Canada Becomes 1st New World Country To Legalize Gay marriage

[davidinalameda]

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

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.



:applause:

[AllyCat]

1. Canada: a model for human rights, freedom, and liberty

Now maybe the US can watch for some pointers.

[TaleWgnDg]

12. 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.

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

.

[Ayesha]

20. :)

I designed the "Marriage is a human right" image in your signature. Glad you like it!

[marmar]

2. Canada is the light on this side of the pond...

Despite the best efforts of fundies from this country to try to dictate to them who should be allowed to marry, they did the right thing. Go Canada!

:headbang:

[ronnykmarshall]

3. Viva Canada!!

Now when are the wing nuts going to start a boycott of Canada.

[LibertyorDeath]

4. Bravo Canada!

:bounce::bounce::bounce::bounce::bounce::bounce::bounce:

[ronnykmarshall]

5. I wonder if Americans can get married there?

[LibertyorDeath]

7. Yes you can get married in Canada as far as I know ....but

there's always a but...

but it may not be recognize as legal in the US it depends on the State you live in.

You can get around that by marrying a Canadian and having dual Citizenship :)

[Siyahamba]

13. But the Canadian spouse would not have dual citizenship

Since it's not recognized at the federal level in the US.

[Brian_Expat]

21. Wrong

The United States recognizes dual nationality, and in fact, the Supreme Court has ruled it's legal.

Entering and leaving the USA, you must enter and leave as a US citizen (unless you renounce your US citizenship), but in any other country, you can claim and exercise your right as a Canadian citizen -- entitled to Canadian consular protection, etc.

[dsc]

8. they can

Canada is the sole country which has legalized same sex marriage that has no residency requirement. The trick is getting the marriage recognized here. On that, unless it is MA lots of luck. VT and CT would presumedly allow you to covert it into a Civil Union.

[Pachamama]

6. Oh Canada, Oh Canada....

Your looking more and more like the country that I think my country can learn from!

Good on ya!

:woohoo: :applause:

Now if our country can follow suit someday, we can say we live in the "civilized" world and a democracy!

[smoogatz]

9. Why is it that Canada is so much saner and more civilized than the U.S.?

Canadian and U.S. history are probably more closely parallel than the histories of any two nations on earth. So why are our cultures so different? I'd really like to know what it is in our national psyche that makes us such glorifiers of violence, ignorance and hate.

[LisaLynne]

10. You know, that is a very, very interesting point.

Why does it seem as though Canada is going where I think this country should go in the civil rights department (as well as many others ...) and we're going to the Dark Ages?

But, in any case, GO CANADA!!!! We needed a bit of good news right about now.

[kweerwolf]

16. Remind me to check to correlation between ...

Warm weather and right-wing fun-D'uh-MENTAL-ists.

I'm guessing Canada is too cold in the winter to attract any but the heartiest fundie types. Like most reptiles, they gravitate to places with lots of hot weather.

[dsc]

17. actually our histories are quite different in significant respects

Canada was a colony for far longer and its French influence continues today (Bloc Quebequois provided the margin needed to pass this). Slavery was outlawed there in the early 1800's. I think most importantly, religion plays a much different role in the life of Canada than it does in the life of the United States. Here, it is a necessity for a politican to cloak themselves in religion while in Canada it would actually be detrimental for one to do so.

In short, I think the US South is very dissimilar to Canada in both history and current culture which is why we don't have same sex marriage and Canada does.

[ragin_acadian]

18. it could be their association with the UK,

the British are much more sane than the US is.

[Catfight]

11. Bravo Canada! nt

[kbm8795]

14. I am so very proud of Canadians

for being able to withstand the most outrageous, emotional, fearmongering charge from the Religious Right, financed by Rethuglican monies and American Taliban coffers in the U.S. and a monstrous Vatican which seems to rapidly forget their own sexual crimes against humanity with a drop of a few dollars.

As difficult as this debate has been, my heart and my soul goes out to the humanity of the Canadian culture - you have shown the world once again what real freedom is all about. You have this American as an ally for eternity.

[kbm8795]

15. P.S. S.

Um. . .does this mean that I might be able to marry a Mountie? If so. ..then, there is a God, and he is dressed in red!

[bigwillq]

19. Great Job Canada!

:bounce: