c9 | VOTE!

(on Cam's question at the all-candidates meeting on Wednesday)

If I have one question, and a followup, which should it be?

"I just got married last month -- and as many of you know, getting married is a big step and involves lots of changes. We're currently renting, but we'd like to buy a home or condo in the city, and we're even thinking about having kids someday. I'd like to ask each candidate to tell me what their party would do for my new family." (assume the standard heterocentric answers, though Alexa (local NDP MP) might catch my lack-of-pronoun game) Then I follow up with: "I don't have a wife, I have a husband. Can you explain what your party will do for me in that regard?"

"I'd like to ask the candidates what their position is on what's been called the 'traditional definition of marriage'?" (wait for answers, hopefully the Conservative falls into my trap) "Thank you. My husband and I just had to travel to Ottawa to get married because we can't legally get married here, and I wanted to see whether you would actually care about gay and lesbian citizens and their rights."

"I just wanted to ask what the candidates think about leaving marriages as opposite sex, and creating something different like civil unions for same-sex relationships. Somebody called it separate but equal." (wait for responses, again hope the Tory falls into the trap) "Thank you. Did you know that Catholic marriages used to be illegal? And interracial marriages? And that women used to not be allowed to vote? in each instance, the majority was uncomfortable with these different ideas. I'm voting for equality, not Stephen Harper's discrimination."

If I have only one question, no followup, which should it be?

"I just got married, and we're looking at buying our first home, and we're even thinking about kids someday. I'd like the NDP, Liberal, and Green candidates to explain what your parties would do for families like mine. Afterwards, I'd like the Conservative candidate to explain why his party thinks I'm not deserving of the same legal right of marriage that he has, just because I have a husband instead of a wife."

"My husband and I just had to travel to Ottawa to get married because we can't legally get married here, and I would like the candidates to tell us their party's position on whether gay and lesbian citizens should have equal rights in Canada."

"My husband and I just had to travel to Ottawa to get married because we can't legally get married here, and I know that Stephen Harper wants to create a Civil Union system for same-sex relationships (even though he can't, because every single province would have to agree). I would like the candidates to tell us their party's position on whether 'separate but equal' is actually equality."

pretty random