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[personal profile] c9
Today the Canadian government announced that they are expanding their reference to the Supreme Court of Canada on same-sex marriage: adding one question, asking whether the opposite-sex restriction on civil marriage is consistent with the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

This will have no effect on the outcome: same-sex marriage will be legal in Canada, nationwide, eventually. But it boils down to another year waiting; there will likely be no judgement before 2005, at the earliest.

This rots my socks, because it's the government chickening out on an issue of basic human rights. Because the original hearings were to begin during the expected election campaign in April, Paul Martin decided to hide the issue and win an election before it actually comes into the press again. I feel that Martin made a cowardly choice.

This also makes me happy, because if it had come up during the election, the Reform-Alliance-tories would have made hay (and major votes) with their campaigning against the idea, including threats to use the notwithstanding clause and other such tools of discrimination. I also feel Martin did make a logical choice.

Argh! [livejournal.com profile] leapfish and I are getting married in Ottawa on May 23rd. It's awfully frustrating to have large portions of one's country really peeved by something that's none of their business.

Date: 2004-01-29 01:16 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] joecdn.livejournal.com
Hmmmmm....I know Belinda is all for gay marriage - you gotta remember that there are still a lot of progressive conservatives out there, not just the redneck assholes from the Alliance.

Anyways - YAY for you and Vinny getting married - I'll be rooting for ya from afar! :-D

Re:

Date: 2004-01-29 09:02 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] c9.livejournal.com
Sadly, Belinda's opinion is: "I'm all for equal marriage, but let's make it a free vote in the House of Commons." Meaning that she thinks human rights should be subject to popular opinion. When women got the vote it was unpopular. When blacks got the vote it was unpopular. When biracial couples got to marry it was unpopular. Human rights are NOT popularity contests, somebody needs to tell her.

Yay wedding! SCARY expensive though! :-)

Re:

Date: 2004-01-29 09:10 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] joecdn.livejournal.com
How many guests are attending?

Re:

Date: 2004-01-30 01:31 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] c9.livejournal.com
Just over 100 friends and family were invited, which means 80ish will attend? Really not sure. The RSVP deadline is April 1st, so we'll know the deal around then.

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