Gay Rights Groups Decry Language Changes Changes have reportedly been made at CIDA as well, prompting questions of funding for GLBT groups. By Laura Payton Published August 19, 2009

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Human rights groups and members of Canada's gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered community are worried that controversial changes to Canadian foreign policy language could have dramatic and dangerous effects on gay rights support abroad. Compounding the problem, they say, is those changes have been made not only at the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, but at the Canadian International Development Agency, too.

As Embassy first reported last month, Foreign Affairs Minister Lawrence Cannon and his staff have amended language used frequently within the department and on the international stage. The changes include removing the word "humanitarian" from "international humanitarian law," changing focus from justice for victims of sexual violence to preventing sexual violence, and replacing "child soldiers" with "children in armed conflict." However, switching from "gender equality" to "equality of men and women" leaves out those who don't fit traditional gender norms, says a women's rights campaigner at Amnesty International.

"The broader focus [of gender equality] certainly does include an understanding of the importance of the rights of the GLBT [gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender] community. I think that there is a real concern about whether or not those rights are going to have less of a focus from the Canadian government perspective from that change," said Lindsay Mossman.

"[Equality of men and women] is language that was used in development circles years ago—language has progressed for reasons and moved forward and the Canadian government doesn't seem to be reflecting that in its language."

Mr. Cannon told Embassy on July 30 that some of the language changes were semantics, but said others reflected a change in policy. He didn't say which terms indicated a policy shift.

If the terminology does mean a change to government policy, it's a change that matters when you step outside Canada to look at how other countries treat gay and lesbian people, say advocates.

"There are seven countries that include the death penalty for being gay or lesbian. There are 72 countries that have imprisonment for being gay or lesbian or just expressing any kind of consensual same-sex desire," said Robert Mizzi, founder of Queer Peace International, a Canadian non-governmental organization that funds international assistance for GLBT groups.

"It would be very un-Canadian of us if we were to ignore people being tortured, raped, assaulted or murdered based on their identity," Mr. Mizzi added.

Human Rights Watch released a report Aug. 17 that detailed the torture and killing of gay men in Iraq, including threats of honour killings from their own family members over "unmanly" behaviour. A spokesman for the New York-based group says the change brought in by Mr. Cannon's office could determine which civil society programs Canadian embassies fund, or even who can claim refugee status.

"Terminology always matters. It always matters when governments are using it because terminology is the basis for policy," says Scott Long, director of Human Rights Watch's LGBT Rights Program.

A DFAIT spokeswoman responded to questions by email on behalf of both DFAIT and CIDA. She says in 2008, Canada co-sponsored a United Nations General Assembly resolution condemning human rights violations and reaffirming that the "principle of non-discrimination" applies to "every human being regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity." Canada also co-sponsored a 2008 Organization of American States resolution on "Human Rights, Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity."

"[DFAIT has] not changed our position on these issues," wrote Laura Markle. "We continue to have a principled approach and promote freedom, democracy, human rights and the rule of law.

"No CIDA programming excludes the participation of any individual based on gender or sexual orientation.... Instead, CIDA has a long history of promoting the equality between men and women in its programming initiatives to reduce poverty in developing countries. Country program planning is highly sensitive to ensuring full participation and engagement of everyone, regardless of age, gender or sexual orientation."

Stephen Brown, a University of Ottawa professor who teaches a course on the politics of foreign aid, says it's not that the terminology would order an outright rejection of funding or support for GLBT groups. The problem is that those groups fall outside the government's priorities and may be denied funding or support because they don't meet the foreign policy mandate.

"On the ground, if the Ugandan Gay and Lesbian Association asks for some money to hold a workshop or something, [Canada] still could sponsor it, but we couldn't use our gender priorities as a justification. We'd have to just sponsor it on its own. Because that is less clearly about equality between men and women," Mr. Brown said.

Brown says the change at CIDA happened about a year ago. He believes the language shift indicates changing government policy because it has hit two departments.

Egale Canada, which advocates for the GLBT community, sent a letter to Mr. Cannon to protest the change. Helen Kennedy, the group's executive director, said an aide has already called them back to acknowledge receipt. They are waiting to hear whether the minister or his staff will meet with them.

Egale would like to see CIDA and DFAIT use their funding to encourage recipients to educate people about GLBT issues within a human rights context. Ms. Kennedy pointed specifically to the Caribbean where the government has committed $600 million in development assistance over 10 years.

"We know that there's some of the most violent homophobia in the Caribbean. Some of that money should be allocated to the LGBT organizations to do some of the ground work. To start educating and start working on changing legislation in those countries to allow people to have a decent life," Ms. Kennedy said.

lpayton@embassymag.ca