Outlooks' Queer Parliamentary Panel - September

In this month's Outlooks, we're launching a new regular feature--our Queer Parliamentary Panel, where we ask a question to gay or lesbian MPs and Senators of the three major national parties.  The panel consists of MP Scott Brison for the Liberals, MP Bill Siksay for the NDP and Senator Nancy Ruth for the Conservatives.  I've met and interviewed all three at some point in the past, and I was happy that they all agreed to participate in this panel on an ongoing basis.  We'll be asking a new question every month or two, and helping to engage the Canadian GLBT community politically the way that a national magazine should.

This month's question was in large part inspired by the work I did on the article relating to the diminishing presence of homophobia in the Canadian Forces earlier in the summer.  Being as Senator Ruth is on the Senate Security and National Defence committee, she provided a lot of added insight into the issue which I plan to build upon as I look to revisit the issue in a future article somewhere down the line.

The panel can be seen online at the Outlooks website here, or you can download the full issue in .pdf format here.  (The piece is on page 14).