Canadian writer has laptop seized at border

While it’s completely obvious to the gay community that the border is where civil liberties go to die, it appears that the sentiment is spreading. We’ve always been trend-setters, haven’t we?

Border cops keep us from getting shipments of books (even comic books), delay gay films at the border, and they took this nice gay couple’s laptop. Meanies.

Less than a month after the mainstream press lost its shit (rightfully) over our treatment of Amy Goodman, the tables have turned. Canadian writer Peter Watts claims he was mistreated at the border and that — does this sound familiar? — his laptop and notes were seized.

Comparing it to the Goodman story, the twist here is that the roles are reversed: Amy is an American writer, Peter is Canadian. Amy was hassled by our gaurds, Peter by theirs.

According to reports, Peter had his “computer seized, flash drive confiscated, even my fucking paper notepad
withheld until they could find someone among their number literate
enough to distinguish between handwritten notes on story ideas and, I
suppose, nefarious terrorist plots.”

Zing!

Marcus McCann

Marcus McCann is an employment and human rights lawyer, member of Queers Crash the Beat, and a part owner of Glad Day Bookshop. Before becoming a lawyer, he was the managing editor of Xtra in Toronto and Ottawa.

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