xerxes wrote:
It's out of the ordinary because both in the US and Canada the conservative parties have significant sections that practice religiously based discrimination and bigotry towards homosexuals. And to be a part of such a party, yet openly declare oneself to be homosexual is cognitive dissonance in way.
They're a part of a party that would strip you of your charter rights and treat you as a second class citizen if they could.
I'd agree with that in the U.S. Republican party. Thus why I'm so indecisive, when it comes to U.S. politics, swinging back and forth.
However, in Canada's Conservative Party, granted, I'd say a slim majority are still pro traditional marriage, but the extremists are very very fringe. About 45% of Conservative party members (from policy vote in the Conservative Convention in 2005) support same-sex marriage, and almost all Conservatives support civil unions for people of the same sex.
Most members of the party want to become a 'Grand Coalition', an open tent if you will, which is diverse in membership. Harper spoke of how many woman in caucus and in cabinet (without quotas!), and how we had many 'firsts' for ethnic minority M.P.s and the crowd clapped loudly. It's encouraging to most members to see the old image being shed and to see the party appealing to more and more people.
The ultimate goal of most Conservatives, Stephen Harper, and the Conservative Party of Canada is to become the natural governing party of the 21st century (the Liberals held that title in the 20th century).
To do that the party know it needs to moderate out on certain things (to appeal to the general population) and have long term appeal.