Justin Trudeau, speaking ex-cathedra, as leader of the Liberal Party of Canada, made a decidedly final pronouncement on the issue of abortion: "I have made it clear that future candidates need to be completely understanding that they will be expected to vote pro-choice on any bills." This pronouncement is decidedly illiberal, and something one usually expects to hear from only the most noxious, left-leaning ideologue. Given Justin Trudeau's heritage, I would have expected a more nuanced stance on the issue. His father, Pierre Elliott Trudeau, former Minister of Justice and Prime Minister in Liberal governments in the latter half of the 20th century is remembered for his stand on personal liberty and his faith (he was a practicing Roman Catholic).

On personal liberty, particularly on matters of sexuality, Minister of Justice Trudeau famously observed in 1967 "obviously, the state's responsibility should be to legislate rules for a well-ordered society. It has no right or duty to creep into the bedrooms of the nation." It was Prime Minister Trudeau who enacted the Constitution Act and the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms in 1982. The opening sentence reads "Whereas Canada is founded upon principles that recognize the supremacy of God and the rule of law." Section 2 of the Charter guarantees freedom of conscience and religion. Justin Trudeau, it seems, has decided to strip members of the Liberal Party of Canada of their right to freedom of conscience and religion, at least as it applies to the controversy over abortion.

I find Justin Trudeau's stance on the issue untenable. What he implies is that the issue of abortion is settled, that there be no further discussion. He could not be more mistaken. Abortion is an issue that needs to be addressed and all points of view merit consideration. As a conservative who leans toward the libertarian camp, I am prepared to tolerate the pro-choice position, though I do not approve. I am in favour of what could be described as the pro-compromise position. While abortion should remain legal, the fact remains society has a stake in the status of the unborn, and this needs to be addressed in Canadian law.

The publication "Crimes Against the Foetus," published by the Law Reform Commission of Canada in 1989 includes several recommendations for amendments to Canadian law in this regard. In effect, these recommendations, if enacted, would make wrongful harm to the foetus criminal, rather than abortion. Abortion would remain a legal surgical procedure with no restrictions in the first twelve weeks of pregnancy and with limitations brought to bear, maintaining society's stake in the status of the unborn, in the latter stages of pregnancy. The Law Reform Commission of Canada concluded such legislation is consistent with the Common Law and Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

I join in discussions of religion on the internet and come across a wide range of opinion. Lately, there is a great deal of discussion over the Sweet Cakes Bakery in Oregon, namely, the judgement against its owners who refused to bake a wedding cake for a lesbian couple. $135,000 was awarded to the lesbian couple for "emotional damages." I do not know all the details surrounding this case, but that said I think this judgement is excessive. News of this judgement is generating a great deal of anti-gay sentiment in the discussions of religion in which I take part. I knew all along there are people who dislike gay people, but in my own life have had the good fortune to largely avoid coming across people who think this way. However, knowing there are people like this kept me from coming out once and for all until 2012. I spent most of my life living anonymously as a gay man in and out of relationships until forming a lasting relationship with Mika. A select few friends and family knew the whole truth about me. When I came out in 2012, I braced myself for a flood of angry comments and discontinued friendships on Facebook and losing hunting buddies. As it turned out, the response I feared never came to pass. No one cares that I am gay, including my Muslim hunting buddies and Christian friends on Facebook.  I am truly very fortunate.

That is not to say I am never confronted by anti-gay sentiment in my daily life. I lost an acquaintance many years ago, a man I knew when I served in the Army. I met him some years after we both left the Army and we resumed our acquaintanceship until he started in on all the things the Bible tells us not to do and how he could understand why anyone would choose to be homosexual. Without letting the cat out of the bag, I just stopped interacting with him. There are occasions when I overhear people using anti-gay slurs in public. I remember once having supper at a swanky Greek restaurant with another gay couple and some of our friends. We were seated together at a table, happily eating our meal and quietly going about our business when some cretin at another table made a snide remark about "the faggots" loud enough that everyone in the restaurant could hear. I felt anger welling up inside and expressed my disgust to one of my friends at the table. He calmly advised me to ignore the insult and just try not to let it bother me. Sound advice it was, because when I think about the incident, no one paid any attention to the cretin and his snide remark. All he accomplished was showing everyone in the restaurant want an ignoramus he was. Still, were I the owner of the restaurant, I I would have called him on his obnoxious behaviour and asked him and his date to leave and never return. I do not like rude, vulgar people and prefer not to have them around me. You are free to form your own opinions and to express them, just as long as you understand there are consequences when you do so.

I enjoy writing for my blog, Geoffrey & Mika, I've been writing and publishing articles since 2013. My latest article was published on June 1st. Since then I am suffering a block, the desire to write and inspiration for something to write about is sorely lacking. I have a few drafts filed away, I tinkered with them recently, but this went nowhere. The difficulty is determining a thesis for the article, an insight to put in front of readers in hopes it makes them stop and think.  I hope I get over this block before much longer. There is so much to write about and I am told by those who read my articles my writing is first rate. I wonder how other writers cope when they suffer from writer's block. If anyone has any thoughts on this, please feel free to share them with me.

Russell Tovey is a successful British actor I admire and whose career I follow. He is openly gay, also. Here he is pictured with his older brother Daniel at a charity fundraising event in which they took part. Russell Tovey may be gay, but as he commented recently, he is masculine and happily so. Good for him. I am gay, masculine and happily so too. I am not what you would call a "man's man." I was called "fairy," "faggot," "pansy," "queer," among other things over the years because I prefer classical music and theatre to sports. However, that said, I do not like show tunes, drag and have no use for Judy Garland. I am an amateur actor and play heterosexual characters on stage. I once played a homophobic Catholic priest in a play called "Strange Gods." I am a gun owner and hunter and have a black belt in taekwondo. I dress conservatively and have what is called a "straight appearance." Effeminate men, whether they are gay or straight, do not bother me. Why is it an issue that Russell Tovey and any other number of gay men like me are happily masculine and not ashamed of it?