5.20.2005

Gay couple forced to court

While Parliament diddles away time either by adjourning for the day at taxpayers expense (shame on you Stephen Harper) another Canadian couple is being forced to go to court to get the right to marry.

Colin Snow and Jason Perrino are not speaking about their court challenge in the Northwest Territories. Perrino says in the court challenge...
"Colin and I both wish to legalize our relationship. … It is my wish that my stepdaughter will grow up and recognize her dad and I are a real family.''

Snow and Perrino live in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories. Last June (2004) the Yukon Court made same sex marriage legal in that territory. It is expected the Northwest Territory Court will rule in the favour.

The couple are being forced to go to court as Parliament has yet to pass a same-sex marriage law. The law is expected to come to third reading and be passed before the end of June. At this time Conservative leader Stephen Harper and the Defend Marriage coalition made up of evangelical Christian groups and the Catholic Church are attempting to find means to defeat the Liberal government before the Civil Marriage bill can be passed.

If the Civil Marriage Bill is not passed Canadians in seven provinces and the Yukon will still have the right to same-sex marriage. The new law if passed will apply in all of Canada including provinces that do not recognize same sex marriage. Those provinces are Alberta, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island and Nunavut.

The Northwest Territories court challenge will begin May 27, 2005.

For more on gay or same-sex marriage, gay rights, civil marriage act, Bishop Henry, James Dobson, Defend Marriage, Focus on the Family, Equal Marriage, use the Technorati search box in the sidebar.

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