Canada Approves Same-Sex Marriage
Canada’s Parliament approved legislation to allow same sex-marriages across the country, despite fierce opposition from conservative politicians and religious groups. Legislators voted by 158-133 to support the bill, which makes Canada only the fourth country in the world after Belgium and the Netherlands to permit gay marriages.
Most Canadian provinces already allow same-sex marriages, and Canada has become a popular destination for gay and lesbian couples from countries where these unions are banned.
The minority Liberal government said it had to draw up the legislation after courts in eight of the country’s 10 provinces ruled that a ban on same-sex marriages was unconstitutional because it violated Canada’s Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
Canada’s relaxed stance on gay marriage, and on other social issues, stands in contrast to that of the United States, where President George W. Bush wants Congress to back a constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriages.
“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,” Canadian Prime Minister Paul Martin said shortly before the vote.