|
Canada OKs gay marriage bill
20/07/2005 13:39 - (SA)
Toronto - Canada's senate voted to adopt landmark legislation to legalise gay marriage nationwide despite fierce opposition from conservatives and religious leaders.
The bill could be signed into law as early as Wednesday.
The bill granted same-sex couples legal rights equal to those in traditional unions between a man and a woman, something already legal in a majority of Canadian provinces.
The legislation drafted by Prime Minister Paul Martin's minority Liberal Party government was easily passed on Tuesday by the senate, which essentially rubber stamps any bill already passed by the House of Commons, which passed it late last month.
The bill became law when it was signed by Canada's governor-general. Once that happens, Canada would become only the fourth country in the world to legalise gay marriage nationwide, after the Netherlands, Belgium and Spain.
Yukon territory constituent
The 47-21-senate vote came after years of court battles and debate that divided families, religious groups and even political allies.
The final word in the debate came from a Liberal senator who read to the hushed chamber an email from a Yukon territory constituent.
A 71-year-old senator, Ione Christensen, said: "You have no idea what a difference it makes to the human spirit to know that you are treated equally under the law."
According to government statistics, there were an estimated 34 000 gay and lesbian couples in Canada.
Martin, a Roman Catholic, had said that despite anyone's personal beliefs, all Canadians should be granted the same rights to marriage.
Churches had expressed concern that their clergy would be compelled to perform same-sex ceremonies.
Performing same-sex ceremonies
The legislation, however, stated that the bill only covers civil unions, not religious ones, and no clergy would be forced to perform same-sex ceremonies unless they chose to do so.
The Roman Catholic Church, predominant Christian denomination in Canada, had vigorously opposed the legislation, saying it would harm children in particular.
In the United States, Massachusetts was the only state that allowed gay marriages; Vermont and Connecticut had approved same-sex civil unions.
Though hundreds of foreigners had 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 recognised the unions.
The US government does not recognise same-sex marriage, and most states refused to acknowledge marriage certificates from gay and lesbian couples, regardless of where they wed.
- AP
|
News
