Dear Canada (or, while we're on the topic of Stephen Harper)

Dear Canada,

I am a patriot (even though my national anthem says that girls aren't included in that patriot love business. Ahem. Maybe we could do something about that sometime, hey?). I believe in you, Canada.   Really, I do.  You've done some shitty things in the past, (and the present can look a little dicey sometimes too, frankly). But I still believe in your potential to be a great country.

But by god - if you elect Stephen Harper to be our leader in a majority government- you will quite simply break my heart.

And my dear Canada, while we are discussing the breaking of my heart, do not, do not, do not speak to me about how you are voting for Stephen Harper because of his sound financial policies.  I cannot stand it when people say this kind of shit.  We're talkin' stomping, red-faced, all-kinds of angry and personally offended. 

Notwithstanding the program cuts and absolutely devastating effects his financial policies have to people who live in poverty, and his plans to build Walmart prisons to deal with the ensuing social problems, Stephen Harper is a SOCIAL conservative.  Are we all actually clear on what this means, exactly?  A not-believing-in-evolution-kind-of-social-conservative.  A-women-shouldn't-have-the-right-to-control-their-own-bodies-kind of social conservative.  A-gays-shouldn't-have-the-right-to-get-married-and-adopt/foster/otherwise-make-children-and are-gonna-burn-in-fiery-damnation kind of social conservative.  

Might I remind you, Canada, that this dude came to power campaigning that my family (my family folks...those very people I love and write about all the time, you know, them?) should not have a right to legally exist?   (I wonder how much of Canada would feel as comfortable voting for a a man that argued against legalizing interracial marriage in his campaign?!  Would they protest, OH! But I'm not a racist, it's just that, you know, his fiscal policies are just so very spot-on?).  

I respect democracy.  I do.  Get informed and then vote how you gotta vote, Canada. 
But if you choose to vote for the homophobe, you don't get to ask me and the other queers to respect you in the morning, alrighty?