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Just
Married |
Just Married is the first hand account of an event that made international news headlines and human rights history in January 2001. By following the Christian practice of reading the banns, which has been incorporated into provincial law, the Metropolitan Community Church of Toronto married two same-sex couples, issuing each a marriage licence. The government was challenged to register the marriages in a case that resulted in the Court of Appeal for Ontario ordering the province to register the marriages of Bourassa/Varnell and the Vautours. Ontario began issuing marriage licences to same-sex couples on June 10, 2003. Despite the political struggle and the glare of the media lights, this remains the powerful and intimate story of two people who chose to make a life together and sought the support of both church and state for their marriage. It demonstrates how two individuals can make a difference, and how personal commitment and political activism are often based in daily life and a sense of family and community. Illustrated with over a dozen colour photographs, and packed with both humourous anecdotes and provocative insights, this is the moving account of an event that will change the world - not just for Canadians, but for citizens, families, and communities around the globe. | "[I]nstead
of making arguments, they've decided to tell a story, the story of the six weeks
from the time the Reverend Brent Hawkes of Toronto's Metropolitan Community Church
phoned them up and asked them if they wanted to get married, through the reading
of banns and the double wedding ceremony in January 2001, and up to the point
at which the Ontario government told them it would not register their marriage.
It makes sense. A story's always better at convincing people of the basic truth
of things than an argument. And this story is fascinating ... And for anyone who
still can't quite picture what it's like for two men to be in love, who figure
all this gay stuff must really just be about getting laid, by the time they put
this book down, they will have had as clear a picture as they could want of the
pure, basic and very, very normal love that is possible between two people of
the same sex. And they'll get a very good and concise resume of the progress of
gay rights in this country over the past few decades thrown in to boot. The authors
did their homework. "Varnell
and Bourassa are not out of the legal maze yet. But they have set an important
precedent. They have knocked down - for now - one of the most daunting barriers
confronting same-sex couples." |
"Kevin Bourassa and Joe Varnell are two very courageous pioneers blazing a trail that is raising awareness of all that it means to be gay and who are educating, advocating and making this province, and indeed country, a better place to live in for all of us."
The Voice - Editorial
August 2002
Publishers:
Canada - Doubleday
United States of America - University
of Wisconsin Press
French
translation ("Gays, Gays, Marions-Nous")
published by
Les Éditions Stanké
Online order for "Just Married":
Just
Married: Online
order (Amazon.com) La
version francaise |  Kevin Bourassa and Joe Varnell June 2002 280 pages (6" x 9") 8-page full-colour photographic insert Current Affairs |
Les Éditions Internationales Alain Stanké has acquired world rights to
the French translation of Just Married. Released today, the French edition is
titled Gays, gays, marions-nous! We are thrilled that our book has been
published in French, and we feel honoured to have found a home in a company that
has published the work of Pierre Elliott Trudeau, Jules Verne, Henry Miller, Roch
Carrier, and Wilder Penfield (Kevin used to write from the trenches of rock and
roll with Wilder Penfield III).
This arrangement was key to our national campaign advocating equal marriage for all couples. Les Éditions Stanké contributes additional tremendous value by bringing our story, and its universal issues, beyond the English-speaking world. As Jerry Shestack, past president of the American Bar Association and former U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Human Rights Commission said in Toronto last year: "Human rights do not begin or end at a nation's borders."
Our thanks to Gloria Goodman, Random House, for her effort in making this possible.
Just Married was published in English by Doubleday (Canada) and the University of Wisconsin Press (USA) on June 1, 2002.
Read Les Éditions Internationales Alain Stanké press release (en Francais)
The Globe and Mail, a national newspaper in Canada, carried an excerpt from our book today, which they titled "The prime minister's letters". These letters relate to one of the more stressful aspects of our experience during the banns/wedding process and serves as a telling counterpoint to the event's surounding the Governor General's response to the same email.
Thanks to Gloria Goodman.
May 1, 2021 - Associated Press
April 29, 2005 - Interviews with Scott Withers, Q Television and CTV National News.
April 27, 2005 - Interview with Shawn McCarthy, The Globe and Mail
April 19, 2005 - Interview with Radhika Panjwani, The Toronto Sun, and Sean Kelly, MIX97 (Quinte, Ontario).
March 5, 2005 - Interview with author Sylvain Larocque.
February 16, 2005 - Interview with Brodie Fenlon, The Toronto Sun
February 15, 2005 - Interview with Jarmila Dokladalova, To Be magazine (Ottawa/Montreal), and Hayley Mick, The Ottawa Citizen.
February 1, 2005 - Interview with Claude Shama, C101.5 Mohawk College Radio
January 26, 2005 - Interview with Larry Fedoruk, CKTB Radio, Kathleen Harris, Sun Media
January 16, 2005 - Interview with Ju_Young Park , Media Daumj, Korea
December 13, 2004 - Interview with Kevin Davis, (San Francisco) Bay Area Reporter
December 9, 2004 - Interviews with Alan Carter, Global TV, News Morning; Christopher Thomas, CBC television's Newsworld, and Elevator Films (documentary), Toronto-One, CITY-TV, the Los Angeles Times, CBC Radio One, the Toronto Sun, the National Post, CHUM-FM, Radio Canada, Broadcast News, Omni Television, Canadian Press, French CBC radio and television.
December 7, 2004 - Interview with Dave Seglins, CBC Radio.
December 6, 2004 - Interview with Rocky Goodfellow, Canada AM (CTV).
November 25, 2004 - Interviews with Janice Tibbetts (CanWest News Service) and for an independent documentary film (Producer, Bursting Films; Director, Heather Tobin.
November 22 & 24, 2004 - Lectures at George Brown College, Toronto
November 4, 2004 - Interviews with Andy Barrie, CBC Radio, and Ben O'Hara-Byrne, Global TV.
October 18, 2004 - Interview with Siri Agrell, The National Post.
October 6, 2004 - Interviews with the Toronto Sun (Sarah Green) and CBC Newsworld, Your Call (live-phone-in show) with Kathleen Petty.
October 3, 2004 - Interview with Mike King, The Advocate.
September 30, 2004 - Interview with Harry Forestell, CBC News: Morning
|
August 30, 2004 - Nancy Nicol, independent filmaker July 23, 2004 - Interview with Abeer Macintyre, BBC Radio Scotland's Newsdrive. July 21, 2004 - Interview with CBC Radio |
 |
July 4, 2004 - Interview with Brent Sedo, The Coast.
June 29, 2004 - Interview with Ben O'Hara-Byrne, Global TV.
June 27, 2004 - Interview with CITY-TV.
June 19, 2004 - Interview with CBC Newsworld, and CTV News
June 15, 2004 - Interview with CTV National News
June 10, 2004 - Interview with Greg Bonnell, Canadian Press
June 2, 2004 - Interview with Heather Sokoloff, the National Post.
June 1, 2004 - Appearance on The Bill Good Show, CKNW
May 5, 2004 - Interview with Tom Musbach, PlanetOut and Gay.com.
April 26 - May 2, 2021 - Equality Forum, in Philadelphia.
April 23, 2004 - Interview with Lewis Whittington, MetroNewspaper, Philadelphia
April 2, 2004 - Lecture at the University of Buffalo
March 20, 2004 - EQCA's 2004 San Francisco Equality Awards. Interview with Synthia Laird, Bay Area Reporter.
March 17, 2004 - Interview with Sean Kelly, CJBQ, Belleville, Ont.
March 15, 2004 - Interview with Bob Klager, The Ottawa Sun
March 12, 2004 - Interview with Matthew Hays, the Advocate.
March 10 & 12, 2004 - Lectures at George Brown College, Toronto
March 8, 2004 - Interview with Steve Feuerstein, Speak Your Piece!, WSNR620am, New York.
February 28, 2004 - Speaking at 519 Community Centre, Toronto
February 17, 2004 - Interviews with Dan Chapman, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution and Jessica Padykula, Humber Etcetera.
Feb. 4, 2004 - Interview with Leslie Scrivener, Toronto Star.
Jan. 16, 2004 - Interview with Robin Wark, Sooke News Mirror (B.C.)
Jan. 15, 2004 - Panelist on TVO's More to Life with Mary Ito (live broadcast at 1:00 p.m. ET).
Jan. 14, 2004 - Lecture at Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce head office, Toronto, for H.R. professionals in Canada and the U.S.
Jan. 7, 2004 - Interview with Andrew Park, Oxford University.
Dec. 22, 2003 - Interview with Rebecca Kendall, Guelph freelancer.
Nov. 23, 2003 - Interview with Jason Tchir, The Toronto Sun.
Nov. 21, 2003 - Interview with CFRB's "The Motts"
Nov. 19, 2003 - Interview with Siri Angrell, National Post; Murray White, The Toronto Star
Nov. 14, 2003 - Toronto: Speaking at Equality Now rally at Federal Liberal leadership convention. Interview with Global Television.
Nov. 11, 2003 - Interview with Kathleen Harris, Sun Media
Nov. 3 & 5, 2003 - Lectures at George Brown College
Oct. 16, 2003 - Press conference in Philadelphia with Equality Forum.
Oct. 12, 2003 - Interview with Sue O'Connell and Keith Orr for One in Ten, FNX Radio (MA and NH, USA)
Oct. 8, 2003 - Interview with Bill Cameron for @issue on ichannel.
Oct. 6, 2003 - Interview with Paul Cook for Agenda on Rogers Television and MSNBC.
Oct. 2, 2003 - Interview with CITY-TV for Media Television program.
Sept. 26, 2003 - Interview with Richard Burnett, Hour
Sept. 25, 2003 - Interview with Danny Glenwright, Eyeopener (Ryerson, Toronto)
Sept. 22, 2003 - Interview with Andrew Whiteside, Queer Nation TV, New Zealand.
Sept. 18-21, 2003 | Braselton, Georgia - Panel discussion at the Gill Foundation's Outgiving 2003. Interviews with CITYPulse24, CITY-TV, Canadian Press, Reuters, Toronto Sun, Toronto Star, National Post, New York Times, Global TV, CTV Canada AM, CBC-TV, CBC French Radio, CBC Radio's Andy Barrie, OutQ News, The Advocate, Gay City Press, Gay Financial News, CTV Newsnet, CHCH TV, CanWest News, CFRB
Sept. 16, 2003 - Interview with Kevin Alderson, author.
August 16, 2003 | Philadelphia: Workshops, based on the human rights issues in Just Married, at Witness our Welcome (WOW), an ecumenical gathering of Canadian and American inclusive Christians.
August 7, 2003 - Interview with CKAC radio, "Les idees claires", with Claire Pimpare (Montreal).
August 6, 2003 - Interview with Randy Boswell, CanWestNews.
August 3, 2003 | Montreal, Quebec: March for equal marriage. Interviews with Canadian Press, the Montreal Gazette, CTV, and CBC.
July 26, 2003 | Saint John, New Brunswick: Grand Marshalls in the Pride parade.
July 23, 2003 - Interview with Angus Goodkey, on CJSW (Alberta) program Heartbeat@. Listen live on the internet at 11:00 p.m. (ET).
July 22, 2003 - Interview with Tony Pitman (Australia - film documentary)
July 19, 2003 | Halifax, Nova Scotia: Grand Marshalls in the Pride parade. Interviews with CBC television and the Daily News.
July 12 & 13, 2003 | London, Ontario: We will be presenting workshops based on our book and we'll march for marriage. Interview with CBC Radio (London) and NewPL TV.
July 8, 2003 - Radio network interview with CKNW (Vancouver) on The Agenda with host David Berner.
July 7, 2003 - Interview with CITY-TV, Toronto
June 29, 2003 | Toronto, Ontario: Marriage march.
June 25, 2003 - Appearance on "Let's talk" with host Darren Rathwell, CHAT-1270 (Medicine Hat, Alberta)
June 24, 2003 - Interview with Kristin Schwartz, CKLN and Free Speech Radio News.
June 18, 2003 | 7 to 9 p.m. | Markham, Ontario: Reading from Just Married at the Markham Community Library, Lunau Room (Highway 7 and Markham Road). Part of York Region Pride Week.Interviews with Andre Sears, WBAI, New York; Late Night Live with Roger Green, NewsTalk 106, Dublin, Ireland
June 17, 2003: Interviews with Anne Mroczkowski, Citytv; Radio Canada.
June 16, 2003 | 9:00 p.m.: Goldhawk Live, Rogers television.
June 15, 2003 - Interview with CTV-Kitchener, Ontario
June 13, 2003 - Interview with Susan Ryan-Vollmar, Boston Phoenix.
June 12, 2003 | 7:00 - 10:00 p.m. - Hamilton, Ontario: Centenary United Church, 24 Main Street W (905-522-6843).
June 12, 2003 - Kevin Bourassa will be interviewed on Sturgeon in the Morning by host Dave Sturgeon, 570 News - CKGL (Kitchener).
June 11, 2003 - Interview with Leigh Anne Williams, Time magazine, Austrian radio.
June 10, 2003 - Interview with Toronto Sun, Reuters, CBC television.
June 8, 2003 - Interview with Jeff Harrison, Gaiety.ca Magazine.
June 6, 2003 - Interview with CJMS radio, Quebec.
May 13, 2003 | Interview with Heather Kitching, Queer-FM (Vancouver)
May 9, 2003 | CJME/CKOM (Saskatchewan) network interview with David Kirton.
May 5, 2003 | Corus network appearance on the Vancouver- based CKNW (Vancouver) Rafe Mair show with guest host Peter Warren. Listen to a recording of the show.
May 2, 2003 | Appearance on CBC Radio One's The Current with host Jim Brown. A recording of the interview is available on the Internet.
April 28, 2003 | Interview with Jarmila Dokladalova, To Be magazine (Ottawa/Montreal).
April 27, 2003 | Interview with Queer-FM (Vancouver)
April 21, 2003 | Toronto: We will be appearing on CBC Radio One's Metro Morning (99.1 FM) with Andy Barrie sometime between 6:30 and 7:00 a.m.
March 10, 2003 | 6 to 9 p.m. - Toronto: We will be speaking about the fight for equal marriage at The Fraternity's monthly meeting. All are welcome.
March 8, 2003 - Speaking at Borders and Boundaries, the 3rd annual public interest law symposium hosted by Spinlaw - students of the University of Toronto Law School and Osgoode Hall Law School.
March 7, 2003 | 7 to 10 p.m. - Toronto: We will be appearing at the Trinity St. Paul's United Church.
February 17, 2003 | Interview with Here (Saint John, New Brunswick)
February 16, 2003 | Interview with Queer-FM (Vancouver)
February 14, 2003 | 6:00 p.m. - Toronto: Toronto Reference Library. Live interview with CBC French television (RDI) at 2:30 p.m. Live radio interview with Al Stafford, CHED Edmonton (8:00 p.m. Eastern).
February 12, 2003 | 4:00 p.m. - Ottawa: Carleton University.
February 12, 2003 | 7:30 p.m. - Ottawa: St. John Evangelist Anglican Church.
February
11, 2003 | noon. - Ottawa:
Ottawa Public Library. Interview with Ken Rockburn ("Talk
Politics"), CPAC television.
February 11, 2003 | 4 p.m. - Ottawa: University of Ottawa.
February 10, 2003 | 4 p.m. - Montreal: McGill University. Interview with CJME News/Talk Radio (Sask.), Fugue Magazine (Montreal) and Richard Burnett, Hour Magazine (Montreal, and national syndication).
February 9, 2003 - CKNW live network interview with Stirling Faux. Interview with the Toronto Sun.
February 7, 2003 - Toronto: George Brown College (private class - Child & Youth Worker program)
February 4, 2003 - Toronto: George Brown College (private class - Child & Youth Worker program)
January 19, 2003 - Interview with Queer-FM, Vancouver
January 9, 2003 - Interview with Glenn Crawford, Capital Xtra (Ottawa).
December 12, 2002 - Interview with Jason Tchir, The Toronto Sun (published Dec. 27).
November 21, 2002 - Toronto: George Brown College (private class - Nursing program)
November 18, 2002 - Toronto: George Brown College (private class - Nursing program)
November 14, 2020 - Repeat apparance on TV Ontario's More To Life (3:30 a.m to 4:30 a.m.) with host Mary Ito and guest Prof. Bruce Ryder from Osgoode Law School.
November 13, 2002 - Live appearance on TV Ontario's More To Life (1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m.) with host Mary Ito.
November 9, 2002 @ noon - We will be in Halifax, Nova Scotia at Venus Envy, signing copies of Just Married: Gay Marriage and the Expansion of Human Rights. The book store is located at 1598 Barrington Street. Phone 902 422-0004 for information or email venus@venusenvy.ca Thanks to Lara Morris, Stephanie Gowan (Doubleday) and the staff at Venus Envy for arrangements. Interview with Anna Quon, Halifax Herald (published Dec. 2, 2002).
November 8, 2002 - Halifax, speaking at Mount Saint Vincent University, speaking at Dalhousie Law School, Speaking at Nova Scotia Rainbow Action Project, interview with Dalhousie University CKDU radio, Global television interview, interview with Jeffrie Simpson, Halifax Herald (published Nov. 9, 2002), interview with Pamela Brown, NovaNewsNet.
November 7, 2002 - Sackville, New Brunswick: Mount Allison University. Halifax, Nova Scotia: Dalhousie University - DalOUT
November 6, 2002 - Saint John, New Brunswick: Appearance on Talk of the Town with host Terry Wallace on CFBC Radio. UNBSJ Radio interview with Wayne Harrison. Sackville, New Brunswick: Mount Allison University
November 5, 2002 - Saint John, New Brunswick: University of New Brunswick . Global TV interview with Lorne Daltrop. CBC Radio appearance on MainStreet with Gary Mittleholtz.
November 4, 2002 - Fredericton, New Brunswick: St. Thomas University and University of New Brunswick Law School, Interview with Barbara Roberts, CBC Radio.
November 3, 2002 - Fredericton, New Brunswick: Unitarian Fellowship of Fredericton
November 1, 2002 - Interview with Renee Hartleib, The Coast, Halifax, Nova Scotia)
October 25, 2002 - Interview with Mark Leger, Here (Saint John, New Brunswick).
October 17, 2002 - Interview on "Daytime Toronto" with Rogers Television.
October 9-10, 2002 - University of New Hampshire
October 7, 2002 - The Roy Green Show (11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. EST) CHML 900 (Hamilton, Ontario). Online broadcast available.
September 26, 2002 - Interview with Daphne Gordon, The Toronto Star
September
21, 2002 - Ottawa International Writers Festival; discussion with
special guest Kees Waaldijk.
Interview with To Be magazine (Montreal/Ottawa).
September 20, 2002 - Interview with Suki Lee, Xtra West (Ottawa) publication.
September 18, 2002 - North Scarborough Rotary Club (Dave Hardy, Program Chair) luncheon guest speakers. For club members only.
September 12, 2002 - CTV Network News interview with Mark Schneider
September 5, 2002 - Interview with the Washington Times (John Ward).
August 29, 2002 | 10:10 a.m. - Interview with CKGL NewsTalk570 (Kitchener/Waterloo) on Vanlith Live.
August 10, 2002 - Sudbury (Ontario), Unified Northern Pride parade. CTV News interview.
August 9, 2002 - Interviews with Northern Life newspaper (Sudbury) and CBC Radio One with Shirley Moore.
August 4 - Vancouver Pride, British Columbia, Queer-FM live in-studio interview (8:00 p.m. Pacific)
August 3 - Fairchild Television taped interview with Jerome Yau, CKNW live network interview with Stirling Faux (8:00 to 8:30 p.m. Pacific)
August 2 - Vancouver, British Columbia; CBC Radio Early Edition (live interview), Shaw Cable interview with Joey Case, Ming Pao Newspapers interview with Jeffrey Wang, CBC Radio-Canada Rendez-Vous live interview (French), Chapters on Robson St. 7 p.m. (moderated discussion)
July 31, 2002 - Follow-up Interview (post-decision) with Maclean's magazine interview.
July 30, 2002 - Toronto Retail book signings.
July 28, 2021 - Windsor (Ontario) Pride
July 27, 2002 - Windsor, Canadian Auto Workers union roast.
July 26, 2002 - Windsor, Live in-studio interview with Paul Vasey, CBC Radio Morning Watch, 8:45 a.m. Live call-in interview on CKLW-AM Windsor Now with Melanie Deveau at 4:50 p.m.
July 23, 2002 - Interview with Deb Price, The Detroit News
July 16, 2002 - WBAI (New York) recorded interview with news editor Adrea Sears. Interview with the Washington Blade.
July 15, 2002 - CTV Canada AM (live interview)
July 14, 2002 - London (Ontario) Pride. MCC London worship service. Live phone interview on CIUT, Queer FM at 10:00 pm EST. Internet broadcast available. Interview with NEW PL, CBC radio, and CTV.
July 13, 2002 - Telephone interview with the Peter Warren Show (syndicated radio program in western Canada). Interview with the Voice magazine.
July 12, 2002 - London Ontario's New PL graciously accepted our cancellation from this morning's appearance on New Day when we learned that the decision in our marriage case was due in Toronto the same morning. Thank you for understanding! We were at a press conference in Toronto at noon, followed by a live interview on CBC's Newsworld. Also did interviews with CTV and CFRB (The Motts), the Kitchener Record and London Free Press, photo shoot for Voice magazine (cover) and a radio phone-in interview with This Way Out heard on 125 radio stations around the world (for later broadcast - we'll try to keep you informed). We even did a live radio interview while on the train from Toronto to London with CKLW in Kitchener.
July 11, 2002 - A pre-recorded interview with Kevin Bourassa and Douglas Elliott conducted by John McGrath will air today on Metro Morning with Andy Barrie (sometime between 6 - 9 am EST on CBC Radio One 99.1 FM).
July 10, 2002 - Canadian Press interview.
July 7, 2002 - MacLean's magazine interview (Canadian news weekly).
June 30, 2021 - We are scheduled to appear live on the Christina Cherneskey Show on CFRB Radio 1010 AM on Sunday afternoon, June 30, between 12:30 and 1:00 p.m. Then the Toronto Pride Parade and one million people!
June 27, 2002 - Metro Morning with Andy Barrie (live at 7:50 a.m. EST) on CBC Radio One 99.1 FM).
June
24, 2002 - Toronto Sun interview with Jason Tchir (to be published
Wednesday, June 26).
June
20, 2002 - Crossroads Television Systems (CTS) Michael Coren Live,
10:00 p.m. Eastern
June
19, 2002 | 7:00 p.m. - Toronto - Celebrating
the publication of Just Married.
June
14, 2002 - Vancouver (telephone), The Bill Good Show (Live), CKNW
11:30 Pacific / 2:30 Eastern
June
11, 2002 - Montreal
The second Canadian city on our tour in support of Just Married (Doubleday)
was Quebec's charming Montreal. We had the pleasure of meeting with both
mainstream and alternative media, reaching millions of people through
the eight interviews we did during the day. Then, when the day was done,
we were welcomed into the warm home of Quebec same-sex marriage advocates
Michael Hendricks and Rene Leboeuf for a conversation-filled dinner together.
June
10, 2002 -
Ottawa: Where It Begins & Ends
We
woke up in Turin, had lunch in Amsterdam, followed the sun to Toronto,
and had dinner in Ottawa (with Joe singing Happy Birthday to me in each
city along the way). It was the beginning of our Canadian book tour in
support of Just Married. We began in a most appropriate city - the capital.
June 5 to 8, 2002 - Turin, Italy; Keynote address at International Lesbian and Gay Law Association conference.
"A
story's always better at convincing people of the basic human truth of
things than an argument. And this story is fascinating ... This book provides
a wealth of literate and sensitive insights."
"It
is doubtful if any human rights cause could find more effective spokesmen
than Bourassa and Varnell."
