Untitled Notes

Canadian Women's History: Pro-Family Countermovements (1919-Present)

Class Title: History 260.2 - Canadian Women's History: 1919 to the Present
Class Date: March 25, 2025
Key Topics:
- Understanding Pro-Family Countermovements
- The role of abortion and R.E.A.L. Women
- The impact and activism of Gay Caswell and the Queer Community

Definition of a Countermovement:
- Organized groups reacting to perceived threats against their existing social status.
- Emerge as a response to societal changes, notably second-wave feminism.
- Built on hierarchical power structures.
Understanding Pro-Family:
- Emphasizes traditional marriage and family structures during the Cold War.
- The ideal family unit promoted was heterosexual, monogamous, and permanent.
- Many women expected to fulfill roles as wives and mothers based on societal teachings from their upbringing.
Church Influence:
- Fundamentalist and Catholic churches supported the pro-family movement.
- Many women found community support through church organizations.
Key Church Document: Humanae Vitae (1968)
- Stated opposition to abortion and sterilization, reinforcing traditional family roles.
Church's Role:
- Provided resources (financial and social) to support pro-family movements.
- Actively preached against divorce, adultery, and alternative sexualities.

Formation of Early Pro-Family Groups:
- Alberta Federation of Women United for Families (1981): Founded in response to anti-abortion activists being banned from conferences.
R.E.A.L. Women:
- Established in 1983, stands for "Realistic, Equal, Active, and, for Life".
- Claims to represent the views of what they term "real women"; rejects perceived inauthentic women that feminists support.
Anti-Abortion Roots of R.E.A.L. Women:
- Survey showed that 85% of its members were also part of anti-abortion groups.
- Advocated for abstinence-only education instead of comprehensive sex education.
Core Beliefs:
- Emphasizes traditional family roles based on Christian principles.
- Defines family roles as distinct, with husbands as heads and wives as their supportive 'hearts'.
- Argues that abandoning these roles leads to meaningless lives.
Opposition to Feminist Ideals:
- Critiques feminists for promoting values seen as destructive to family life.
- Specifically opposed universal daycare, affirmative action, and equal pay initiatives.
Legal Context: R v. Morgentaler (1988)
- Legalization of abortion shifted the focus of R.E.A.L. Women from solely pro-life to broader pro-heterosexual activism.

Anita Bryant:
- Raised in a Baptist family, gained fame as a beauty queen and gospel singer.
- Became a prominent anti-queer activist in the late 1970s through her 'Save our Children' campaign.
Queer Activism in Response:
- Increased visibility and rights activism following events like the Stonewall Riots (1969).
Impact of HIV/AIDS:
- Epidemic predominantly associated with gay men, fueling negative stereotypes and fears, leading to further marginalization by pro-family movements.
Gay Caswell:
- A politician and activist from Saskatchewan; promoted anti-queer policies and aligned with government initiatives against LGBTQ+ rights.
Countermovement Responses:
- R.E.A.L. Women and other pro-family groups claimed queers targeted children, mirroring Anita Bryant's accusations about a 'homosexual agenda'.
- Rallying against public policy changes, such as those promoting equality for LGBTQ+ individuals.
Legal Struggles: M v. H Supreme Court Case (1999)
- R.E.A.L. Women fought against granting same-sex spousal rights, framing it as a threat to traditional marriage.

Countermovements emerge historically as a resistance to societal change.
Analyzing the dynamic between social movements and countermovements reveals the complexities of progress and historical cycles.