slightly larger than California , with the majority of the population living in the south west corner with Vancouver being the principal city of an area called the Lower Mainland. Our capital city is actually on the southern tip of a very large island ; Vancouver Island. The capital is called Victoria. Our regional ‘Bible Belt is found in various communities in the Fraser Valley , just east of Vancouver. And they can be just as delightful as any evangelical group in the deep south. BTW, I love the heated comments from fellow Canadians herein. I’m also relieved to hear the rejections of Dalton’s apology. I remember the early years of HIV/AIDS and the political chronology , while a resident of Ca., all of which was appalling.
An addendum to the final comments on Van Dongen , …….during his first year in office , our Premier , Gordon Campbell , wass arrested by Maui Police in Hawaii , and chargd with DUI. He was ‘plastered’ at the time. Ah , …those intoxicating trade winds.