Lesbian inmates wed
behind bars in Canada
By AP from
www.gay.com from the Web January 8, 2007
Two female inmates tied the knot
Sunday night behind bars in Canada, married by a minister in a small ceremony at
the Edmonton Institution for Women, the Edmonton Sun reported. Officials
have not identified the women.
"It's certainly a first for the Edmonton Institution for Women," said assistant
warden Gary Sears. The women were married in their street clothes, said
Sears, and were allowed to complete the ceremony without handcuffs. Still,
they remained under the watchful eye of prison guards the whole time, he said.
The wedding night was a lonely one for the couple. Prison policy prevents
them from consummating the union, and they remain in separate cells.
It isn't the first same-sex marriage behind bars in Canada, but it may be a
first for women. Two men were married at Ontario's Bath Institution in
November.
Murray Billett, a prominent member of Edmonton's gay community, called the union
"outstanding." But Kevin Grabowsky, the Prairie Region president of the
Union of Canadian Correctional Officers, said his union opposes the marriage.
"It's the value and ethics of getting married in jail while they're serving time
together in the same institution," said Grabowsky. "It's not Club Fed,
where you go and meet your spouse."
One of the inmates is serving a 34-month sentence for breaking and entering,
assault with a weapon, and aggravated assault and is scheduled for release Nov.
18, Sears said. The second inmate was jailed for six years for
manslaughter, assault, and assaulting a peace officer. She is scheduled
for release Dec. 6.
Grabowsky, whose union represents guards at the women's prison, said the
marriage could threaten security. He suggested one woman might try to
exact revenge if her spouse got into an argument with a guard.
"What if they have a marital spat? What if one of them gets transferred?
Would the other one have to be transferred?" he asked.
Sears said Correctional Service Canada officials investigated the risk to staff,
other inmates, and visitors before allowing the marriage to go ahead. He
also said guards and the prison's administration will monitor the case closely
to ensure there are no problems.
Same-sex marriage has been legal in Canada since 2005.
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