Steinbach deserves better from politicians

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 23/06/2016 (3404 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Steinbach is the most generous city in Canada, according to statistics released last year. In all the nation, Steinbach residents give more to charity than anywhere else. Indeed, southeast Manitoba, with its small towns and villages, is also very giving. These figures are something Provencher MP Ted Falk proudly pointed out in a blog post in early 2015.

It’s hard to reconcile the generosity of people who live in Steinbach with the less-than-generous response from its elected representatives at various levels, including Mr. Falk, toward the LGBTTQ* community.

In March, organizers announced Steinbach would host its first Pride parade July 9. Invitations were sent out to the Steinbach mayor and the area’s MLA and MP. All three declined to attend.

At first, Mr. Falk said the parade conflicted with his commitment to attend the St. Pierre-Jolys Frog Follies. But the president for the annual festival, Marie-Christine Bruce, encouraged Mr. Falk to attend the parade.

“This is the first Pride event (for Steinbach). It is historic and important,” Ms. Bruce said. “It is 2016. Don’t hide your feelings behind a prior commitment.”

MLA Kelvin Goertzen and Mayor Chris Goertzen also declined to attend the parade and provided little reason for the snub.

The Hanover School Division (which operates in Steinbach) decided it would not implement policy that acknowledges LGBTTQ* issues in the middle-school. Board vice-chairman Rick Peters said just because he disagreed with the request, he wasn’t homophobic. “I do not have fear of them, which is what phobia is. Phobia is a fear, I’m not scared of them, I simply don’t agree with that lifestyle,” he said.

Michelle McHale, a mother from the Steinbach area, made the policy request to the HSD. She is also the organizer for the local Pride parade. She said she’s faced some backlash over her activism but she’s also received support.

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There seems to be a disconnect between the behaviour of the elected representatives and residents of Steinbach. For example, around 200 people attended a vigil in the city this month for the victims of the June 12 shooting in a gay nightclub in Orlando, Fla., that left 49 people dead. As well, Ms. McHale said she’s received letters of support from residents of rural Manitoba saying they support her stance. She also said church groups have reached out and shown their support.

Clearly, the elected officials of Steinbach aren’t really representing all their constituents. Unfortunately, their actions paint the whole area as being anti-inclusionary.

That’s not Steinbach.

Mayor Goertzen knows that. In 2013, he talked about the positive effect immigration is having on the city and its economy. First, at a conference in Morden, he spoke about the importance of diversity, saying it’s an asset for the community because it allows people to look at things differently. Later, in a year-end interview, he said: “I’m really proud of how longer-term citizens of Steinbach have embraced immigration. We know this is a good thing for our city, it’s a good thing for our economy, and it’s a good thing for our life experience.”

There’s that generosity again. The citizens of Steinbach deserve better from their politicians, who seem to pick and choose what diversity they should embrace. They deserve representatives who uphold their spirit of openness and tolerance and are leaders for their constituents.