Post by KoNeko on Jul 4, 2005 21:54:50 GMT -5
I have a question. Li, maybe you could help me with this one:
If homosexuals have the same rights as hetrosexual couples in Canada, does that mean that the rights of homosexual couples to adoption are also the same? Because a lot of places say that homosexual couples have the same rights where those rights are only the same within a very narrow scope.
Canada legalises gay marriage
June 29, 2005 - 11:38AM
Canada's lower House of Commons passed landmark legislation yesterday to legalise gay marriage, granting same-sex couples legal rights equal to those in traditional unions between a man and a woman.
The bill passed as expected, despite opposition from conservatives and religious leaders. The legislation drafted by Prime Minister Paul Martin's minority Liberal Party Government was also expected to easily pass the Senate and become federal law by the end of July.
Although gay marriage is already legal in seven provinces, the bill now grants all same-sex couples in Canada the same legal rights as those in a traditional union between a man and a woman.
The Netherlands and Belgium are the only other nations that allow gay marriage nationwide.
It was the last major piece of legislation before Parliament went into recess for summer and comes on the first anniversary of Mr Martin's leadership.
Thirty-three of Mr Martin's Liberal MPs voted against the bill and a cabinet minister resigned over the contentious legislation. But enough allies rallied to support the bill that has been debated for months.
Mr Martin, a Catholic, hailed the 158-133 vote as a necessary step for human rights and the protection of minorities.
"We are a nation of minorities," he said. "And in a nation of minorities, it is important that you don't cherry-pick rights. A right is a right and that is what this vote tonight is all about."
There are about 34,000 gay and lesbian couples in Canada, according to government statistics.
Alex Munter, national spokesman for Canadians for Equal Marriage, which has led the debate in favour of the law, was triumphant after the vote.
"The genius of Canada, almost unparalleled in the world, is built on shared identity, out of respect for each other," he said.
He noted that is had been 30 years since the first homosexual couple applied for a marriage license in Canada.
"This has been a long, arduous road," he said. "Lesbians and gay people are your brothers and sisters, neighbours, friends and co-workers. At the end of the day, no argument in favour of exclusion can withstand what people see with their own eyes: that it is wrong to treat people whom they care about in a way that diminishes their personal choice."
Churches have expressed concern that their clergy would be compelled by law to perform same-sex ceremonies, with couples taking them to court or human rights tribunals if refused. The legislation, however, states that the bill only covers civil unions, not religious ones, and no clergy would be forced to perform same-sex ceremonies. However, they could choose to do so.
The Catholic Church, the predominant Christian denomination in Canada, has vigorously opposed the legislation, as well as major Islamic and Sikh organisations whose members believe the law would rock the foundations of traditional family.
Charles McVety, a spokesman for Defend Marriage Canada and president of Canada Christian College, called the vote an "onerous breach of trust and the deconstruction of so much that is dear to our hearts".
Flanked by clergymen, he vowed his group would work to topple MPs who supported the legislation at the next general election.
"This is the beginning of the formal fight against the redefinition of marriage," he said. "We will, in the next election, be able to correct this incredible democratic deficit before us today."
The debate in Canada began in December, when the Supreme Court ruled that passage of same-sex legislation would not violate the constitution.
According to most polls, most Canadians support the right for gays and lesbians to marry. In the United States, gay marriage is opposed by a majority of Americans, according to an Associated Press-Ipsos poll taken in November, shortly after constitutional amendments in 11 states to ban same-sex marriage were approved.
Massachusetts is the only state that allows gay marriages, although Vermont and Connecticut have approved same-sex civil unions.
Roberta Sklar, communications director for the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force in Washington, DC, said same-sex American couples applauded Canadians.
"We know that it has been somewhat contentious in Canada, but at the same time the Canadians have largely approached this issue in a rational and democratic way and are providing a very positive model for the rest of the world," she said.
Though hundreds of foreigners have come to Canada to seek civil ceremonies since gay marriages were first allowed in Ontario and British Columbia in 2003, not all countries or states recognise the unions. While a slew of Israeli men were married in Toronto City Hall earlier this year, for example, the Israeli Interior Ministry does not recognise those unions.
In the United States, the Federal Government does not recognise same-sex marriage and most states refuse to acknowledge marriage certificates from gay and lesbian couples, regardless of where they wed.
"Same-sex marriage rights are extremely variable in the United States and whether Canadian marriages will be respected, state by state, is something yet to be determined," Ms Sklar said.
If homosexuals have the same rights as hetrosexual couples in Canada, does that mean that the rights of homosexual couples to adoption are also the same? Because a lot of places say that homosexual couples have the same rights where those rights are only the same within a very narrow scope.