Canada 4th Nation to
Legalize Gay Marriage
By ROB GILLIES, AP
from the washingtonpost.com on the Web, July 20, 2005
TORONTO -- Canada legalized
gay marriage Wednesday, becoming the world's fourth nation to grant full legal
rights to same-sex couples.
Supreme Court Chief Justice Beverley McLachlin signed the legislation making it
law, hours after it was approved by the Senate late Tuesday night despite strong
opposition from Conservatives and religious leaders.
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Senate security guards leave Parliament
Hill in Ottawa Tuesday, July 19, 2005 after the Senate passed Bill C-38 on
same sex marriage. The bill grants same-sex couples legal rights equal to
those in traditional unions between a man and a woman, something already
legal in a majority of Canadian provinces. (AP
Photo/Jonathan Hayward) |
The bill gives homosexual couples the
same rights as those in traditional unions between a man and a woman, something
already legal in eight of Canada's 10 provinces and in two of its three
territories.
The legislation drafted by Prime Minister Paul Martin's minority Liberal Party
government easily passed the Senate, which essentially rubber stamps any bill
already passed by the House of Commons, which passed it late last month.
The Netherlands, Belgium and Spain are the only other nations that allow gay
marriage nationwide.
The law comes after years of court battles and debate that divided families,
religious groups and even political allies. The Roman Catholic Church, the
predominant Christian denomination in Canada, has vigorously opposed the
legislation.
But Martin, a Roman Catholic, has said that despite anyone's personal beliefs,
all Canadians should be granted the same rights to marriage.
Alex Munter, national spokesman for Canadians for Equal Marriage, which has led
the debate in favor of the law, was triumphant Wednesday: "It is a signal
to the world that Canada is an open and inclusive society that believes in the
notion of full citizenship for all."
Churches have expressed concern that their clergy would be compelled to perform
same sex ceremonies. The legislation, however, states that the bill only
covers civil unions, not religious ones, and no clergy would be forced to
perform same-sex ceremonies unless they choose to do so.
Charles McVety, a spokesman for Defend Marriage Canada and president of Canada
Christian College, said he was "very sad that the state has invaded the church,
breached separation of church and state and redefined a religious word."
McVety vowed his group would work to vote out lawmakers who supported the
legislation in the next general elections.
"A new Parliament is going to readdress this issue and common sense ultimately
will prevail," McVety said.
In the United States, Massachusetts is the only state that allows gay marriages;
Vermont and Connecticut have approved same-sex civil unions.
Though hundreds of foreigners have come to Canada to seek civil ceremonies since
gay marriages were first allowed in Ontario and British Columbia in 2003, not
all countries or states recognize the unions.
The U.S. government does not recognize same-sex marriage, and most states refuse
to acknowledge marriage certificates from gay and lesbian couples, regardless of
where they wed.
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