When Straight People Attack

A few months ago I was invited to a friend's house for a mini-vacation. It was a wonderful breath of fresh air. I was introduced to a group of friends of my friend. During the conversations I typically drop some line about being gay. My friend asked me, "Why do gay people have to say they are 'gay'?" I have learned through the years that it really is a self-defence method. "To prevent misinterpretations and to ensure it is well established fact." My friend didn't quite understand but it really is about establishing that I'm not in the "straight" market or available.

A female friend of a friend was walking by and I said "hello" and pleasantly had a talk about things in general like the weather and gardening. A week or so after this conversation, my friend told me his friend thought I was flirting with her. My jaw dropped in amazement of what I was hearing. Can't a gay man be pleasant in the gay neighbourhood to a straight person without it being interpreted as flirting? I guess not. I should have some sorta sticker that says, "gay". Several straight neighbours have said they thought I was straight when they met me at first. It's a curse in disguise.

Originally I had moved to my neighbourhood thinking I was in the gay area and I should be safe. It has been anything but safe. A number of years ago a woman that does not live here started participating in the community. I'm all about gardening and this individual approached me about gardening. It was rather intense gardening stuff and interaction which was a bit "clingy" but I'm into the gardening thing so it was cool with me. All-of-a-sudden this individual turned mean, very mean. What I now realize is that this individual had "ear-marked" me as a "boy-toy". Once someone had informed this individual that I'm gay and have a boyfriend, I was not available for what they wanted and was declared "the enemy". I had no clue what was going on or why this woman became so mean so tried to avoid any contact. From this point forward I was a target. This individual did aquire another tenant for the purposes that they set-out for who was then recruited for mob bullying. I was not made aware when I moved to my current residence that I'd be subject to sexual predation. When this individual became the landlord, it became the most unpleasant intense mob bullying scene a nice gay guy should endure.

I'm not surprised the current mob bullying group are comprised of mostly straight people in a position of power. They've all been led to believe something different from the truth. I was previously made out to be someone completely different than I am. I'm a pleasant, helpful, thoughtful, respectful, honest person that has been discriminated for being gay. Considering I live in a gay neighbourhood, it isn't much of a surprise there is little to no recognition of the gay pride parade or anything gay. It's like a straight world in the middle of the gay ghetto. I respect and appreciate the straight people I have as neighbours and friends that are respectful to me.

Maybe I should just wear a rainbow feather boa to be clear from now on.

Privacy Breaching

Just over a year ago I was planning a trip south so that I could avoid the painful affects of Seasonal Affective Disorder. I had spent quite a bit of time preparing my vehicle to drive into the unknown to counter the negative affects of the "dark season". As I needed to prevent any problems with my housing situation, my doctor so graciously prepared a letter of support. I dropped this off to BC Housing as the funding and rules associated with subsidized housing were established by BC Housing. I was debating how to approach my landlord and deliver the letter.

On a day I was feeling rather unwell, I decided to catch-up on my laundry. As I was doing my laundry, my landlord entered and started a discussion. At first I couldn't figure out what the landlord was talking about but I started realizing through the discussion that my landlord knew quite a bit about my planned trip. I wasn't sure if it was the gossip mill that had informed my landlord or what. My landlord stated they had received the letter from BC Housing. I was informed by the landlord that BC Housing had faxed the letter containing confidential health information to my landlord without my knowledge or approval. I hadn't been given the chance to figure out how to deal with it. I was being confronted by my landlord about a private matter in a public space and I had no way of controlling this breach or the manner it was being addressed. My landlord also stated that they had contacted my doctor to discuss the matter. I don't blame the doctor as the letter did state, "feel free to contact me." The doctor presumed I had given the letter to my landlord and that I have a normal landlord.

It became abundantly clear that BC Housing did not respect my privacy and neither did my landlord. At first I ignored this as a possible anomaly but with additional breaches of my privacy, it appears to be "the norm" with my landlord. Under PIPA (Personal Information Protection Act [SBC 2003] CHAPTER 63)
Part 9 — Care of Personal Information

Protection of personal information

34  An organization must protect personal information in its custody or under its control by making reasonable security arrangements to prevent unauthorized access, collection, use, disclosure, copying, modification or disposal or similar risks.

This particular situation was a significant breach by BC Housing and my landlord. There also seems to be multiple breaches between the landlord and "preferred tenants" as many of the "in the know" tenants seem to know far too much about vulnerable tenants than they should. The whole purpose behind PIPA is to ensure an individual has control over their personal information. Once this is breached, it is a free-for-all.

I often wonder about the emails I get from my landlord. Not at any time did I approve or were asked if I'd like to be added to the distribution list. In addition, several emails expose my email address to all of the tenants where I live. Did anyone think to check PIPA for email related issues? Nope. How do you tease an ostracized and excluded tenant from the community? Send them emails about activities that they're not allowed to participate in that you know they'd be interested in. I'm not biting. They call that "bait and hook" and it is childish.

Last year, during a bout of bullying by the mob, the landlord joined in and used BC Housing subsidy applications to bully. On the third application I asked my parents to drop off the application as I did not feel comfortable looking in the eyes of liars. Much to my amazement, the landlord pulled my parents into a meeting that I neither authorized or knew was going to happen to discuss me. The first thing my landlord said to my parents, “We know (tenant) has mental health issues and we have been very accommodating towards him.” Wow Nelly! Now there's a Human Rights violation if I've ever heard one. I am familiar with bullies discrediting the target as "mentally ill", but to the target's parents? On an unauthorized meeting? Talk about breach-o-rama! In addition to all of this, a board member of the housing complex followed my mother down the back lane a block from the complex to the car where I sat. When I pointed this out to my mother the individual scurried off like a rat.

Privacy is important to ensure fair and honest treatment and to ensure accountability. Unfortunately, when there is little regard for privacy there is no trust.

The New Sheriff In Town

Quite a few years ago a community gathering was held with the, then, new landlord. A variety of community members were in attendance including a friend and neighbour. My friend observed the new landlord making inappropriate sexual advances on one of the tenants. She approached the new landlord and adviced him to back-down. The new landlord's reply, "I'm the New Sheriff in Town!" From this point forward my friend and neighbour was a target for relentless bullying. Luckily, it was determined that this individual had a white-collar crime history, demonstrated in a Canadian law database, to which I brought up and a hasty departure, "due to health reasons". It was amusing to watch the budget change from healthy to not so good in such a short time. I realize I am bullied because I am a whistleblower.

 In the complex I live in, I have a friend who I've known for a number of years. One day I visited him to say hello. He was crying that he had to return his box heater outlined in a letter from the landlord. "What's wrong? Don't your heaters work?", I said. "No", was his reply and his apartment was quite cold. "How long has it been like this?", I asked. "A year". I looked at his heater and, sure enough, it wasn't working. I decided to check the heaters in the cold hallways and they were also not working. The entire building had been without heat for an entire year. I understood why the tenants had not spoken up as they are either all or almost all BC Housing subsidized tenants. They were concerned about losing their home if they speak-up so either you live in cold and keep your home or speak up, get heat and lose your home. Being a subsidized tenant myself, I phoned the office and advised them that there was no heat in the building. I guess that's one of the reasons I'm a target. Kind of an "unheated" topic.

This same friend asked me a few weeks ago if he should go to the police as the landlord has relentlessly accused him of being a drug dealer. How do you prove a negative? Having known this fellow for a number of years I am fully aware he is not a drug dealer. He is, though, a social person and has many friends. Culturally speaking, english is not his first language and his ethnic cultural background, which is Latin American, is social in nature. So, if you have a number of friends, you are labelled a "drug dealer". I think back to the Citizenship ceremony of another friend and the Citizenship judge discussing the importance of respecting different cultural backgrounds as a Canadian value. One could easily say that the landlord is encouraging and participating in discrimination based on ethnicity. By mentioning this, I am concerned he may lose his housing.

In a society that encourages "Have" over "Have-Nots", the differences in rights, dignity and respect granted to the "Have-Nots" diminish with each passing moment. As a prime example, the housing complex I live in has BC Housing "subsidized housing" and "market-rate" housing, which really isn't "market" as it is also subsidized. Over a number of years the "market-rate" tenants have become the "Have" and the "subsidized tenants" are the "Have-Nots". The market-rate tenants enjoy quick repair services, regular maintenance, access to all amenities and services, power influence of the landlord and society board of directors, dignity and respect. The subsidized housing tenants are subject to less building maintenance, limited access to amenities and services, little to no respect and dignity and discrimination. A market-rate tenant who possesses a great deal of power and has been a stalker and bully towards me once expressed that the subsidized housing was only meant as "temporary housing". I liken the situation to classism based on socio-economic position in housing.

It is without question that writing about this issue will result in my eviction. It is my fundamental freedoms of conscience, thought, and expression, amongst others, that I exercise according to the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms that I write this blog.

Right Rights, Right?

Yesterday was a great day! My friend became a Canadian Citizen. He was smiling from ear to ear. I was proud to be there at this most important ceremony in his life. I jokingly told him that the honeymoon is over and the abuse starts now. During the ceremony the citizenship judge went over many important aspect of being a Canadian. The importance of volunteering, respecting diversity, learning the languages and the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Oh ya, there's them rights we're supposed to have. I'd beg to differ from experience.

In the past year alone, my rights under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms have had multiple violations. In addition, my rights under the Personal Information Protection Act (PIPA), Residential Tenancy Act, Human Rights Act and the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities have been violated on a number of occasions. I'm sure I'm missing additional breaches that have occured at the hands of my landlord. You know what they say, "Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Great men are almost always bad men." John Emerich Edward Dalberg Acton, First Baron Acton (1834–1902). Power goes to the heads of those that have it. For the power hungry, checks and balances are the obstacles. When the loss of your home is dangled infront of you as the result of protecting and standing up for your rights, the powers have far too much power. It is a disgrace to say I'm a Canadian with a landlord that is corrupt. Have we lost our way with who we are as Canadians? The very rights we proudly embellish to new Canadians are the rights that many Canadians do not have at the hands of Canadians with power. How quick we so easily forget what we have had.

To life, liberty, and security of the person.

Stalker Persona

For years I have been a subject of stalking and mob bullying in Vancouver. It has been a lesson in human psychology and social humping. One of the positions in a mob bullying ring is the Stalker. By definition a Stalker is one who engages in Stalking. The act of Stalking refers to "unwanted or obsessive attention by an individual or group toward another person". "Stalking behaviors are related to harassment and intimidation and may include following the victim in person or monitoring them". The stalking definition, I find, is very similar to the definition of harassment: “Engaging in a course of vexatious comment or conduct against an individual that is known or ought reasonably to be known to be unwelcome.” One could say that stalking and harassment are synonymous. I’ve noticed male and female stalking is significantly different. A male focuses on observation from a distance with patience, quite persistently so, whereas the female stalker initiates intrusive measures while attempting to remain incognito or under the guise of something else.

Stalking really comes down to predatory behaviours with the intention of “taking down” the prey by the predator(s). The example of Senior abuse by scam artists uses a very similar technique, preying on the trusting vulnerability of a senior. I’m often amused that so many people forget humans are animals, just like hyenas, baboons and lions and the human instinct and behaviours are mammalian in origin. Many references use the term, "victim", whereas I prefer the term, "target" for the intended recipient of the stalking and bullying. Targeted Individual (TI) is a term used in gang stalking and bullying. Just like a bullseye, the bullying mob goes for the target's red dot on their back/forehead/social status/etc. with the intention of removing self-sustainability (finance), social status (reputation), mobility (safety), functionality (ostracism), etc.

A few months ago I was outside in the park and noticed a problemsome neighbour lurking from across the street. It really was funny to watch the sneaky yet unsure behaviour. It reminded me of a cat, checking to see if anyone was noticing and then slowly moving forward with hesitation towards the target. I, the target, was in a different place than anticipated. A strange thing that I've noticed with stalkers is that they typically have squinty eyes when they are stalking. I knew there was something going on but not sure exactly what. Within days this stalker confronted me. Within a few weeks the City of Vancouver showed up to do an inspection and complaint letters had been sent to the landlord. Since this time, the neighbour has followed me along streets and participated in hate gossip.

A Stalker also looks for opportunity when a targeted individual is alone. Solitude is dangerous for a Targeted Individual. When the target is alone it is a chance for the stalker to bring the situation to the next level. Verbal or physical confrontation, backing the individual into a corner or confinement are the next steps in the intimidation process. The target will either "fight" or "flee". Any attempt by the target to do either will be brought forward to the authorities as "dangerous", "aggressive", "unstable", "paranoid" or "mentally ill", with the stalker denying any involvement in stalking or confrontation. In mob bullying, additional stalkers join the participation in stalking to further intimidate the target based on the description by the primary stalker of the "incident". The target is made out to be "playing the victim" and described as the perpetrator.

Signs you are being stalked:

• repeated walk/drive-bys by the same individual(s)/vehicle
• lurking behaviour which may include visual determination if you are alone, and once determined that you are not, the individual leaves
• requests for odd information that is not the business of those who ask
• multiple complaints to authorities that may be half-true or completely false
• expressing concern to an authority figure may intensify stalking
• excessive criticism
• increased interest and observation of what you are doing by an individual or several individuals
• being repeatedly photographed via cell phones or cameras
• an aquaintance becoming particularly friendly, later to want nothing to do with you once they have their information
• friends or family are asked questions about you by an aquaintance(s)
• perpetual existance of an individual between an area the targeted individual requires ie bathroom, laundry room, grocery store, etc.
• following an "incident", enquiries/discussion as to the results or "damage" are made of you
• particular interest by individuals of your intended "escape plan" with added suggestions
• requests for dealing with stalking to authority figures is met with a pre-conceived notion of who or what you are like. This particularly includes political or/and power figures.
• damage or vandalism to home/office/work/vehicle
• an individual from work/home/etc showing up at non-related venues
• a previous problemsome co-worker shows up at your new employer. This is particularly difficult to deal with in retail or service jobs

This list is quite extensive and certainly does not cover all of the possible signs you may be stalked. Dealing with stalking includes reducing availability to stalkers, randomly changing routines, walking with someone, making others aware of what is going on. Stating clearly to the individual, "You are stalking me!" or try something overly nice like, "Hi Sharon, nice weather we're having!" or "Nice to see you John!", within the ear-shot of others. Acting as if you are photographing them when they are photographing you. Mob bullying makes it particularly difficult to count on authority figures as they work as a group to discredit the target. This also makes going to the police particularly difficult and probably not the best choice.