Roger Noël: at our (civil) service
More : Bureau de lutte contre l'homophobie, homophobia in Quebec, Justice, Ministere de la Justice, Roger Noel
Though his name and face may be unfamiliar to you, Roger Noël has been a long-time ally to the LGBT community and is about to become our new favourite civil servant (Eat your heart out Quentin Crisp! RIP). As the new coordinator of the new government office set up to fight homophobia (Bureau de lutte contre l’homophobie), this LGBT activist–come-civil servant will be heading the government`s official fight for social equality.
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While welcoming us into his office, filled with boxes, he warns us that it is only temporary. Though the Bureau de lutte contre l’homophobie was created in September of 2011, Noël only moved into his office at the Chambre de la jeunesse at the end of the year. Noël makes a point of letting us know that the fact that they are located in a “youth building” is merely circumstance, citing that homophobia is not strictly experienced by youth, and remains “present throughout the province: in Saguenay, in Abitibi, in the North just as in Montréal.”
While visiting the Ministry of Immigration and Cultural communities, Noël made sure to point out that immigration candidates are also affected by homophobia. Noël made a declaration, which he continues to elaborate, informing the ministry that the respect of LGBT people is a common value of Québec society.
In 2004, he sat as co-secretary of the mixed work group for the fight against homophobia and pursued the conclusions of their report with the elaboration of the Québec policy and action plan to fight homophobia. It seems only natural that he be hired to become the new coordinator of the bureau.
Working efficiently from the background
Once a journalist for Homo Sapiens, he covered the police raids of the Katacombes in 1995 and the next year, he began working for the Cohorte Oméga, researching the medical and social factors that lead to sero-conversion. By 2000, due to a lack of funding, he ended up working in the civil service.
Though his long-time dream was to become a University professor, he does not regret the direction that his career has taken, which he calls working “from the other side of the fence.” By working for the government, he must be more discrete, but Noël believes that he can “work more efficiently from the background.” When asked what is his goal as coordinator of the bureau, he states: “Homophobia must be eradicated, because it is the factor that impedes us from reaching social equality. I work to establish social equality for LGBT people.”
His history of activism is known, respected and even shared amongst his superiors. “We always get the impression that the government is a monstrous bureaucratic tool being controlled by private interests. I can assure you that the state is the reflection of all of society’s greatest preoccupations, and participates in social progress by adopting causes like the fight against homophobia.” In return, Roger Noël insists upon his duty to be reserved and to remain “professional”. For though he has not personally experienced homophobia, he keeps a bitter memory of a civil servant who had insinuated that he favoured certain projects because of his history as an activist, and raised doubts about “his loyalty towards [his] employer.”
Homophobia, the last obstacle towards social equality
But discretion is not the key in every context: au contraire, he believes that openly-gay public personalities provide youth with much-needed role models. When Roger was growing up, he had no male gay role models with which he could identify. For him, there were even “anti-role models” such as Christian Lalancette, the hairdresser from the TV series Chez Denise. “But today, I’ve discovered the full spectrum of gay life. I know some extraordinary people and I live a happy and full life.”
Though homophobic intimidation of teens has gotten more and more attention lately in the media, he reminds us that the issue is far from new and continues to affect peoples’ mindsets and their way of presenting themselves to society. And though young people today have access to so many more resources, and a Village where they can express themselves, he believes that “the weight of [coming out of the closet] is as powerful as when I came out.” (He was 18 at the time). “It was my parents that asked me, ‘You’re brother thinks that you’re gay,’ and I said ‘yes.’” Though his honesty and his conviction helped dissipate his worries and prejudices, he never stopped affirming that it is society that is sick and has a problem with gays.
For more on the Bureau de lutte contre l’homophobie, check out:
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