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Subject: In Defense of Canada=
Date: Tue, 24 Nov 92 04:42:49 EST
Message-ID: <12.1992Nov24.044249@AmeriCast.com>
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In Defense of Canada=

 IN THE LAST frenzied week of the U.S. presidential election,
neighbors to the north were coming to grips with a major policy
decision of their own. "Canadians, regardless of their sexual
orientation, will now be able to serve their country in the Cana-
dian Forces without restriction," announced Gen. John de
Chastelain, chief of Canada's defense staff. In the month since,
the Canadian armed forces have shown no signs of coming apart at
the seams. Nor has the Canadian public risen up in arms.  The in-
tent and expected effect of lifting the ban is to allow Canadians
who choose to put their lives on the line for their country to be
judged by their ability alone. That decision by Gen. Colin
Powell's opposite number in Canada was not, however, a spontane-
ous act. It followed promptly on the heels of a court ruling that
the military's restrictions on gays and lesbians violated the
country's Charter of Rights and Freedoms. The case involved a
woman who joined the military in 1986, finished tops in her basic
training class and was forced out in 1989 after admitting she was
a lesbian. It was her suit, settled just before it was scheduled
for a hearing, that led to the court's decision.  As with several
NATO countries that now don't view the presence of homosexuals as
a military or legal issue, Canada didn't find gays and lesbians
fit for military service overnight. It took a series of court
cases and the constant pressure of civil liberties groups to
bring the military's policies in line with the country's consti-
tution. But what is noteworthy about Gen. de Chastelain's deci-
sion is that while he didn't lay out a welcome mat to homosexu-
als, his no-nonsense announcement headed off free-lancing by
senior officers and set the tone to be followed by men and women
in the ranks.  Canada's new realism will be reflected in military
programs, particularly in antisexual harassment training and in
policies against unfair treatment based on gender or sexual
orientation. Instead of filling the Canadian airwaves with
threats of resignations or launching hate campaigns against gays
and lesbians in the ranks, senior commanders are reported to be
discussing new programs that will build on the cohesiveness, dis-
cipline and good order that already exist in their service.
Canada's military leadership wants this to work.  02:08 11-
24C9999-----

Copyright 1992, The Washington Post.  This story is from the
Washington Post's Capitol Edition On-Line and is not to be ar-
chived or redistributed.

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