1 million people are expected to attend Pride celebrations in Toronto this weekend – and there is much to celebrate…
A round-up of some great news from the last couple of days after the flip…
A recent court decision in New Brunswick has legalized same-sex marriage in that province. This most recent ruling has followed decisions in 7 other provinces, and 2 northern territories, leaving only Alberta, Prince Edward Island and the Northwest Territories as `traditional marriage’ hold-outs.
What I found particularly amusing was the fact that the judge gave the province 10 days to comply with her ruling.
And on a national level, some positively baffling procedural manoeuvring over a budget vote (don’t ask me to explain it – I can’t) and a promise to bring the same-sex marriage legislation (Bill C-38) to a vote before the end of an extended session of Parliament has led to the rather sudden realization that very, very soon – marriage equality will be the law in Canada from coast to coast.
The vote could come as early as Monday, and is expected to pass easily. Any delay would cause the already extended session to cut into even more summer recess time, and thankfully, that seems to be quite unacceptable – even the most dire and critical attacks on the `sanctity of marriage’ don’t warrant anyone missing some vacation time. Thank God we sometimes have our priorities in order…
This latest parliamentary development makes the efforts of Canada’s largest union somewhat unnecessary, but it was heartening nonetheless to see that The Canadian Union of Public Employees has urged its 540,000 members to lobby their government representatives in favour of equal marriage.
Kudos to Paul Moist, CUPE national president…
“It is time to make equal marriage the law of the land. After all, eight Canadian courts have ruled that refusing gay and lesbian couples the right to marry is discriminatory under the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
Opponents of same-sex marriage have finally and reluctantly admitted defeat!
And just as a bonus – a fabulous article by Wade Rowland in the Globe and Mail..
The sum of our debt to a gay man (link through google to avoid registration) about Alan Turing.
Update [2005-6-25 5:43:6 by zander]: From the Montreal Gazette
The civil marriage legislation is now the only government bill posted on the Commons order paper for Monday, the first day of extended sittings initally intended to deal with both the budget bill and the marriage legislation.
Despite daily sittings that will stretch until midnight, another Conservative, Manitoba MP Vic Toews, said the short Canada Day week won’t be enough to get the bill through the two remaining stages of debate.
“I quite frankly don’t know how they’re going to do that without closure,” said Toews, the party’s senior MP on a Commons committee that held a month of public hearings on the legislation.
Update [2005-6-25 11:27:48 by zander]: Official site of Pride Toronto – includes festival and parade info, history, a gallery and more.
And well done, zander. Excellent diary.
I followed the link to the Turing story… while I had heard of him, I had no idea that he was part of so much… and that he had such a terrible life at the end. Absolutely tragic what people will do to people, out of fear and ignorance… and what people will allow to be done to others.
That is great news though, about marriage equality throughout the whole of Canada. Are you guys the first to do that country wide? Maybe not, I think a couple of the Scandanavian countries also have equal marriage rights, but I could be wrong.
I know Canadians aren’t perfect (and that some are shy,
::cough::*) but I really wonder what makes things so different there, from here. Maybe one thing is the lack of the hyper militarism that we have in the US, which often seems to go hand in hand with regressive religions and oppression of others.
Thanks for the update and what happy Pride celebrations those will be. Congrats to all there for their hard work and perseverance.
You know, as much as I hate to even consider the possibility that some good has come from the Bush administration (even as an accidental consequence) – I am tempted to think that it has been a serious impediment for the conservative party here.
When earlier this year our own version of Frist, Stephen Harper, adopted very Republican-style family-values rhetoric to launch an anti-gay marriage campaign – he was met with such immediate and total public condemnation that the entire party pulled back for a ‘more moderate make-over’. (I was so proud of my country.)
And even though the Liberal party has been knee-deep in a large scandal, that just weeks ago was occupying hours of national TV a day… support has stabilized at pre-scandal levels, in my opinion, because support for conservatives is just too damn scary while they’re attempting to adopt Rove’s ‘winning strategies’.
It wouldn’t surprise me if Canadians were freaked out by our US Conservatives, and didn’t want that stuff brought there. I think probably looking at it from the outside makes is seem even more bizarre than looking at it from the inside, but because you have “normal” things to compare it to.
Plus, I am not sure you guys have ever had our culture of hate, at least not at the same level.
Thankfully, I think some here who formerly supported all this stuff are getting a bit uneasy as well, now that they see what they actually voted for.
Too little, too late, but at least there is hope.
I’d forgotten that you were responsible for the sow comment! Thanks for yet another good laugh today…
Now if only someone began pirate streaming a wildly popular Canadian news show – maybe more Americans could get a sense of the cognitive dissonance everyone with access to full multi-media ‘dissent’ is already experiencing. John Stewart may be funny, but George Stroumboulopoulos has a bad-ass prime time news program…. to watch it and CNN is often painfully disorienting.
Yes, I’ve seen CBC… not often, mind you, and not at all of course now that I don’t have cable. But they used to show some news items from there on … ITN or something. Also, there is that new citizen funded cable news thing thats going to be based there, but I believe will be international. Not til 2007 tho. If the world doesn’t blow up before then.
I think you should change the name of your diary. This is such good news, but I’m afraid people will miss it.
How about something like… “Canadians stood up to the Right – and won!” or something. I’m not a very good diary title person either, but still.
Canadian politics explained for our American cousins:
Most Canadians hate the Liberal party. However, they hate the Conservative party even more. Many would like to vote for the NDP, but are scared to for fear of wasting their vote. Thus, the Liberal party has a rather sound grip on power. While this is not great – Martin is as big a corporate stooge as you’ll ever find – it is by no means bad, either. Most of the time.
Oh, and most of Quebec always votes for a separatist party, which drives the Conservatives wild. They think (delusionally) that, save for the Bloc, Quebec would belong to them. Never mind that the Republican party down south is basically a Southern Separatist party…
Though French is much harder to pick up than fear, hatred and bigotry…
Thanks for putting that so succinctly.
I think the answer is pretty simple, actually: we have the old Confederate states weighing us down, and they don’t. Think about it: if you took out the senators, House members (including a few good ones in the Congressional Black Caucus, ’tis true, but they are so outnumbered by crackers), and electoral votes of the former slaveholding states, we’d have overwhelming control of all branches of government. Not only that, but our executive and judicial branch would probably be more liberal than this thought experiment might first suggest: without the weight of all those “solid South” electoral votes, the Democratic primaries would end up being contests between far left and further left. And the GOP wouldn’t have enough votes in the Senate to filibuster progressive judicial nominees.
Oh, sure, we’d still have some hard right senators (and a very few representatives) from the Mountain West. But they’d be way outnumbered, just as the right wing MPs from the comparable region of Canada are.
Nope, it’s those piece-of-shit, racist crackers that are dragging us down. Goddamn them! Maaan…I was only intending to post a dispassionate answer to your question, but when I really think about it it makes me fume.
-Alan
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…and never ending punishment….
Canada, though not without some serious historical sins, has a much less interesting slavery story to tell. Approximately 4092 slaves over the centuries, 1400 of them Africans, the remainder Aboriginal. Legislation was passed in 1793 to begin abolition – it was all over by about 1810.
And a couple of centuries later… we’re um… stuck with Alberta… I’d say that was worth it…
by ‘worth it’ I meant what John Graves Simcoe went through in initially proposing the outright abolition of slavery in the 1790’s, then settling for the compromise that ended slavery gradually over the next decade.
You don’t hear much about aboriginal slavery. I guess it’s like the Gypsies in Nazi death camps: they were so massively outnumbered by other ethnic groups (obviously, blacks and Jews respectively) as to be mostly overlooked in the historical record.
I found this part of the Wikipedia article curious:
What other North American colonies were these? I’d like to read more about this, but there’s not enough information given to go any further.
-Alan
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I don’t know whether you’ll find this later, or never.. but I’m watching (yet another) great show on CBC, Indecently Exposed. It’s a very harsh look at racism towards Aboriginals in Canada.
is dragging their heels because the owners of the Flames and Oilers are afraid more people will qualify for “Family Plan” hockey packages???
Just kidding…I’m going through puck withdrawal…
I have to be careful also when it comes to discrimination against anyone as I tend to start frothing at the mouth about the destructive ignorance of it all. I don’t think a lot of people are really aware either of just how much racial bigotry is still out there and flourishing.
Great job, Zander! And Great Country, Canada. Thanks for some good news in the seemingly never ending crap the US is drowning in.
Thanks Shirl.
I had such a good time putting it together, finding so many references to ‘fuming conservatives’, ‘tories fear…’ and ‘Harper lamenting’ – that I just kinda’ forgot to even stress about it. I’ve had a lot of smiles this morning, and can’t wait to see coverage from Toronto this weekend – it will be quite a party!! I think I’ll try to grab some pictures to put up a celebration diary when it’s all over and finally national law.
Next step – refugee status for fleeing soldiers…
Pride in Toronto is fan-tastic… so much fun, so HUGE, If any of you haven’t been to Toronto, I really suggest going, it’s such a wonderfully diverse, cultural melting-pot literally… I just love it, and if you can make Pride in Toronto, that’s even better, I was going to go tomorrow, but I’m not sure, it’s going to be wicked hot and it gets so insanely crowded there b/c of the huge gay culture… went a couple years ago and it was so much fun…
Congratulations Canada! And thanks, Zander, for posting this. It’s a relief to read some good news for a change, particularly on this subject.
Canada’s new legislation should inspire every progressive in the US. Great diary, Zander!
Sigh…why can’t I live in a country that’s morally tolerant, has health care for everyone, and isn’t sending its 20-year-olds to die in Iraq?
Don’t forget the story I would most like to have seen covered on Fox/CNN: the First Canadian Military Base Gay Wedding. The wedding was held on May 3rd at Canadian Forces Base Greenwood in Nova Scotia.
This past January the Canadian Forces approved a policy requiring military chaplains to formally bless same-sex marriages. If the pastors church does not permit them to marry gay couples they must arrange for a substitute pastor. Currently this policy only applies to bases in the provinces where same sex marriage is legal, but if the federal legislation passes on Monday then I believe this then becomes our national military policy.
Thank you for the reminder, and for adding the link here. I can’t believe I’d forgotten that…
It is time to end years of discrimination against gay and lesbian couples,”
“It is time to make equal marriage the law of the land.
Such inspirational words. Such a wonderful diary! Such a wonderfully inspiring, Candian example for all of us in the states. Toronto truly IS a “Shining City Upon A Hill”.* And I would ilke to share the bay prairie area’s theme, where today the celebration commemorating the ’69 stonewall riots and the gay rights movement has already begun, and where by tonight more than 150,000 are expected. Our theme is Equal Rights: No More! NO LESS!
*shining city quote courtesy Ronald Reagan…used without permission
Oh, oh, oh – I’ve got some more great quotes….
From the Prime Minister’s Speech in the House of Commons in February.
……
This bill protects minority rights. This bill affirms the Charter guarantee of religious freedom. It is that straightforward, Mr. Speaker, and it is that important.
And that is why I stand today before members here and before the people of this country to say: I believe in, and I will fight for, the Charter of Rights. I believe in, and I will fight for, a Canada that respects the foresight and vision of those who created and entrenched the Charter. I believe in, and I will fight for, a future in which generations of Canadians to come, Canadians born here and abroad, will have the opportunity to value the Charter as we do today – as an essential pillar of our democratic freedoms.
…..
The Charter was enshrined to ensure that the rights of minorities are not subjected, are never subjected, to the will of the majority. The rights of Canadians who belong to a minority group must always be protected by virtue of their status as citizens, regardless of their numbers. These rights must never be left vulnerable to the impulses of the majority.
We embrace freedom and equality in theory, Mr. Speaker. We must also embrace them in fact.
OK – the entire speech was great – it should be read in full… there’s also video available at the link above for anyone who needs a little inspiration today….
How I wish some of our Senators/Representatives were saying this on the floor of Congress here. Or not being wishy/washy and trying to equivocate about gay people having a civil union not marriage, etc etc.
Common law marriage rights have been extended to same-sex couples since 1999, same-sex marriage has been legal in Ontario since 2003. It seems like such a long road, but really a lot of progress has been made in just a couple of years – it could all happen very quickly – post-Bush… if he was impeached tomorrow, the biggest hold up could be the waiting list for a stylin’ ballroom…
I have a very similar wish, but I’d put it slightly differently:
“How I wish political reality allowed our Senators/Representatives were saying this on the floor of Congress here. Or that political reality allowed them to advocate straight up gay marriage instead of just civil unions.”
Because, let’s face it: political reality does not allow that here. We all saw what happened with the various referenda banning gay marriage: they won overwhelmingly in most places, and the “no” votes lagged significantly behind Kerry’s vote. So it’s reasonable to assume that pretty much everyone who voted for Bush voted to ban gay marriage, and so did a number of those who voted for Kerry. If the Democrats came out strongly for gay marriage, it would be Karl Rove’s dream come true.
-Alan
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Great diary and links. I certainly need to read that not all countries or people are like the US-who continue to promote hate and bigotry toward gays.
I still continue to wonder why the US seems to be so full of hatred for people they see as different from them? Or should say why there are so many people here who continue to rabidly promote discrimination and hate.
And I’m looking forward to pictures of Pride Week.
Pictures – me too – I’m hoping to collect some of them for a celebratory diary when the bill is finally signed, sealed and delivered here. Kind of a ‘the world is on your side’ thing…
I’ll take a shot at it. Might as well put that Model Parliament experience from high school to use, eh?
Okay, as background, the House of Commons right now is being run by a minority government. The liberals have the most seats of any party, but don’t have enough (50% + 1) to pass legislation on their own. This means they’re forced to work with other parties to get things done. After the last election, the Conservatives had anticipated that this would be them – the Liberals + NDP were too small to form a majority. Thus, they started ratcheting up their demands and rhetoric. Then two (I think?) MPs switched from Liberal and Conservative (one each) to Independent, making three Independent MPs total. With the by-election at the end of May to fill in a seat whose (Liberal) MP died, this means that the Liberals plus the NDP plus one or two of the independents (I can’t remember the exact vote) are able to pass legislation. As long as they can tie the vote, they Speaker (who’s a Liberal) can cast his vote and give them a victory.
Another Liberal MP recently switched to Independent recently over the same-sex marriage vote, and more are being pressured by the Conservatives to do so. However, given the massive popular support for the measure, many are wary, as it’s perceived as being something of a political death sentence to oppose it. And enough of the Independents and Bloc still regularly side with the Liberals that they can win most votes easily.
In this case, Parliament was voting on an amendment to the budget that had been passed back in May – I’m sure everyone remembers the fuss about that. I’ll come back to this particular amendment later. It looked like the Conservatives and Bloc would be able to prevent closure of debate on the third reading of this amendment. Bills apparently (I can’t find any good online Parliamentary procedure documentation, so this is from memory) must pass two majority votes (no supermajority here, I don’t think, though I could well be wrong) – one to close debate, one to actually confirm the reading of the bill. The Conservatives were blocking closure of debate on this amendment (and threatening to defeat it and force an election) because they wanted a guarantee that same-sex marriage would be off the table. The Bloc was blocking closure for the opposite reason: they wanted same-sex marriage on the table before the end of the session, something the Liberals have been wary about doing.
Yesterday, the Liberals gave the Bloc a guarantee that the same-sex marriage bill would wind up on the agenda before Parliament shut down for the summer. This gave them enough votes to shut down debate (claiming that the Conservatives were being obstructionist, which they damn well were), and even though the Bloc voted against the bill, the government had enough votes to pass the budget amendment. This deal also gave them enough votes to extend the session, which means that the same-sex marriage bill winds up on the table before Parliament adjourns for the summer. The Bloc, Liberals, and NDP are all expected to vote for it.
The amendment is a major legislative victory for the NDP. It was created by the deal they made with the Liberals back in May to pass the first budget, and its passage shows that they’ve got the real power in the House right now. It erased $4.6 billion of corporate tax cuts in favour of drastically increased environmental, education, housing, and foreign aid funding.
I’m sure everyone here can easily predict why the Conservatives are furious about this.
CBC’s “As the Minority Turns” provides a good history of the situation, and their Commons amends budget in surprise midnight vote story details the actual vote itself.
Congratulations for your first non ww diary and what a success and now you are on both rec. lists.
Can I move to Canada and live with you oh wonder girl of the blogs. Or at least give us your Parlimentary system…
Thanks just for being on this site, we need you here, that’s for sure…
great diary zander! thanks!
by the way, are you on a neverending quest to save your girlfriend?
We have our pride week in September, because of the New Orleans heat in June, 90 degree plus. There’s not much activity though, of a political nature, here in New Orleans, concerning gays and lesbians. We’re having to fight so many issues on so many fronts…well, excuses, excuses.
Thanks for this diary.