Homoffendia

By Frances Kelly

Do you suffer from homoffendia?

Homoffendia: the rational fear of inadvertently offending a person with same-sex attraction by saying something scandalous such as: "I believe marriage is between one man and one woman," and then fearing that you'll be called a bigot by former friends.

Are you afraid to speak up for pro-gender marriage? Did you hold a sign stating children should have both a mother and a father and now you're afraid your kids will be glittered? Did you "like" traditional marriage on Facebook or Twitter and now you're afraid you'll lose your job? Did you vote for Proposition 8 in California, and live in perpetual fear that your living room window will be bashed in by a rock?

Welcome to the club.

And say hello to the newcomers to homoffendia: the Canadians about to be listed on the "sprawling directory" of people accused of "offensive mockery."

Mark Steyn reports on National Review that Quebec is creating a database of offensive people. People guilty of homophobic acts.

Gai Écoute in Québec has announced the launch of the world's first "register of homophobic acts."

As usual with these censorious types, "act" is defined with the broadest of brushes to include "moquerie blessante" (offensive mockery) and "couverture médiatique inappropriée" (inappropriate media coverage). The right to mock and be "inappropriate" are about as basic to a free society as any, so nuts to that.

To announce the launch of their secret files of inappropriate mockers, the leaders of Gai Écoute were flanked by Montréal Police Chief Inspector Johanne Paquin and Commander Alain Gagnon. In a sane world, no self-respecting gay would attend such an event. The fact that this sight — policemen publicly announcing a dossier of dissident citizens suspected of thought crimes to the approval of supposedly "liberal" "progressive" groups — is now entirely normal in Western societies is far more disturbing than any problem they purport to be addressing.

I don't mind gay groups keeping a vast database of anonymously-reported homophobic thought-crimes if they feel that's a productive use of their time. But it is preposterous that this sprawling directory of cobwebbed flamer cracks and swishy-gait titters will be publicly funded by taxpayers under the Québec Government's "action plan for the fight against homophobia."

I wonder if Mark Steyn is on the top of their list.

© Frances Kelly