When are we going to say enough is enough?

- Treasury Board president Reg Alcock said he supports same-sex marriage, and affirmed it is a question of minority rights. Conservative justice critic Vic Toews expressed concern that the bill will consume much of the legislative agenda and mean other issues, such as getting tougher on criminals, will be lost in the shuffle. Mr. Alcock argued that it is the Conservatives who are obsessed with the issue, and noted the bill could pass in a matter of days if the Opposition allowed it. It was suggested that gay adoption rights could be the next equality battle (F. Landry: WSun 10).

The Evangelical Fellowship of Canada charged that the PM is misleading the public when he says he will protect the freedom of religious and civil officials from being forced to perform same-sex marriages. Fellowship director Janet Buckingham said in a letter to Justice Minister Irwin Cotler that Mr. Martin's promise is an empty one. Conservative justice critic Vic Toews agreed, and said: "when freedom of religion comes up against equality rights, equality rights seem to trump religious freedom. We have seen it in numerous (legal) cases" (B. Harvey: WStar A8 and Ctz A5).

- Roman Catholic Church groups have joined forces with Muslim, Hindu, Sikh and Orthodox Jewish groups to defeat the legislation which is being introduced today in the House of Commons. Jean Morse-Chevrier, president of the Catholic Parents Association of Quebec, and a leader in the campaign, affirmed that "children need to have the model of a mother and a father." It was mentioned that Mr. Harper has urged amendments to the bill to allow civil unions for same-sex couples, and preserve the traditional definition of marriage (CP: KWS 9 and RLP A1).

- Justice Minister Irwin Cotler will introduce a three-paragraph bill that, if passed into law as expected, will make Canada the third country in the world to allow same-sex civil marriage. Mr. Cotler confirmed that he would table the legislation today, but refused to disclose details of the bill. NDP justice critic Joe Comartin, who was briefed on the legislation, said it includes a preamble that sets out the history of the legislation, as well as the government's intention not to use the Constitution's notwithstanding clause to maintain the current, opposite-sex definition of marriage. Mr. Comartin said he believes the third clause in the proposed law will specifically recognize the right of religious organizations and groups not to perform same-sex marriages (C. Schmitz: NP A1 and Ctz A5, Gaz A12, EJ A5, CH A4, VTC A4, VSun A5, SSP C8; T. MacCharles: TStar A1 and HS A9).

- Leaders of a national group opposing same-sex marriage say they are outraged by the suggestion by Foreign Affairs Minister Pierre Pettigrew that church groups should not interfere with the government's same-sex marriage legislation. The Campaign Life Coalition urged supporters to contact Mr. Pettigrew and has posted the address, phone, fax and e-mail information for his offices in Ottawa and Montreal on its web site (E. Thompson: Gaz A12 and NP A1, WStar A8).

CPC MP Jim Abbott, whose riding includes the controversial commune of Bountiful, B.C., defended the right of the community to practise plural marriage. Mr. Abbott said he is downplaying the controversy to diffuse tensions between the polygamists and residents in neighbouring Creston. In an interview he stated that while his "personal belief system is contrary to polygamy, there a lot of people who get involved in a awful lot of things in society that really, really bother me but being as we live in the democracy we do, I represent everybody." It was noted that Mr. Harper warned earlier that if the same-sex marriage bill passes, the "next thing on the Liberal agenda will be polygamy" (T. Naumetz, CanWest: VTC A5 and Gaz A10, VProv A15).

- A report discussed the case of Bahig Skaik and his family, who were rejected by federal government in their application for immigration to Canada because Mr. Skaik had two wives, which is legal in his home country of Kuwait (G. Dimmock: Ctz A1 and NP A5, VTC A5).

Gay adoption rights could follow same-sex legislation as Canada's next equality battle. NDP MP Libby Davies said if same-sex marriage rights are extended across Canada, uniform adoption rights must follow. She added that while adoption laws are provincial domain, Minister Cotler must encourage his provincial counterparts, since if you "recognize their right to marry, then on what basis do we deny people the right to adopt children? Same-sex couples are just as good parents or as mediocre parents as any other couple" (K. Harris: OSun 4 and TSun 7, CSun 7, ESun 23).


Thanks to RC for this.

I have written many times on gays as parents; ideally, children start off with two opposite sex parents so that they may learn from each -- how to be their own sex and to understand and appreciate the other. Gays may be fine parents but one part of the equation is missing. There are other reasons. See one of the two sites I have already mentioned on this site or on News Junkie Canada for more articles on gay marriage. One particularly good article was in the National Post within the last three days -- on the letters page, below them.



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