Jam Beard: The closeted gay life of the man behd the award

Contents:

• IS JOHN BAIRD GAY
• IS CANADA RUN BY A GAY MAFIA?
• JAM BEARD: THE CLOSETED GAY LIFE OF THE MAN BEHD THE AWARD
• JOHN BAIRD SLAMS NIGERIA OVER ANTI-GAY BILL
• CBC: JOHN BAIRD SLAMS NIGERIA OVER ANTI-GAY BILL
• BAIRD ADDS TO GLOBAL CHOS OF OUTRAGE AT RSIA'S 'HATEFUL' ANTI-GAY LEGISLATN
• JOHN BAIRD SLAMS ANTI-GAY STATEMENTS BY CIDA-FUND GROUP
• JOHN BAIRD SLAMS NIGERIA OVER ANTI-GAY BILL
• HARPER JOS NTROVERSY OVER RSIA'S ANTI-GAY LAW

IS JOHN BAIRD GAY

If you believe the gossip, an alleged “gay mafia” ma up of sgle, whe, male policians — Baird among them — ns the upper echelon of Canada’s lg party. A man n be sgle and iendly wh other gay men, as many Conservativ are, but ’s not evince that he is gay himself.

IS CANADA RUN BY A GAY MAFIA?

In 2010, almost exactly four years before Baird rigned, Pamela Taylor, a Conservative then nng a provcial by-electn, outed Baird, namg him as an openly gay MP when asked to name one durg CBC Toronto’s Metro Morng rad show.

He was openly cril of laws Uganda that crimalize homosexualy and spoke out agast siar laws Rsia and Kenya. After he announced his rignatn, members of both the NDP and the Liberal Party mend Baird’s rerd of fendg gay rights worldwi. And when a gay, 15-year-old Ottawa stunt mted suici, Baird offered ndolenc the Hoe of Commons.

JAM BEARD: THE CLOSETED GAY LIFE OF THE MAN BEHD THE AWARD

And after Baird cricized homophobic Rsian laws 2013, Ontar NDP MPP Cheri DiNovo and activist Roy Mchell asked him to e out publicly, sayg the news would have ternatnal impact.

“Havg a gay foreign mister should be a sign of how progrsive we are, ” he was quoted as sayg, addg that he believed sent mixed msag that Baird would support LGBT rights other untri while not beg out Canada. In a live terview that aired Feb 2 on Metro Morng, a Toronto CBC-rad program, Pamela Taylor was put on the hot seat, asked to name any openly gay Conservative MPs or Ontar MPPs. The trick is, none are openly gay.

Baird is a faiar face gay social circl Ottawa. He’s a iend of gay former Ottawa cy uncillor Alex Munter. Taylor is nng a Toronto-Centre provcial by-electn to replace openly gay former puty premier Gee Smherman.

JOHN BAIRD SLAMS NIGERIA OVER ANTI-GAY BILL

As treasury board print that year, he stripped fundg om the Court Challeng Program, a Chretien-era iative that fund important gay legal battl, cludg the fight for gay marriage. However, Baird has never voted agast gay marriage ferally and was one of 10 Conservative MPs to vote agast reopeng the issue late 2006. Last November, he spoke out agast a vlent, anti-gay bill makg s way through the Ugandan legislature.

CBC: JOHN BAIRD SLAMS NIGERIA OVER ANTI-GAY BILL

Taylor’s ments were part of a scuffle over the provcial Progrsive Conservativ’ rerd on gay issu. ANDY BARRIE: Can you thk of a sgle openly gay Conservative polician, eher provcially or ferally, who is gay?

TAYLOR: Openly gay? The realy In the predictable strokg that followed his rignatn, Baird was mend particular by polil fo for his work promotg gay rights around the globe. Baird beme the target of Harp’s fave femists, REAL Women, for his nmnatn of the treatment of gays Ai.

Although Baird’s stand on gay issu often me off as token to iends the gay muny, wh an overwhelmgly socially nservative uc, they had bee a major pot of ntentn. gay. Bryn Hendricks, a gay man who I had the honour of workg wh durg the 2006 feral electn mpaign, was on MTL's 800 CJAD this afternoon and was givg John Baird props for beg, I paraphrase, a gay man wh a nscience.

BAIRD ADDS TO GLOBAL CHOS OF OUTRAGE AT RSIA'S 'HATEFUL' ANTI-GAY LEGISLATN

He was referrg to the Red Cross thg this week where they are gog to, fally, allow celibate gay men to give blood.

C., event celebratg relig eedom Thursday night to promote Canada's planned Office of Relig the event sponsor's hardle stance on same-sex marriage and homosexualy is at odds wh Baird's support for gay rights around the Seventh-day Adventist Church and three affiliated groups sponsor the annual Relig Liberty Dner, where prev keynote speakers have clud then senator Hillary Clton, Senator John Kerry and Senator John McCa.

"Seventh-day Adventists believe that marriage is a lifelong unn between a man and a woman lovg pannship, " the church's webse says, "and that the Bible mak no acmodatn for homosexual activy or liftyle. The church do not accept the ia of same-sex marriag nor do ndone homosexual practic or advocy. "The Canadian Embassy Washgton is playg host to the dner, which attracts people of different fahs and an array of important figur, cludg has spoken strongly favour of gay rights, cricizg other untri for persecutg gays and lbians.

JOHN BAIRD SLAMS ANTI-GAY STATEMENTS BY CIDA-FUND GROUP

He also eply rpects relig eedoms, " said Chris Day, a spokman for won't promise on rightsOn Wednday, Baird released a statement mendg the ernment of Malawi for repealg legislatn that crimalized January, Baird gave a speech London, England,  which he poted to the abe of both relig and gay rights other untri and said Canada won't promise on basic rights.

"Dozens of Commonwealth untri currently have regrsive and punive laws on the books that crimalize homosexualy, " Baird said his prepared text.

Homosexualy is illegal 41 of 54 Commonwealth member stat.

JOHN BAIRD SLAMS NIGERIA OVER ANTI-GAY BILL

"Baird said Canada will speak out on issu that matter to Canadians, cludg on how women are treated around the world, the persecutn of gays, lbians, bisexual or transgenr people, and targeted attacks on those practisg their fah. Well, there was que the, as my old mum ed to say, “to do” early Augt over REAL Women, the gay lobby, Ai, Rsia, and John Baird. The reason was statements she and they had ma ncerng Canada’s Foreign Mister and what John Baird had said about the treatment of homosexuals Uganda and Kenya.

HARPER JOS NTROVERSY OVER RSIA'S ANTI-GAY LAW

It’s important to expla what actually happened here rather than react to mor, and also to distguish between Rsian and Ain attus towards homosexualy.