Canada becomes third country in the world to legalize same sex marriage

[Lincoln]

Same-sex marriage bill passes in Commons
CTV.ca News Staff

Canada will become the third country in the world to officially sanction same-sex marriage.

In a 158 to 133 vote, the House of Commons adopted Bill C-38 -- the controversial legislation legalizing same-sex marriage from coast to coast -- on its third and final reading Tuesday night.

The Liberals had the support of almost all New Democrat and Bloc Quebecois MPs for the vote.

The bill will become official once it receives Senate approval, which is expected to happen within days. An earlier Conservative motion to send the bill back to committee was voted down 158 to 127.

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

"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."

The decision marks the end of a long and divisive debate, with fierce opposition coming from Conservative members, religious groups, and even members of the Liberal Party.

The legislation applies to civic weddings at public venues like city halls and courthouses. Religious groups still have the right to refuse to sanctify same-sex marriages, but opponents of the bill are vowing to keep up their fight.

Conservative Leader Stephen Harper is promising that he won't let the issue rest; he says he'll revisit the new law if he becomes the next prime minister. He also repeated his claim that the law lacks legitimacy because it passed with the support of the separatist Bloc party.

"I don't think Canadians are going to accept as a final word a decision taken by only a minority of federalist MPs," he said. But Harper didn't specify how he would address the issue if the Tories were to form the next government.

Liberal Justice Minister Irwin Cotler said Harper is going to have to come clean and acknowledge that he would have to invoke the Constitution's notwithstanding clause to override the new law.

"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 said.

The clause is available to provinces to override federal laws that
intrude on provincial jurisdiction.

But almost every provincial and territorial government has already legalized same-sex marriage; and the new legislation will ensure that the four "hold-out" jurisdictions that yet haven't -- Alberta, Prince Edward Island, Nunavut and the Northwest Territories -- now must.

"It's an historic moment, it's about equality for gays and lesbians," said NDP MP Libby Davies.

Alberta Premier Ralph Klein, who is "strongly opposed" to the bill on moral grounds, acknowledged Tuesday that little can be done to stop same-sex marriages in his province.

"Since this is federal legislation, to use the notwithstanding clause as contained in our own Marriage Act would be frivolous," Klein told reporters in Calgary. "It wouldn't stand up in any court of law. So there are some other options that we would have to consider."

Klein said although some members of his caucus are threatening to use every legal weapon at their disposal to get around the legislation, "there are no legal weapons; there's nothing left in the arsenal."

As expected, about three dozen Liberal MPs voted against the measure. Martin declared it a free vote for backbench MPs, but cabinet ministers were under orders to vote in favour of the bill.

On Tuesday, a junior cabinet minister chose to resign and return to the backbenches rather than vote in favour of same sex marriage.

Joe Comuzzi, the minister of state for economic development in northern Ontario, informed the prime minister of his decision in the early morning.

"I promised faithfully to the people of Thunder Bay-Superior North that I would defend the traditional definition of marriage," he explained to reporters on Parliament Hill.

After the same-sex vote was put to bed, the House immediately adjourned for the summer, thus ending one of the stormiest sessions of parliament in Canadian history. MPs won't meet again until Sept. 26.


http://sympaticomsn.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/1119954631626_33?hub=topstories

[mauzip]

good for you!

[Lincoln]

My thoughts written out:

Wow. It finally happened. Same sex marriage, as Liberals socialists and seperatists call it. Supposedly a defining moment in Canada. In reality, this is one of the worst days in the country's history. The Liberals pushed through this terrible legislation. Pearson, King, St. Laurent and the other Liberal PMs of the country must be rolling over in their graves. Even Tommy Douglas of the NDP (whom many forget was A CHRISTIAN MINISTER) must be shaking his head. It is time for change. Harper needs to stand up and use the Notwithstanding Clause of the Charter, and make it damn clear he will. Realistically speaking, the positive that will come out of this terrible legislation will be the Liberals' demise. When nearly the whole country is against the sinful marriage bill, the Liberals will have no chance at defending against this one. Let's see you dither through this one Mr. Martin.
 
I pray for God's mercy upon my country and pray for change.

[eS El Duque]

i thought this was legalized ages ago....i don't like gays at all...but i don't give a shit about this bill

[Twentytwofifty]

Realistically speaking, the positive that will come out of this terrible legislation will be the Liberals' demise. When nearly the whole country is against the sinful marriage bill, the Liberals will have no chance at defending against this one. Let's see you dither through this one Mr. Martin.
 
I pray for God's mercy upon my country and pray for change.

The Liberals will never lose.  Martin is invincible.
I hate to say it but it's true.

As far as this issue is concerned, I could really care less.  But I hate it when these clowns call it a "human rights" issue or something along those lines.  That's bullshit.

[J Bananas]

I pray you don't kill yourself when you find out Christianity is just a brainwashing program created to gain loyalty throughout the weakminded populace. Ooh ouch, thats your feelings being crushed. And my karma being taken down in response. But for real though, this means you don't have to lie to yourself anymore and you can marry that man from church you've had a crush on.

[mauzip]

Just like heterosexuals, gays are human beings as well. Gay couples should have the same rights as straight couples because they are human beings. They can't help it they're gay, they just are. Therefore I think that everybody that does not support this bill is not a good person.

But I hate it when these clowns call it a "human rights" issue or something along those lines. That's bullshit.

Why is that bullshit? This is discrimination.

[Trauma-san]

I don't think it's a religious issue.  I think that's one of the silliest things I've ever heard.  If you have two people married that aren't religious, that's just as bad as having two gays married in god's eyes, it's still either way not how he would have it done... that is if you believe in any kind of organized religon.  The bible stresses monogamy but nobody listens to it.  Kids are born to people that get divorced and leave the kids hanging the rest of their lives, or dads that get women pregnant and then just walk out the door.  You think god's down with two Christians getting divorced and leaving their kids without a family anymore than he's down with two gays living together, and raising adopted kids or kids from an earlier relationship?  I think people speak out against gay marriage but they don't speak out against the other problems we have.

Second, to me, gay marriage is rediculous.  It's a common sense thing.  That's like me saying I'm being discriminated against because I can't go in a public bathroom with women.  Or I can't go to school any later than 19 or 20.  that's not discrimination, that's just inherent differences in people.  Men are not women, women are not men, it's impossible for two men to marry, because it's nonsensical.  Marriage is between a man and a woman, a fucking 3 year old can tell you that, but grown faggots can't. 

They're not being discriminated against, they have the EXACT same rights i have.  I too, cannot marry a man.  The only problem is, it's a law they don't like, so they bitch about it, and do it anyways.  That's not discrimination, that's a flagrant disrespect for the law.  Deviant behavior is behavior that strays from the norms set by society.  Homosexuality is deviant behavior.  We should not bend laws that are rooted in human GENDER, a friekin' law of the universe like gravity, heat and math, to satisfy the deviants amongst us. 

If they want to live together, fine, I'm happy for them... but how can you get married to a man?  It's not possible, it's just cut and dry like me telling you I'm going to go walk in the sky.  That's impossible, it's against the law of gravity.  That's like me telling you I'm going to add 2 and 2 and get 3.  It's against the law of math, there's simply no way to do that. 

[mauzip]

Homosexuality is deviant behavior.

Maybe so, but since homosexuals can't help it they're homosexual they should be treated equal to bisexuals and heterosexuals. If the law implies so otherwise, the law should be changed. If a religion says it's unnatural, that religion is wrong.

[J Bananas]

I don't think it's a religious issue.  I think that's one of the silliest things I've ever heard.  If you have two people married that aren't religious, that's just as bad as having two gays married in god's eyes, it's still either way not how he would have it done...

I never looked at it that way, why the hell do non religious people get married if it's a religious institution?

[mauzip]

you don't have to marry in church

over here non religious people marry in the city hall and religious people marry in their church

a long time ago already marriage has become normal for non religious people as well

[Just Another Sunny day in California]

I don't have a problem with same sex couples or gays in general, as long as they keep that shit away from me.

[Twentytwofifty]

But I hate it when these clowns call it a "human rights" issue or something along those lines. That's bullshit.

Why is that bullshit? This is discrimination.

Trauma pretty much summed it up.
For example: I, as a heterosexual man, if I wanna get married I have to do so with someone of the opposite sex.  You as a homosexual man, if you wanna get married you have to find someone of the opposite sex.  Both groups have the same rights, neither group can married someone of the same sex.  Everyone's equal.

[Suga Foot]

silly boys, dicks are for chicks

[Low Key]

I think Trauma is on to something, but I wouldn't mind if two gay guys wanted to be joined like a married couple, just don't call it marriage. There are certain things you can't have when you are a certain way. I have a dick, so I can't go into the ladies room like it's where I'm supposed to be, just like Trauma said. My neighbor, who I have known my entire life, is gay. If that is how he so chooses to live or how he was born, so be it, but it's not the natural circle of life, therefore they can't get married, which is natural.