Fox News Radio asked me: Why'd ya leave America?

On Tuesday a reporter from ABCNews.com emailed me asking me about why I moved to Canada from the US.  I called him back and he included some of my comments in a article on "record numbers" of Americans moving to Canada. The  next day a producer from Fox News radio asked if I would talk about my move on Alan Colmes's show.  I said yes, and got an ear full from right wing callers happy that I had left, leaving America a better country without me.

I am a communications consultant by profession - this means that it's my job to get stories placed through years of hard work and strategic planning.  I then get the spotlight placed for others to speak from.  So this experience has been fun for me, since it wasn't planned in the least and I am speaking only for myself.  Also, I work with local organizations, not national ones - so we don't work with media outside of local dailies, weeklies and nightly newscasts.  All of a sudden, without any effort or intent, I'm having my 15 minutes and a chance to explain why I left for Canada.

This is from the ABCNews.com article:

One recent immigrant is Tom Kertes, a 34-year-old labor organizer who moved from Seattle to Toronto in April.

Kertes attributes his motivation to President Bush's opposition to gay marriage, and the tactics employed during the war on terror since 9/11.

"I wanted a country that respected my human rights and the rights of others," he says.

There's one quote attributed to me that I don't think represents what I think, which is that a reason to move to Canada is for the "free health care." The health care isn't free, we just share the costs in a more equitable way and it's treated like a human right and not a luxury item.  I do think Canada is a better place to be if you have a health emergency, since you're less likely to go bankrupt because of it - but it's not free and that's not why I'd like my family to join me.

On the Fox radio show I said that I moved to Canada because my love for American values is so great.  I believe that the values of respect, dignity, democracy, tolerance, liberty and rule of law matter.  Countries that brag about torture and lock up the accused in secret jails are a threat to these values and I think we need to take urgent action to safeguard democracy and human rights in the world.

Most of the callers were nasty and mean.  Many said that they were glad to see me go, now there's one less gay man in America.  One caller, from Canada, wanted me to go back to America since as a gay man (read: AIDS) I am going to raise his health care costs.  

What surprised me was that the attacks were against my stance on human rights for gay and lesbian persons.  Nobody challenged my assertion that torture and illegal wars and occupations of aggression were taking place.  Rather than defend the morality of these actions, or at least challenge my assertions about them, the callers attacked me because I am gay.

I am not leaving the US only because of gay marriage, although that is a reason for moving to Canada.  I am leaving because the fight against civil marriage rights is used to advance an overall agenda in opposition to basic human rights values.  The issues are related, and I don't like either side of the relationship.  I am personally attacked in order for politicians to get and use power against democracy, respect and dignity.

Why I Moved to Canada