Stories Best Left Untold by Gordon Mackintosh

Author:Gordon Mackintosh [Mackintosh, Gordon]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Biography & Autobiography, Political
ISBN: 9781927855744
Google: cIsbMQAACAAJ
Goodreads: 35060513
Publisher: Great Plains Publications
Published: 2017-05-15T00:00:00+00:00

19

Northern Rights

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credit: Winnipeg Free Press

Manitoba is now a world leader with its legal recognition of same-sex relationships, but it didn’t happen painlessly.

You accept petitions for long overdue constitutionally-required action with a smile, and then you want to curl into a fetal position. And you get ‘er done.

Although I’d worked for the Canadian and Manitoba human rights commissions, my introduction to human rights began when I was seven. My sister, Charlotte, was in the high school UN club and an exchange student from Ghana stayed with us, Agnes Adu. Before her arrival, I was prepped because I’d never met an African, let alone one in traditional dress. Uncle Jim’s mother prepped him for a guest, saying, “Now Jimmy, the man coming for supper doesn’t have any hair but you don’t have to say anything, right?” At dinner, Jimmy exclaimed, “And he doesn’t have any eyebrows either.” My prep paid off; Mom and Charlotte made meeting Agnes very special. I was reluctant at first though. She held my hand! I kept the photo. It was a great lesson.

I wasn’t destined for the UN yet. My elementary school project on Cuba was a beauty. The map was outstanding thanks to the green Laurentian Coloured Pencils, not too sharp. I announced Cuba was on an island. I described the climate, industries, politics and offered this insight: “The Cubans are very excitable.” That wasn’t some imagined stereotype. That was from I Love Lucy. Ricky Ricardo. I’m confident a teacher today would challenge my analysis. A teacher might note that Lucy McGillicuddy was even more excitable. Of course having Gaelic blood.

As Justice critic, I spoke to a large gathering of unionized, blue-collar “workers of colour” about race issues and the role of the Manitoba Human Rights Commission. I commented that, due to a growing backlog, “It’s perceived that long-standing complaints of discrimination are going into a black hole.” I said mediation could help address this. Immediately after, a Caribbean-Canadian stood up outraged I’d denigrated black people. After a brief exchange to discover his objection, he admitted the term “black hole” set him off. And he said phrases like “a dark day” made his skin colour negative. I sucked it up and pondered another lesson.

I was asked to address Citizenship Court at St. John’s High School in 2010 and good thing. About thirty excited families from across the globe were ready to become Canadians. But I announced they couldn’t proceed to become true Canadians, to surprised looks from officials, until they repeated after me, “EH!?” They did, and I said, “I can’t hear you,” and they yelled “EH!?” and I said, considering choir directing, “One more time!” and they super-yelled “EH!?” and joined our great nation. Now they’d fit in.

While in opposition, I quickly befriended Diane McGifford, the wonderful Osborne MLA. I think she was elected to keep Gary Doer on his toes and grammatically correct. We worked together on women’s rights issues such as domestic violence and the incarceration of women. We shared an outer office.

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