"So, is that a right in your country?"

Prime Minister Stephen Harper is being hailed as a hero by gay and lesbian rights activists and other progressive groups in Uganda, for taking a tough stand with the country's president regarding pending changes to the country's laws. The new law would add to Uganda's already draconian codes concerning homosexuality and provides for life sentences for "homosexual acts" and the death sentence for the ridiculous charge of "aggravated homo-sexuality".

Harper, along with President Obama and British PM Gordon Brown, has strongly voiced his concerns over these abhorred laws. However, the news today that the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration Jason Kenny, had mentions of: the decriminalization of homosexuality, the right against discrimination based on sexual orientation and gay marriage removed from the citizenship study guide, seems very contradictory.

Perhaps they think that it is implied that these rights exist in Canada, but don't they think it may be important to tell someone immigrating, from say Uganda, that we respect all members of our society. No one was asking the government to include a whole chapter or even a few pages on these rights, just a paragraph or two. Instead they offer up a photo-caption of a gay athlete, noting he is a well known activist.

The exclusion of information about these rights and Canadian values is wrong in a number of ways. How can the government lecture the Ugandan's about their approach to such issues, when they themselves seem either embarrassed, unsupportive, or unaware (or any combination of those three) - that equal rights for all is a fact of life in our country? It's like were saying from our moral high-horse "Hey what you're doing over there is wrong, but we don't want to tell you about what our laws are like."

Secondly, it is unfair to those who use the guide. It puts them at a disadvantage in trying to learn about the cultural and political nuances of the country. Whether they support gay-marriage or are opposed to it, potential citizens need to know that this is the law. Just because most on the right are in opposition to these laws, does not make them disappear. The study guide presents an optimized conservative view of our country, instead of the politically neutral, factual guide we should be providing new-comers with. Bureaucratic staffers recommended including the information, but instead political whims determined what would be contained in a publication essential to those striving to gain a true understanding of Canada.

Lastly, it is greatly disrespectful to all those who have worked to defend against discrimination of all forms and the democratic process , to not include this information in the citizenship guide. To reduce the progress our society has made to a caption under a glossy photo, does not properly convey how much equal rights are valued in Canadian society.

At a time when the poor and marginalized in the world need Canada's voice and support in defence of their human rights, we should not be sweeping knowledge of our rights and freedoms under the rug. We should be lifting them up, as an example for the world to follow.