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Same-sex marriages
Menu
Same-sex marriages (SSM) in Canada
Click Here to Visit our Sponsors.
Sound bytes about marriage and Bill C-38 which legalized same-sex marriage:
 | "...only the sexual union of a man and a woman has the potential to produce children." Focus on the Family Canada. 1 |
| "Either a sexual union, or artificial insemination, or in-vitro fertilization are precisely the way in which a lesbian couple produces children." Anon; from a visitor to this site responding to the above quote. |
| "Since the beginning of history marriage has changed very little." Focus on the Family Canada. 1 |
| "There are eight different family/marriage structures in the Bible. Consider the legalization of same-sex marriages in Canada in 2003 onwards; same-sex marriages in Massachusetts in 2004; inter-racial marriages in 1967 and marriage by African Americans in the 19th century." Anon; same visitor. |
| "Canada is a unique political project. As an open society, we have taken up the challenge of equality amidst diversity and we have proudly made this a touchstone of our identity." Pierre Pettigrew, Minister of Foreign Affairs. 2 |
| "We are at the crossroads of our national history. Bill C-38 is a serious threat to our basic liberties and will further erode religious freedom in Canada. Moreover, it will only get worse if we allow this legislation to pass: churches will lose their tax-exempt status; public discourse on homosexual behavior will be silenced and the faith community will be further marginalized, perhaps banished, from the policy debate." defendMARRIAGE.ca. 3 |
| "Shows that we're a liberal society who realizes that the majority doesn't get to decide which minority gets rights." "Adam" 4 |
Status of SSM before 2005-JUL-20:
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89.3% of Canadians lived in political jurisdictions where SSMs were routinely performed. In each case, SSM was forced on a reluctant government by a court.
The province and two territories which still prohibited SSM as of 2005-JUL-19 were:
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Northwest Territories (containing 0.13% of the population of Canada) |
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Alberta (10.0%) |
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Nunavut territory (0.09%) |
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Prince Edward Island (PEI; 0.43%) 6 |
Status of same-sex marriage on and after 2005-JUL-20:
The Canadian Senate passed bill C-38 the late evening of 2005-JUL-19.The bill was officially proclaimed as law on JUL-20. At that time, SSM theoretically became available across Canada. However, there was one hold-out. Prince Edward Island on the Eastern seaboard of Canada refused to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples. This situation was apparently unique in the country. Fortunately, there is a fixed link between the Island and mainland, so couples were able to simply drive across the bridge into New Brunswick, purchase a license there, and get married.
As of 2005-JUL-20, 99.6% of the population of Canada lived in a jurisdiction where same-sex couples can marry. On 2005-AUG-19, PEI capitulated, and this became 100%.
What same-sex marriage (SSM) is, and is not, in Canada:
SSM is not: | The same thing as homosexual marriage. There are many bisexuals in the country who enter committed, loving relationships with members of the same sex and who wish to be married. |
| A battle among homosexuals, bisexuals and heterosexuals, because people of all sexual orientations take opposing views. |
| A battle between religion and secularism, because various Christian denominations take opposing views on SSM.
So do adherents of Islam, Judaism, other organized religions,
Humanists, Atheists,
Agnostics, secularists, etc. |
| Religious conservatives, social conservatives, and the elderly, most of whom oppose SSM, and |
| Religious liberals, social liberals, sexual minorities, civil rights advocates, and young adults who favor SSM. |
| The battle continues. Some religious conservative individuals and groups
have promised to work against the reelection of any member of parliament who
voted in favor of SSM. Stephen Harper of the federal Conservative Party has
promised to forcibly divorce all same-sex married couples if his party gains
power. |
| A minority of Canadian adults regard all homosexual behavior -- including that within a loving committed relationship -- to be profoundly immoral. Many would like to have it re-criminalized. Many feel that granting marriage rights to same-sex couples will damage and perhaps destroy the institution of opposite-sex marriage, and perhaps harm the culture of Canada beyond repair. |
| The majority of Canadian adults favor SSM and regard marriage as a fundamental human right. Many feel that maintaining second-class citizenship for same-sex couples is profoundly immoral. Most feel that granting marriage rights to those same-sex couples who want to marry would strengthen the institution of marriage. |
Legal status of SSM:
Holland and Belgium were the first political jurisdictions in the world to allow same-sex couples to marry. In mid-2003, the province of Ontario became the third.
On 2005-FEB-01, the federal government introduced bill C-38 to legalize SSM from sea onto sea. The main result of the bill would be that about 10% of same-sex couples who wish to get married will be able to do it more conveniently -- without the nuisance of having to leave their province or territory of residence. Also, their status would be raised from simple roommates to a married couple in their province or territory of residence.
As of 2005-JUL-19, courts had ruled that same-sex couples can now marry in eight out of the ten provinces of Canada, and in one out of the three territories. A court case was active at the time in the Northwest Territories. Alberta remained intransigent. Prince Edward Island had announced that it was planning to legalize SSM.
Bill C-38 passed its final vote in the House of Commons during the evening of 2005-JUN-28. The vote was 158 to 133. The bill passed its final vote in the Senate by a vote of 47 to 21 with three abstentions on 2005-JUL-19. It was signed into law on 2005-JUL-20 by the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Canada. The Governor General, who usually proclaims legislation, was incapacitated for medical reasons.
Topics covered in this section:
The following essays were first written when or before C-38 was just a bill. We are gradually revisiting them and updating their content now that C-38 has been signed into law. This will take some time.
| Background material: | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Reactions by conservative Christians:
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| Public opinion:
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| SSM activity at the provincial / territorial level:
The following essays discuss the process by which SSM was legalized one province and territory at a time across Canada. This material is primarily of historical interest at this time, because a federal law made SSM available everywhere in Canada -- except for Prince Edward Island (PEI) -- on 2005-JUL-20. PEI has since capitulated.
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| SSM activity at the national level:
The following essays discuss the process by which a federal law was developed which enlarged the definition of marriage in Canada to include all loving committed couples -- both opposite sex and same-sex.
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| Briefs submitted to the government by
various groups:
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Sponsored links:
"SSM" means "same-sex marriage"
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Home > Religious info. > Basic > Marriage > SSM menu > SSM submenu > here |
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Home > "Hot" topics > Homosexuality > SSM menu > SSM submenu > here |
References:
- "Redefinition of Marriage: A Focus on the Family Q&A," FamilyFacts.ca, undated, at: http://www.fotf.ca/
- "Canada pushes for international commitment on gay rights," Today's Family News, 2005-MAR-18.
- "dM Action Update," defendMARRIAGE.ca, 2005-JUN-17.
- "Adam," posting to the discussion on the "Same-sex marriage bill" in AtheistParents.org, 2005-JUL-29, at: http://www.atheistparents.org/
- This image is derived from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. at: http://en.wikipedia.org/
- "Population, provinces and territories," Statistics Canada, 2003 estimates. See: http://www.statcan.ca/
- The red and white banner is is a custom graphic copied from Tania's site at: http://www3.sympatico.ca/
Copyright � 1998 to 2008 by Ontario
Consultants on Religious Tolerance
Latest update: 2008-JUN-20
Author: B.A. Robinson
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