A Correction

Recently, someone pointed out to me that instead of saying I believe "homosexuality is a sin," it's better to say I believe "the practise of homosexuality is a sin."  And it seems there's a point to be made there.  If a gay person is deliberately celibate or if they're attempting to overcome their behaviour, it may not be necessary or desirable to point them out as sinners--so to speak!?  [We're all sinners, as human beings.  And as a man at a 12-Step meeting said, "If I was perfect, I'd be a saint in heaven!"--And I believe that was pretty much true.]  ***  Would like to add this correction to a post in this blog, "Prejudice or Moral Standards," on January 11, 2011. 

Update--"Doc Hollywood"

On December 20, 2009 in a posting called "Doctor Under Scrutiny" in this blog, I listed some concerns about a particular psychiatrist whom some other parties and I have referred to as "Doc Hollywood."  One of the points that stands out is the mention of "something inappropriate" I said regarding my former landlord/tenant matter.  It has been just recently that I've dealt with this matter more thoroughly.  Is there anything else that still needs to be dealt with?  On April 20, 2010 under "Not Just a 'Millionaire's Hobby,'" I mentioned that when I get past "Doc Hollywood," my business will be settled.  The actual "Doc Hollywood" person retired from his day jobs several years ago and I'm sorry I didn't think to make a note of it at the time.  His comments could still be on record, however, or he might even still consult with police!?--Am not sure what their system has been.  But maybe I'll have to keep a closer eye on this matter!? 

Update--Sexual Harassment Concerns

One of my biggest concerns about sexual harassment against me in the police project has had to do with a woman who told people I was gay and they were trying to force me to "come out."  The police and their contacts, including hospital people and film/TV people, have been involved at times.  In some of my blog posts, I was telling that I had asked the above woman to acknowledge that she made up the story about me and she has failed to respond, so far.  But the woman, herself, is only part of the picture.  She has also told me that she didn't know or care about what stories were being told--whatever her motives were!?  But the police are the other instigators and my contacts and I have been working on this point more recently.  It is a serious issue and there needs to be a time when the police will acknowledge they've been mistaken, if they want to be fair.  From what I've been hearing, I believe some of the police have been getting ready to do so.--And I don't want to rush them but I just wanted to clarify the issues.  NOTE, added on March 6:  It may or may not be accurate to say people were trying to "force" me to come out.  And they weren't trying to force me to be with the woman who told the story.  At any rate, the police seemed to believe the story and they repeated it to a lot of people, many of whom also repeated it.  It can be frustrating to constantly hear about it, when I've told the police I'm not gay, whether the matter was legally seen as sexual harassment or not.  A legal case would depend on if it was based on the grounds covered by the laws, such as employment and also displaying a sign or image [a film?] in public.  There are points that could be debated.  But lawyers would be able to advise better on the finer points of the law. 

Still Trying

Am still sending mail to my official contacts and trying to negotiate a settlement.  Maybe one of these days we'll get there!?  [Working on it!]  ***  And it's not just about money, of course.  There are a number of considerations.

They Also Erred--part 2

When I went to the Ontario Rental Housing Tribunal, I didn't know how to present my case for sexual harassment or discrimination properly.  I didn't fill out the application forms correctly and I didn't know exactly how the law applied to my case.  My instincts told me I was being harassed--one way or another--but I didn't know how to make the case legally.  [And you have to have more than your instincts as evidence!]  It was only later that I went to the Ontario Human Rights Commission and got some help from them and from a free lawyer.  I would've gotten better help from the OHRC, which normally handled these kinds of cases, but I didn't know enough at the time.  Also, the OHRC took such a long time investigating their cases that it would've been stressful for me in the meantime.  [It's a long story about everything and I have a limited amount of time on the Internet.]  But to be fair, I'll say that I could've done better in my presentation to the ORHT--if I'd known how.

They Also Erred

When I began writing about the past landlord/tenant matter in 2009 in this blog, I didn't mention that the Ontario Rental Housing Tribunal had also made a mistake in their decisions during my hearing in 1998.  There was a serious error according to human rights law and it made a difference to my case.  If this kind of error had been made in a regular court, I believe it would've been grounds for an appeal.  But because of the processes of the Housing Tribunal and because the Ontario Human Rights Code wasn't prosecuted in the regular courts, there wasn't a possibility of an appeal for the above reason.  There was actually no final decision imposed by the Tribunal because my landlady and I were encouraged to make a settlement between us, which we did.  But you never know what might've been different if the Tribunal hadn't erred!  Anyway, I wanted to point out that I wasn't the only one who made a mistake.

It Hasn't Been Easy

Even if I've had some positive experiences since my landlord/tenant matter happened, I don't mean to say it's been easy!  It sure hasn't been--and that's an understatement!  I would've needed to have not just a lawyer at my hearing but one who was knowledgeable about human rights.  It certainly would've helped!  But I didn't know how to find one at the time and also I was on a low income.  [Sometimes the lawyers accept Legal Aid and sometimes not.]  It had been announced in the news in 1998 that clients didn't need to have lawyers to go before the Ontario Rental Housing Tribunal; and I had thought that for once I'd try to do something myself.  I had been on social assistance for a time and it seemed like I'd already had help from a lot of places.  But I sought whatever free legal advice was available outside of the hearings. And I did receive some good counsel [at different times] but it was a very complicated case--in spite of the fact that the Ontario Rental Housing Tribunal had a simplified system.  [The Ontario Human Rights Commission would've taken a number of years to handle my case.]  I had no human rights advice until some time after my hearing had been held. 

I Was Partially Incorrect

Continuing from the very first blog post, and the notes added on January 8 and January 24, 2013:  The way that my politically-incorrect comments came across was a little more serious than I realized.  Basically what happened was that I called my landlady gay without her permission to do so.--And it also seemed that I was being nosy and/or accusing her for being gay.  But as I've indicated, I wasn't saying what I really meant to say.  There was more to the story--and the law--than what I was able to express adequately at the hearing.  Also, it's possible my landlady wasn't guilty of sexual harassment but that she discriminated against me on the basis of my sexual orientation which was different from hers.  I was straight and she was gay.  And that's not the way we usually hear of discrimination cases going--usually it's straight people discriminating against the minority which are gay.  But the reverse is also possible; and maybe that's why my case has been so complicated!  [Have been discussing this matter with my official sources and we're continuing.--We're not quite done yet.]  Will update my blog further when I have time.--Don't have internet service at home and am limited to use at the libraries.  [I also have to spend time with my official writing which goes out to my sources.] ******  A past prime minister of Canada, Pierre Trudeau, had made a comment something like, "The government has no business in the bedrooms of the nation."  And I believe it was a valid point.  An argument like this was made at my hearing and if we had stopped there, the case might've been different!  And I really want to emphasize that I don't disagree with this idea.  But my case went a lot further and maybe we'll get to a conclusion yet--as far as discussing the matter goes.  [Have stated I'm not trying to prosecute my landlady any longer.]