Hold your nose, mark an X

How much corruption can we swallow? How do you balance dignity and queer rights with the allegations of millions of misdirected dollars the federal Liberal Party has showered on its friends? Gomery Inquiry testimony is terrifying gay and lesbian activists, who are already beginning to rationalize the need for everyone to ignore their revulsion and keep casting ballots for the Liberals. After all, we have a minority government, and an election call forced by opposition parties makes sense. But the timing also guarantees a Conservative victory -- and this gang of  nasties have tried their darnedest to set gays against visible and religious minorities in the last few months. Things can only get worse.

I've heard gays say that all political parties are corrupt, so vote for the Liberals anyway. I expect to soon read that the millions lost to graft are but a drop in the bucket, barely a few pennies in each individual tax bill. And on and on.

In the United States, a substantial number of gay people voted for victorious incumbent Republican George Bush in November, agreeing that gay issues alone were not as important as fighting terrorism ( "Gays Explain why they voted for Bush"). I predict that here in Canada, many just won't vote at all. The whole corrupt cycle will repeat. I suppose that's what politicians want, in the end: as little participation as possible makes their job easier.