SSM debate mirrored
within
federal justice
minister's family
By DAN DUGAS,
cnews.canoe.ca from the Web, May 15, 2005
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Justice Minister Irwin Cotler during an
interview with The Canadian Press in Ottawa Friday.
(CP/Jonathan Hayward) |
OTTAWA (CP) -- The hot-button
issue of same-sex marriage has divided Parliament, the country, and even the
justice minister's own family.
Irwin Cotler says the divisions around his dining room table reflect what's
going on across Canada. His wife supports gay unions, but she opposes the
designation of the unions as marriages.
"Look at my family, my three daughters all support same-sex marriage," Cotler
said in an interview with The Canadian Press. "My wife does not, and my
(18-year-old) son says 'Why is it even an issue, I don't understand why it's an
issue, dad,' because he's grown up with it."
Cotler, who as justice minister is sponsoring a bill to legalize gay marriage,
says he thinks it will take time for the country to accept the move. But
it will do so eventually, because younger people already accept it.
In the meantime, he says he doesn't consider opposition to the legislation to be
mean-spirited.
"I don't think it's meanness, I think it's anguish," Cotler said. "Some
people are pained by this, and when I meet with them, I see it."
Cotler, who is Jewish, has not been spared sharp debate when he speaks with his
own religious leaders on the subject
"I told the prime minister one day when he had some concerns about how religious
groups are reacting, I said 'Look, believe me when I met with the rabbis, I
guarantee that you've not heard from the Catholic leaders what the critique was
that I heard from the rabbis."
Despite the deeply emotional debate, said Cotler, "we have to try and respect
the plurality of perspectives in this country."
He said he's found a willingness on the part of Vatican officials to listen to
his arguments on why federal law must be brought into line with court rulings in
eight of 10 provinces that have declared it unconstitutional to deny marriage to
gays.
"The meeting was good because I wanted to hear what Vatican officials had to
say, and I tried to make the point that our legislation seeks to protect
religious institutions, denominations in all its configurations," he said.
Cotler maintained that extending rights to gays and lesbians does not mean
taking anyone else's rights away. Nor are religious groups monolithic on
the issue, he said, noting that some support same-sex marriage even if many
others do not.
The bill currently before the House of Commons is aimed only at guaranteeing
access to civil marriage for gays and lesbians. It provides that religious
groups could not be forced to perform religious marriage ceremonies against
their beliefs.
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