Don we now our gay apparel. Or maybe not.

The good news: It's 2009, and Liberal MP Scott Brison proudly sent out a Christmas card, featuring his (same-sex) spouse in the picture.

The bad news: The Globe put the photo on its Politics blog and had to shut down comments to the site. The explanation was given thus: "Editor's Note: This thread has been closed due to hateful, homophobic comments."

 We'll do the same here, by the way, so crazy hateful people should probably just walk away from the keyboard now. Yes, backward, just like that, slowly, hands in the air. There you go. Get outdoors; it'll be good for you.

Comments

[Michael Watkins]

Scott Brison was always one of my favourite Progressive Conservative MPs. What a sense of humour he has.

Maybe this is the time of year to indulge in a little what-if wondering as to what Canada might be liked if Scott Brison or Jim Prentice had won the leadership of the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada, instead of Peter "I am not the merger candidate".

(MacKay's first and only concrete action as leader was in fact to break his word and merge the party. And Peter wonders why he has such a credibility problem...)

[Stratosphear]

Out of all that hateful homophobia there is some positive: comments by you and @wicary etc. make the rest of us - the non-crazy hateful gang - smile.

[wascally wabbit]

Hm - now I'm really looking forward to Sweet John Baird's Xmas Card....

[MyThought]

Well, look how the Globe and Mail presented it - the title Jane Taber used. Is she homophobic? She should have known better because it attracted the haters. It's her own fault.

Taber's title: Canadian Gothic or Brokeback Brisons?

C'mon here - she should apologize.

It's a beautiful photo

[Jason Cherniak]

I'm glad you've chosen to highlight this. The amount of vitriol and hate online needs as much light on it as possible.

[Sarann]

There has been a nastiness let loose in Canada and all the crazies seem to think they have permission to let all their craziness out. I think I know where it stems from and God willing we will be able to stuff it back in the bottle. It is the shadow and in some people it is ascendent. It always puzzles me that some people who call themselves Christians are behind some of this stuff because Christ said 'judge not lest that you be judged' and I think he meant it.

[RealityBites]

And I'm betting that unlike Peter Mackay, that's probably really Brison and St. Pierre's REAL dog, not a prop borrowed from a neighbour!

[Patrick]

To wascally wabbit:
If you read the first paragraph of the G&M article, it explains the title: Scott Brison considers it "Canadian Gothic", but he (Scott) says that there are others who call it "Brokeback Brisons". That dichotomy is highlighted in the title, which goes to the heart of the article: how the image in the card is perceived. There is nothing in Jane Taber's post to suggest she is homophobic and certainly there is nothing for which she should apologize.

[Proud Canadian]

We need more people like Brison in politics -- people who are open and honest rather than people who are just presenting a facade based on what they think will win them an election.

[Cesar Hechler]

The internet is the ideal forum for bigotry, prejudice and various slanderous attacks, there are no instant repercussions as there would be for a face to face situation, and generally the person gets to remain anonymous. Comments editors are going to have to realize that a real name and address are required to maintain civility and genuine debate, not the endless grandstanding and attack tirades.

The benefit of the current atmosphere, though, is the degree of vitriolic rhetoric. Usually that kind of fear and irrationality are signs of a dying ideology. Just as the backwards thinking of yesteryear kept civil rights away from women and blacks, the gay community, especially those that desire to wed or are already wed will fight through it and end up seeing real equality and the vitriolic haters will be the tiny, minor, lunatic fringe that are still upset about women voters and a black U.S. president. Time is on sensibility's side.

[lotuslandorothy]

I wish the comments had stayed open so we could all be aware of who around us are bigoted, conservative zealots. I'd rather know who to not send my holiday cards to than to chance I accidentally be warm and kind to someone so undeserved.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, Scott and Pierre. Its a lovely card.

(P.S. @ wascally wabbit, too true - but can he fit himself, his partner AND his ego on one small card?)

[Darlene]

If you do not like the card you will be labelled homophobic and hateful. Please supress your right to think and express your opinion.

[Patrick]

Oops - I misidentified the early comment - it was MyThought, not wascally wabbit, who had suggested that the G&M title/author were homophobic. I blame the layout for the comments section.

[Alexander Slimnich]

Some people reject the homosexual lifestyle, and reject the homosexual agenda. To some, homosexuality is as objectionable as paedophilia, incest, or bestiality. These people are not "crazy hateful" (wait - aren't newspapers supposed to be objective? When did THAT go out the window?), they simply have a broader definition of perverse sexual preferences/acts. Oh, and throughout the whole world - these people are the majority.

[Tom Rogers]

Many thanks to Scott and Pierre for having the generosity of spirit to show what strength and commitment really mean: Sharing their best wishes TOGETHER to those whom they love and respect in this cheerful season of sharing and caring! I'm sorry, in a way, that their innocent and mutual greeting has become an issue to those whose minds and values are still locked in the 19th century! But the fact that a normal gay couple feel free to express themselves without fear is just another reason why I'm so thankful to live in Canada!
It's too bad there isn't so time-machine to send the bigots back to some time B.C. as slaves to some tyrant who would regard their lives as worthless and expendible as I regard their opinions. Just a thought.

[K.]

"Comments have been closed due to an overwhelming number of hateful and homophobic remarks. We appreciate that readers want to discuss this issue, but we can't allow our site to become a platform for intolerance"

Good for Globe and Mail for shutting off the bigots from spewing their filth. It actually makes me sad though, especially the "overwhelming number" part. One of my very dear friends who lives in the U.S. is gay, and where he lives he will never be allowed to be married. In fact it could possibly be a risk to his life to even be openly gay. And here in Canada a simple picture of two men standing in a field with their dog, creates so many nasty comments that they were forced to close the entire section.
To those that contributed to that happening, I have this to say: There is no more room here for hate. It is not welcome. Hate propogates more hate, and then the cycle never ends. Is that the kind of world you want your spouse, child, parents, siblings and friends to live in?

[James Lush]

So those who are against homosexual so called marriage are crazy and hateful .......... hmmmmmmm i guess im crazy and hateful. but thats my biblical world view