Posted on 10/10/2005 9:48:13 AM PDT by Borges
George Hislop, a pioneer in the battle to win survivor benefits for widowed same-sex partners, has died at the age of 78.
When Hislop's longtime partner died after years of contributing to the Canada pension plan, Hislop applied for a pension but was turned down.
He fought the decision and spent the last 19 years trying to get the rules changed.
Earlier this year, Hislop declared victory and in August he said he received his first cheque from the government.
"George was a leader in the lesbian and gay community in fighting discrimination and demanding equal respect," said Douglas Elliott, Hislop's lawyer.
"With his unique combination of charm and courage, George transformed our city, our nation and our world. His death is a great loss to all of us."
The federal government began making the payments to Hislop despite the fact it planned to ask the Supreme Court of Canada to strike down a November 2004 Ontario Court of Appeal decision.
The Supreme Court challenge is expected to be heard in February, and Ottawa has warned beneficiaries that they may have to repay the money if the ruling is struck down.
At issue is federal legislation passed in 2000 that allowed same-sex partners to collect survivor benefits under the CPP. The law restricted payments to those whose partners had died after January 1998. That sparked complaints of discrimination against people who were arbitrarily excluded.
Hislop and his co-claimants want the cut-off point set in 1985, the year in which the Charter of Rights took effect and opened the door for gays and lesbians to eventually win equal treatment with heterosexual couples in pension matters.
The government has been fighting that demand for years. Ottawa says the case could set a precedent for a broad range of other social programs and end up costing the federal treasury up to $80 million.
"George was a leader in the lesbian and gay community in fighting discrimination and demanding equal respect," said Douglas Elliott, Hislop's lawyer."
Sorry - you can't DEMAND respect.
He'll long be forgotten as irrelevant.
And there's the problem. Most people are simply NOT going to respect something as nasty as homosexuality. It's not going to happen. The government can force silence I suppose, but respect is only real if it is given freely. In the meantime, the government must oppress the freedom of the many in order to serve the perversity of a few. At least that's what the activists want.
Where do you draw the line. An elderly parent, a live in of the opposite sex, a retarded child, your best friend, a really close and long time sex partner, your disabled brother or sister, your pet. They want respect and to be treated the same, but at the same time want exceptions to what everyone else gets.
lets send all of these people to muslim countries so they can have all the rights and benefits they deserve
I hope 'Slop like barbecue.
I hope they seal his remains in concrete and put a biohazard symbol around it.
respect isn't always given where it has been EARNED... and they Demand it??? please.
I'm just thankful he wasn't 69. I need to stay serious today and can't afford to get the giggles.
AMF George.
David Horowitz has suggested that conservatives abandon the word "Liberal" to describe people who are more accurately described as "Leftists". The word "Liberal" has a long and honorable history when used to describe something that is open, wide-reaching and abundant such as "Liberal Arts".
Words have meaning and allowing the homosexuals to define our terminology by appropriating a fine word like "GAY" to describe their mental illness and moral depravity is bad enough. That we should accept such twisted usage is worse.
Who?
Don't they generally prefer 'queer' as far as nomenclature goes?
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