From: eye@io.org (eye WEEKLY) Newsgroups: soc.motss,alt.censorship,can.general,bc.general,io.eye Subject: Space For Rant: Censoring Little Sister's Date: 22 Sep 1994 12:05:59 -0400 Organization: Toronto's Arts Newspaper Lines: 86 Message-ID: <35sa17$8oe@ionews.io.org> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ eye WEEKLY September 22 1994 Toronto's arts newspaper .....free every Thursday ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ SPACE FOR RANT SPACE FOR RANT DEFEND THE FREEDOM TO READ IN CANADA by JANINE FULLER VANCOUVER -- Over the last four-and-a-half years, Little Sister's bookstore has been engaged in a lawsuit against the Canadian government. The case began as a result of continued customs seizures of gay and lesbian material coming into Canada from the United States. Many of you are probably aware that the Glad Day bookstore in Toronto has been enduring similar harassment by Canada Customs for far too long. This is a precedent-setting constitutional challenge to Canada Customs' censorship power. The case itself has been delayed on three separate occasions, as well as surviving one "motion to adjourn" brought forward by the crown in 1993. The court costs to date have been estimated at $80,000, with an additional $100,000 or more needed to cover the court costs to the conclusion of the trial. In the past, the B.C. Civil Liberties Association has, as co-plaintiffs, taken on a significant amount of the financial responsibilities of the case. Unfortunately they are under financial constraints and are able to donate only $30,000 of the $100,000 needed. To date, through our fundraising efforts, we have raised $30,000, but we must raise a minimum of $50,000 more for this case to proceed through the courts to a successful conclusion. This is the first time a broad-based legal challenge to Canada Customs' censorship powers has been brought forward. We have assembled a number of witnesses who will testify about their experience with Canada Customs' censorship decisions, and the importance that erotica plays in their personal, literary and social lives. These include Pat Califia, Nino Ricci, Jane Rule and Carol Vance. Booksellers from across Canada will be called on to testify as to their experiences with Canada Customs. This is likely to be a controversial and widely reported trial. With PEN International, PEN Canada, the American Booksellers Association, the Canadian Booksellers Association and the International Booksellers Association all adopting resolutions denouncing the Canadian government's censorship practices, it is time for all Canadians concerned with free speech to come out in support of this court case. Now is the time to do your part to help defend the freedom to read in Canada. Please help us by sending your tax-deductible donation to: Little Sister's Defence Fund, 1221 Thurlow St., Vancouver, B.C. V6E 1X4, or call (604) 669-1753 for further information. Janine Fuller is the manager of Little Sister's bookshop in Vancouver. BENEFITS FOR LITTLE SISTER'S 1. Into, a comedy by Dave Carley, Theatre Passe Muraille, 16 Ryerson Ave., Sept. 27, 8 p.m. sharp. $20. 2. An evening of performance art, literary readings, music, sex and controversy. Tickets $10 advance. $15 door. Oct. 31, The BamBoo, 312 Queen St. W. Tix to both events at Toronto Women's Bookstore and Pages. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Retransmit freely in cyberspace Author holds standard copyright Full issue of eye available in archive ==> gopher.io.org or ftp.io.org Mailing list available http://www.io.org/eye eye@io.org "Break the Gutenberg Lock..." 416-971-8421