Canada Becomes 1st New World Country To Legalize Gay marriage

[William769]

Ottawa) With the stroke of a vice-regal pen Canada becomes the fourth country in the world to legalize same-sex marriage.

The federal government's gay marriage legislation passed its final hurdle shortly before midnight following a raucous, emotional debate in the Senate. (story)

The final word in the debate came from Ione Christensen, the 71-year-old Liberal senator from the Yukon. To a hushed chamber Chistensen read an e-mail from a constituent.

"You have no idea what a difference it makes to the human spirit to know that you are treated equally under the law,'' the e-mail said.

http://www.365gay.com/newscon05/07/072005canadaRxn.htm


Lets hope it is contagious.

[Chipper Chat]

1. Canada - a progresive country to admire.

Kinda puts "The Shining City On the Hill" to shame doesn't it?

[William769]

2. Yes it does.

[getmeouttahere]

3. Contagious everywhere but....

the U.S., where BushCo is immune to any benign human rights infections!

[Jax]

4. Bravo!!! Well done Canada

At least our great neighbors believe we are all equal under the law.

b*sh, his borg followers, have to go.

[Village Idiot]

5. At least those scumbags in Ottawa got ONE thing right!!!

[Maple]

6. Actually the Cons

opposed it, but thank heavens the Liberals, NDP and Bloc got it past them anyway.

[Zorra]

14. Nice tongue-in cheek-qualifier.

;-)

[TaleWgnDg]

7. Again, I say . . .

.
Again, I say (as I stated earlier when another DUer posted this in DU as a "done deal" a few weeks back), gay marriage in all of Canada is NOT LEGAL until all necessary legislative actions are completed including Royal assent. The last time I posted this in DU, the Canadian lower legislative body had voted in the affirmative for gay marriage; however, the upper legislative body had not had its vote as yet.

Now that the upper body -- the Canadian Senate -- has voted in the affirmative to allow gay marriage all across Canada, it remains that the Governor-General must sign a "royal assent" before gays may marry in all Canadian provinces and territories. See, e.g., The Globe and Mail, "Senate Approves Same-sex Marriage," By Gloria Galloway and Oliver Moore, Wednesday, July 20, 2005, page A8 at http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/ArticleNews/TPStory/LAC/20050720/SAMESEX20/TPNational/Canada (where it states, "Bill C-38 still must go to the Governor-General for royal assent, which is automatic.").

Well, "automatic" or no, same-sex marriage remains illegal in some Canadian provinces and territories until the Royal assent is proclaimed.

My congratulations to Canada's legislature, both houses, and its people for being the most progressive and empathic nation in both Americas continents, north or south.

And, for those gay American couples wishing to make travel plans to Canada solely to marry. Don't until it's legal which occurs when "royal assent" is proclaimed.

. . . . . . . . . . . . .




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edited to add: Welcome to DU, William769 :hi:


.

[Spazito]

8. Gay marriage is NOW legal in 7 provinces and 1 Territory

without the actions of the legislature. You are correct that the GG has to sign which should happen by the end of today but to say to people their same sex marriage would not be legal until she signs is not correct.

What the legislation does is make it the law of the land in ALL provinces and territories including those like Alberta who will have to adhere to the law much to their red necked dismay.

[Maple]

11. Yup, it's been a done deal

in Ontario for over 2 years now. Almost as long in BC and Quebec.

Finally built up to 7 provinces.

This just extends it to everyone, everywhere in the country, without gay couples having to sue in each province.

We've had lots of marriages already.

[David Zephyr]

13. Another Link.

"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." http://news.yahoo.com/fc/world/gays_and_lesbians

[Lisa]

19. she'll sign

Her Excellency would have to develop a pretty severe cramp in her writing arm to put this one off!




http://www.gg.ca/menu_e.asp


Oh, I see Madame Clarkson's coming to my town next week. Wouldn't it be cool if a pro-Bill C-38 cheering crowd showed up? (Gotta go -- think I'll make a few phone calls.)

[saskatoon]

9. Canada, My regards

They must not have as many Fundamentalists there as there are here.

[0007]

10. Good for Canada!

[David Zephyr]

12. Kick!

The Netherlands, Belgium, Spain and now Canada.

Juxtapose this with Bush's nominee to the U.S. Supreme Court.

[steely]

15. I second the motion.

Bravo Canada!

[karlrschneider]

16. Canada enters the 21st Century while knuckledragging ignorant bigots

in the USA work to take us back to the 14th.
:grr:

[glenna]

17. gay marriage

O.K. guys this is my first post, but I am am a 2 year lurker
so please be nice!  Why is this gay deal even news?  Who
cares?  Be happy!  Live, Love and be happy!!

[VegasWolf]

18. Lucky us ended up with the Puritans. We still can't get rid of them. nt

[geebensis]

20. Too bad it's so cold there

Would be nice to live in such a tolerant place.

[VegasWolf]

21. Didn't they already or are in the process of taking over some Carribean

Islands?

[geebensis]

22. Now you're talking...

[ruggerson]

23. KICK

[drhilarius]

24. Hey ,Canadians, send me a postcard...

from the 21st century. I want to know what it looks like.

[kestrel91316]

25. Oh that's JUST GREAT .............................

now * is going to have to bomb Canada. Have to stop all the evil in the world, ya know.

(sarcasm off)

[PartyPooper]

26. So, will the Amerikans forbid same-sex married couples from entering

the US from Canada? Do they hate gays that much?

And, what about us gays in the US going to Canada to get hitched? Will we not be recognized on the return journey?

Just wondering.

[sarahf]

27. momentum

Good to see momentum in the right direction.

[noshenanigans]

28. What're the qualifications for citizenship, again? n/t