kylefabulous

wow... i really want to move there now... im so fuckin jealous of this...

and sad as well ... u guys rock... i wanna come over more..

Updated: 10:58 p.m. ET June 28, 2005
TORONTO - Canada’s House of Commons passed landmark legislation Tuesday to legalize gay marriage, granting same-sex couples legal rights equal to those in traditional unions between a man and a woman.

thats the headline i just saw on MSNBC

anabolic frolic

Here's some more for you:

House passes same-sex marriage bill
Senate expected within days to approve law legalizing gay and lesbian unions


FROM CANADIAN PRESS

OTTAWA - After being fought in courtrooms, legislatures and street protests, one of the most turbulent debates in Canadian history was settled today in Parliament.
The House of Commons voted 158 to 133 to adopt controversial legislation that will make Canada the third country in the world to legalize same-sex marriage.

Several Liberals marked the occasion by invoking the memory of their party's anointed philosopher king, Pierre Trudeau.

It was the late Liberal prime minister who decriminalized homosexuality in 1969, and whose Charter of Rights and Freedoms became the legal cudgel that smashed the traditional definition of marriage.

Barely two years ago the Liberal government was still fighting same-sex couples in courts across the land.

It changed its tune amid an onslaught of legal verdicts in eight provinces that found traditional marriage laws violated the charter's guarantee of equality for all Canadians.

"(This) is about the Charter of Rights," Prime Minister Paul Martin said earlier Today.

"We are a nation of minorities. 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."

Same-sex advocates sprang to their feet and applauded from a packed Commons visitors' gallery, while religious groups looked on in stony silence.

But there was no unanimity even within government ranks. Almost three dozen Liberal MPs voted against the controversial Bill C-38, to cheers from the Tory caucus.

The loudest cheers were for a Liberal who exiled himself to the backbenches to vote against the bill. Joe Comuzzi resigned his cabinet seat Today as minister for northern Ontario's economic development.

The House immediately adjourned for the summer after the same-sex vote, and won't meet again until Sept. 26 - ending one of the most tumultuous sessions in Canadian parliamentary history.

The same-sex marriage bill will become official once it receives approval in the Senate, likely within days. With it the barriers to gay and lesbian weddings will tumble in Alberta, Prince Edward Island, Nunavut and the Northwest Territories - the last jurisdictions where courts have not yet struck down traditional marriage laws.

The legislation applies to civic weddings at public places like city halls and courthouses. No religious groups will be forced to sanctify same-sex marriages if they don't want to.

But Conservatives said the debate isn't over yet.

Leader Stephen Harper said he will bring back the same-sex marriage law for another vote if he wins the next election.

"There will be a chance to revisit this in a future Parliament," Harper said. "Our intention is to have a free vote."

How Harper might handle the issue in future is unclear since almost every provincial and territorial government has made gay marriage legal.

The Liberals said Harper has only one tool at his disposal: the Charter's notwithstanding clause, an escape hatch that no federal government has ever used.

"They're going to have to at least be honest with the people," said Justice Minister Irwin Cotler.

"They're going to have to acknowledge that they want to override the (Charter of Rights), override constitutional-law decisions in nine jurisdictions in this country, override a unanimous decision of the Supreme Court of Canada, override the rule of law in this country."

Cotler now occupies Pierre Trudeau's former Justice Department office, with a poster of the late justice minister-turned-prime minister overlooking his desk.

The Tories weren't sharing such fond memories of Trudeau.

Alberta MP David Chatters lamented what he described as Canada's ``moral decay" and blamed Trudeau's promise of a just society as the start of that decay in the 1960s.

But an Irish-born rookie Liberal MP was quoting Trudeau's famous line about the state having no place in the bedrooms of the nation.

Michael Savage spoke poignantly about a member of his own family, and described the tolerance that he says makes Canada special.

"I have not compromised my faith in supporting this legislation. I have embraced it," he said.

"The fact that we (in Canada) are among the first is not something we should hide. It's something we should celebrate. . . .

"(We are) a nation of equality. A nation of strength. A nation of compassion. A nation that believes we're stronger together than we are apart. And a nation where we celebrate equality. . . .

"We will send a statement to the world that in Canada gays and lesbians will not be considered second-class citizens."

A group of same-sex advocates stood in front of Parliament's front doors to cheer on the politicians who championed their cause.

One religious leader was decidedly downcast. He vowed to keep fighting the legislation through the next election.

"It's a sad day," said Charles McVety, president of the Canada Christian College.

"The great institution of marriage that has built this civilization and the foundation of our society has been defiled by our Parliament.

"And that is sad. It's sad for our children. It's sad for our grandchildren. It's sad for the young people.

"I have a 7-year-old daughter. When she comes of age to be married, will we still have marriage as we know it?"

In the last two years, same-sex marriage has gone from being legally feasible to a fait accompli.

After a series of legal challenges, the walls started tumbling down on June 10, 2003.

The Ontario Court of Appeal ruled in favour of Michael Leshner and Michael Stark, a gay Toronto couple, and ordered public institutions such as courthouses and city halls to immediately begin issuing same-sex marriage licences.

Scores of same-sex American couples came to Canada to be married. Thousands of Canadians exercised their new right.

The Ontario verdict became written in stone when then-prime minister Jean Chrétien announced days later he would throw in the towel in the legal fight against gay and lesbian couples.

The federal government refused to appeal the Ontario ruling, and the verdict was subsequently repeated in courts in British Columbia, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Newfoundland.

When Martin became prime minister, he avoided the political hot potato and punted it off until after the June 2004 federal election.

But he came out strongly in favour of same-sex marriage in the dying days of the campaign. His Liberals were re-elected with a minority government.

New Democrats celebrated the vote result with a party in Parliament's Centre Block. Leader Jack Layton said Canada has sent a message to the world.

"I think it will sound a clarion call around the world and perhaps reduce the hatred and the animosity and move us to a society where all are considered equal," Layton said.

"I think Canada is now sending out a signal that it is possible to provide full equality to people with different sexual orientations."

The bill was supported by all but one NDPer - Bev Desjarlais, who was subsequently stripped of her two critics' portfolios and banished to a back-row seat in the Commons.

peachfuzz

that is awesome..

way to go canada!

its funny.. canada is turning into the new america.. while america is turning into the old europe..

fallenangelslove

Canada rocks, going to run away to Canada!

__________________

kylefabulous

thanks frolic =)


i am so excited about this...

i would love to move to tdot.

really!!!!

fallenangelslove

i would like to be anywhere but here right now

but canada would be AMAAAAZING

DJLeash

that's so true,
it makes me sad.

hooray for canada!

I don't understand why people can't get over the gay thing. Its not like gay people are going anywhere. Anywayz hopefully the U.S. grows up a little bit and does something smart for once...

__________________
happy 2 tha hard 2 tha mother f*ckin core!
FOR MIXES, PARTY INFO AND MORE GO TO:
www.goodvibesentertainment.com
or
www.myspace.com/djleash

Weaver

"The bill was supported by all but one NDPer - Bev Desjarlais, who was subsequently stripped of her two critics' portfolios and banished to a back-row seat in the Commons."

now THAT is funny.
I like the ndp.

__________________
The cake is a lie.

astralkid

Uncle Jack!!!!!!!!!!

RaverJilly

I totally missed that... where was I?

__________________
¤¨¨¤Ji££iâñ¤¨¨¤

"You're the one for me!"

You make me wanna HulLA LA in the kitchen on the floor..


.··..··.
`·.,.·

skunkdiggity

YEY! Marriage is such a beautiful thing-I think anyone who wants to deepen their commitment to another person and express their love this way should be able to! Canada def is everything America should be!

__________________
That Hardcore Beotch Mz Gina!

the architech

that's awesome. I more and more want to live in Canada, if it wasn't so damn cold :P

but yeah, a friend of mine (a Poli Sci major) is working for a lobbyist in the Harrisburg Capital. apparently this guy is very liberal but has unexplainable, yet very strong opposition to gay marriage. it's really sad this crap goes on. it's so stupid. the only crutch they have is "God hates gays" and apparently we have seperation of church and state in this country.

Gah! I could go on forever about this.

anyway, congrats on at least one of our North American countries being sensible.

__________________
Playgrounds and the City
Radical Reconstruction

Everybodies_Daddy

Hopefully the Liberals will go after Aboriginal and women's poverty, and the Kyoto commitment with the same zeal.

MCED

__________________
Dirty Little Secrets

Hot + Dirty

Weaver

im sick of religious people using god as THIER excuse to hate gays. One of the 10 commandments is to love thy neighbour, EVEN IF THEY ARE GAY. According to the religion you are going to hell too.

so lets SUPPOSE that the bible is right (i don't believe in it) about everything, and if you're gay you go to hell. There is still no reason to HATE them, its not your soul, let god worry about it.

Sorry if this offended anyone.

the architech

^^ that's how I feel. people should mind their own business

gator

God doesn't hate anyone

CandyGirl23

way to go canada i wish the US would follow suit instead of the biggest issues in the supreme court being over whether or not to display the 10 commandments on federal buildings. (And that issue receiving more press than the fact that your private property can now be taken over at any point in time for economic development)

Glyce

Canada's cold? Fuck yes. That's where I'm going. lol. If I had to make a decision between Arizona (what a wicked scene they have there) and somewhere like Canada, and Canada is cold (mmmm.... Cold goodness) and Arizona is between 110 and 115 during the day, hmm... Oh yea. Legalizes stuff like Gay Marriage? WOOHOO! Now we just have to save the baby seals, and I would move to Canada to help with that...

But yea, that's fucking awesome. I wish people would just chill and realize that being gay or bi is not that big a deal. In my opinion, everyone's bi to some extent. But all the people that are homophobic don't want to admit that they've ever thought about being gay/bi, or admit that they've ever dreamed about it, or just wondered why, or what it would be like. ANd in my opinion having the possibility open in your mind, means that there's the possibility that it could happen, which means at some point you must be partially bi.

And most of the gay people I meet tell me oh yea, I'm a little bi, at least bi-curious, but same goes for those who don't. Meh. BUt that's just my opinion. It's kinda hard to explain. Sorry.

__________________
Take a look and see, the light still shines in me, In my eyes!

simonsaysthis

btw... said bill passed the senate today, LARGE majority... just need royal assent on wed and it's the law of the land..... better late than never (7 provinces already had it...)....

__________________
my favourite number is 4 billion... which isn't handy when you're gambling..."Come on 4 billion... FUCK! 7! Not even close... i need some more dice... 4 billion divided by 6... at least..."

Andjo

Im glad that Canada dosent let itself be bullied by the US and makes its own desicions now. guess we learnd our lesson after the whole free trade agreement!



I almost forgot. for you americans "For the people, by the people"

__________________
Dont cry because it is over. Smile because it happend!

astralkid

While other parts of the world, this is going on:

http://direland.typepad.com/direlan...executes_2.html


If you are outraged and are Canadian, please write to the Iranian ambassador, SEYED MOUHAMMAD ALI MOOSAVI in Ottawa:

Email:ambassador@iranembassy.org

Absoultely disgusting

astralkid

Better yet write to the Canadian Pm: pm@pm.gc.ca

I did

peachfuzz

why are you outraged?

astralkid

What kind of question is that?

Canada should not have any diplomatic relationship with regimes that sanction such barbaric crimes.