Love
exile Martha McDevitt-Pugh has flown from the Netherlands to California
where the marriage advocate is cycling from the Bay Area to California
Governor Schwarzenegger's office in Sacramento on Sept. 21 and 22. McDevitt-Pugh's
goal is to persuade the governor to reverse his plans to veto equality.
"I have to do what I can," she explains, as others join in to
campaign
Yesterday
the California state Assembly voted in favour of gay marriage, following
the lead of the state's Senate. The move marks the 1st time that a U.S.
legislative body voted for same-sex marriage. Governor Schwarzenegger
has promised a veto. Human rights are universal. Please reciprocate California's
support of equal marriage in Canada. Write or call the governor today.
We
celebrate the completion of 5 million visitor sessions to this web site
since 2001 (and 1.7 million visitors so far this year. Visitors from around
the world have viewed over 14 million pages about gay marriage, generating
more than 101 million hits! With appreciation, we take a look at our visitors
and their exploration of Equal
marriage for same-sex couples.
Douglas
Elliott of Toronto is the recipient of the Canadian Bar Association’s
Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Conference Hero Award. "Simply
put, Doug is the preeminent gay rights lawyer in Canada, bar none," said
Michael J. Law, Co-Chair of CBA Manitoba's SOGIC. Mr. Elliott led the
fight in our breakthrough Ontario marriage case.
Prime
Minister Paul Martin and his Justice Minster Irwin Cotler are already
responsible for an infamous 2004 move that delayed the roll-out of gay
marriage in the remaining have-not regions. Now he seems prepared to do
it again while couples continue to fight in court. It doesn't have to
be so, says NDP leader Jack Layton.
Our
congregation of friends, supporters, and fellow worshipers at the Metropolitan
Community Church of Toronto are this year's honored group in the Toronto
pride parade. "MCC Toronto has achieved much in the areas of human rights
and social justice of the last 32 years, most recently with the landmark
same-sex marriage court case," says Pride Toronto.
Gay
and straight media alike have, in recent weeks, repeatedly announced the
death and rebirth of same-sex marriage legislation in Canada. But the
battle for equal marriage was won in 2003 (retroactively to 2001). Everything
since has been posturing and cleanup. There's been plenty of interference,
causing delay, but through it all, gay marriage keeps going and going
...
Gay
marriage advocates in the U.K. are inspired by their former colony's progress
in human rights. "Equal marriage in Canada is having a 'ripple effect'
around the world," write professors Sue Wilkinson and Celia Kitzinger.
"Here's our story". The couple is seeking legal declaration of the validity
of their Canadian same-sex marriage.
"Same-sex
marriage is a legal reality in Canada. There is no going back," writes
Douglas Elliott, President of the International Lesbian and Gay Law Association,
and lead counsel for the church that solemnized the first legal gay marriages.
First delivered at Philadelphia's Equality Forum, this brilliant human
rights advocate presents a three-part analysis.
Serena
Patterson recently wrote to us about a potluck dinner she and her partner
Monika Grunberg hosted, along with a group of 40 GLBT people and family
members, for local anti-gay marriage MP John Duncan. "We focussed
primarily on how the same-sex marriage debate affects the families who
are at the center of it," Serena writes in her recipe for potluck
lobbying.
Canada
is sending two Royal Canadian Mounties to accompany Kevin Bourassa and
Joe Varnell when they're honoured in Philadelphia, May 1. "The presence
of Royal Canadian Mounties is a sign of national esteem and honour," says
host Equality Forum. "Kevin and Joe are Canadian Heroes – they symbolize
Canadian family values and respect for individual liberty.”
"Will
we, GLBTQI Americans, ever see full and equal civil marriage rights? "It
depends on whom you listen to, of course, but I so strongly believe we
will, that I consider it inevitable, a foregone conclusion," writes
gay marriage advocate Bill Dubay. Bill works for equal marriage in Washington
State. He provides an update on the progress of rights in the U.S.
We
celebrate the completion of 4 million visitor sessions to this web site
since 2001 (and 1 million visitors during the past four months). Visitors
from around the world have viewed over 11 million pages about gay marriage,
generating more than 83 million hits. With appreciation, we take a look
at our visitors and their exploration of
Equal marriage for same-sex couples.
There
is growing condemnation of Stephen Harper's vicious attack against gay
marriage, human rights, and the Canadian Charter. Japanese Canadians denounced
Harper for playing politics with a historical wrong. Catholics criticized
Harper for questioning the faith of the Catholic Prime Minister. The Family
Services Association of Toronto defended gay families.
The
Chinese Canadian National Council has issued a statement to Conservative
Leader Stephen Harper that takes him to task for assuming all Chinese
Canadians - and other ethnic minorities - hold the same position on the
gay marriage issue. "... it is incorrect to say all Chinese or other ethnic
minorities are against equal marriage," said Kristyn Wong-Tam.
The
President of the Saskatchewan Federation of Labour says he is alarmed
that Conservative leader Stephen Harper continues to suggest that it should
be alright to fire people because they are gay or lesbian. "We have long
fought to protect workers from discrimination and we want Mr. Harper to
stand up and be clear about his real views on this issue."
Gay
marriage is here to stay, as more and more wedding shows indicates. Yesterday,
the Pope (Canadian singer Carole Pope) announced the latest entry, The
Same Sex Wedding Show, which will take place at the Metro Toronto Convention
Centre on June 23 and 24th. Producer Tom Pearson writes about same-sex
marriage and why he became involved.
Millions of dollars are being spent by the radical
religious right to further their fight against gay marriage. Supremacist
special interest groups are buying full-page newspaper advertisements,
printing millions of brochures and mailers, opening scores of websites
and paying the wages of hundreds of workers. Can't Conservatives & religious
extremists get priorities straight?
Conservative
MP Jim Prentice, a former leadership candidate, says he will support the
gay marriage bill now before Parliament. Prentice stands for liberty,
in stark contrast to Stephen Harper whose opposition to Charter rights
is dragging the party to defeat, again. Harper's handling of same-sex
marriage raises questions of leadership and direction in the party.
Without
any credible argument against same-sex marriage, the Tory party recently
relied on an old standby, an internal poll, to justify discrimination.
Opponents of equality are trying to poll vault over our Charter
rights. Carleton University student Kevin Flack has an interest in media
and communications and took a closer look at the gay marriage numbers
game.
Conservative
party Stephen Harper is promoting a "dishonest strategy" in
response to gay marriage (Vancouver Sun). He is ignoring the fact
that prohibiting same-sex marriage is unconstitutional. "Hollow brinkmanship",
says the Victoria Times Colonist. Now 133 legal experts from Canada's
universities challenge him to be "completely honest".
While
it is always good to contact your Member of Parliament to voice support
for gay marriage, actions speak louder than words. We recently received
some emails from Ontario resident Anthony Carlucci, telling us how he
and a friend have initiated a boycott of businesses that are based within
political ridings held by MPs who are against same-sex marriage.
If an election is scheduled for this year, Conservative
leader Stephen Harper has sealed his fate as a loser, being unworthy to
lead Canada, again. Yesterday he aligned his party with bigotry in a fight
against gay marriage, using scare tactics to justify taking away Charter
rights. Prime Minister Paul Martin (Liberal party) responded promptly,
calling Harper "ridiculous".
If
one needs further assurance that same-sex marriage is going to become
a reality for the rest of Canada, the Canadian Forces offers a good indicator.
The military has created a policy directing military chaplains to enable
gay marriage for its personnel. The policy is partly the result of legal
victories, government direction, and years of work by military chaplains.
Sima
Sharifi & Arnold Witzig enjoy the challenges and adventures of life,
whether standing atop the world's mountains, or climbing the summits of
human rights. They understand it takes team work to make it happen, so
on the occassion of their recent marriage, the couple called on friends
to support gay marriage by requesting donations in lieu of gifts.
As
we launch the 3rd annual Freedom to Marry Day
(Valentine's Day - February 14, 2021) we invite you to join in the celebrations
(if you live where rights are respected) and protests (if your rights
are still denied). See our events section for
further information on how you can participate. Meanwhile, send a Valentine
in support of gay marriage.
