Thompson’s comments extremist?

Two weeks ago, Larry Spencer, a Member of Parliament for the Canadian Alliance, gave a newspaper interview in which he equated homosexuality with pedophilia and argued that homosexuality should be outlawed and criminalized.

The response was immediate.

Progressive Conservative Leader Peter MacKay called the remarks “ugly,” “embarrassing” and “completely unacceptable.”

Canadian Alliance leader Stephen Harper agreed, stating that “to equate consensual homosexual activity … with pedophilia … is simply unacceptable. It does not reflect party policy in any way shape or form.” Harper fired Spencer as the party’s family affairs critic.

But when Nunavut’s minister of education, Manitok Thompson, equated homosexuality with pedophilia right in our Legislative Assembly there was no such outcry. No one in our political system expressed dismay or revulsion or anything else at her bigoted comments.

The day after her comments Manitok Thompson reaffirmed her position. “I do not mind even if I am alone with my opinion in the world,” she said.

It is worth pointing out that Manitok Thompson is not “alone in the world” in her opinions. There are others who agree with her — Larry Spencer, for example. But in terms of Canadian politics, her opinions put her way, way over on the extreme end of the scale.

So extreme that if she made her comment in the House of Commons she would be immediately kicked out of whatever party she was a member of. Her comments would be termed “ugly” and “completely unacceptable” by the leaders of all the political parties, and she – and possibly Nunavut as a whole — would be seen as a national embarrassment.

Something to keep in mind if she tries to become Nunavut’s next premier.

(Name withheld by request)
Iqaluit