Tuesday, March 09, 2004 

Contact: Bob Warick
Executive Director
University College of the Fraser Valley
Community Relations and Development
Phone: 604-864-4611
Email: warick@ucfv.ca

 A topic that’s a hot potato in the courts, parliament, and local churches will be the focus of an upcoming seminar at UCFV with visiting UCB law professor Bruce MacDougall. 

MacDougall is author of the book Queer Judgments: Homosexuality, Expression and the Courts in Canada. In the book, he examines dozens of court cases, dating back to the 1960s, and profiles cases where the language used by a judge in a ruling perpetuates a negative stereotype, mostly toward homosexuals. 

UCFV’s Pride Network, along with the Student Union Society, School of Social Work and Services, Cultural and Media Studies, Philosophy and the Political Science departments are all co-sponsoring MacDougall’s seminar and discussion. 

UCFV Pride Network coordinator Marc Sinclair says in light of recent vandalism at the Abbotsford campus of the UCFV Pride Network display, and the highly debated issue of same-sex marriage, MacDougall’s visit couldn’t be more timely. 

“MacDougall deals with issues relating to homosexuals and homosexuality in an attempt to move towards social change,” Sinclair says, “change, in my opinion, which is long overdue, particularly in the Fraser Valley.” 

Sinclair said the attack on the Pride Network display shows that people are still afraid of the idea of homosexuality and homosexuals in their communities. 

“That vandalism, really, was perfect advertising for our event,” Sinclair says. “This is exactly what MacDougall’s book is all about. Judges make decisions in our courts, people decipher those decisions and react in certain ways. Our goal is to make homosexuality and homosexuals more common place and to desensitize this whole issue.” 

Sinclair said MacDougall will probably speak for about 40 minutes and then a question period, which might prove quite lively, will follow. 

“He will talk about his book…and his book primarily explores the language the judiciary use in their decisions, decisions that sometimes enforce and perpetuate negative stereotypes,” Sinclair explains. “MacDougall will explore some of these judicial attitudes in past court decisions, as well as examine some recent examples that influence society today.” 

The seminar, which is sponsored in part by the Leon and Thea Koerner Foundation, takes place March 17, from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. in the Abbotsford Campus Lecture Theatre, Room B101. 

“The need for a speaker such as Bruce MacDougall couldn’t have better timing. A seminar such as this, is a step in the right direction to educate people and ‘de-otherize’ homosexuals and homosexuality,” Sinclair says. “The Pride Network and event sponsors invite people to experience and help create social change.” 

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