Prime Minister Brian Mulroney informed his cabinet in 1986 that despite recognizing gay people as "God's children," many Canadians still found homosexuality morally objectionable.. Mulroney 'God's children' memo .According to Blacklock’s Reporter, recently released declassified documents reveal Mulroney had sympathy for a gay rights bill but viewed it as potentially causing division among the Canadian public..“On such matters of conscience, the prime minister said he did not feel it right to ask backbench members of caucus to take a stance they might find morally repugnant,” said minutes of a confidential February 27, 1986 cabinet meeting. .“But the facts were simple: About 15% of the population was reportedly of homosexual inclination and it was unthinkable to bring in legislation that would tolerate discrimination against a group of ‘God’s children.’”.“It was important to take the high road on this issue, to look at the long sweep of history and at the changes in what had become socially acceptable,” Mulroney told cabinet. .“Leadership brought with it constraints and responsibilities. Tolerance within a pluralistic society was not only desirable but essential. The prime minister did not wish to open a full debate on this matter.”.An Equality for All report from the Commons Social Development committee prompted the remarks. .The report recommended rewriting the Canadian Human Rights Act “to add sexual orientation as a prohibited ground of discrimination to the other grounds which are race, national or ethnic origin, colour, religion, age, sex, marital status, family status, disability and conviction for an offence for which a pardon has been granted.”.Cabinet agreed its suggested response should read “there is no simple manner of reconciling deeply felt views.” .Mulroney himself complained “the government had been handed a thorny problem by the parliamentary committee,” according to minutes released through Access to Information..Cabinet was told at least 40 Conservative MPs would oppose a gay rights bill. “The grassroots of the Conservative Party would feel the government had deserted their views,” one unnamed cabinet minister was quoted..Another cabinet member, who was not named, stated many Canadians held sincere beliefs and followed religious teachings that might lead them to oppose a bill related to gay rights..“While there was clearly no right to discriminate against any of ‘God’s children,’ gay activities were judged by law and codes of morality,” the cabinet was told..“In reality, discrimination takes place every day where behaviour is judged morally repugnant,” said Minutes. .“In the political side, the problem was that those with fundamentalist views are numerous and conservative by definition.”.“It is too easy to brand their views old fashioned and out of touch with modern society,” an unnamed minister was quoted. .“Such people were chafing under media criticism that they were remnants of a Neanderthal past. The government’s response needed to be as sensitive as possible to this situation.”.Later census data showed the sexual minority community made up approximately 4% of the Canadian population, not 15% as previously thought..Two provincial Courts of Appeals upheld gay rights in pension and anti-discrimination cases, Ontario in 1992 and Manitoba in 1995. .In 1996, Parliament passed Bill C-33 An Act to Amend the Canadian Human Rights Act, with a vote of 153 in favour and 76 opposed. This bill aimed to amend the Canadian Human Rights Act to implement the recommendations from the Equality For All report..Twenty-nine Liberal MPs also voted against the bill, along with all members of the Reform Party except one, Jim Silye (Calgary Centre, AB)..Jean Charest (Sherbrooke, QC) and Elsie Wayne (Saint John, NB), the only two Conservatives elected to Parliament, voted against the bill.
