I got a note in email this morning from egale Canada, the organization that promotes equal rights for Gay and Lesbian Canadians. It read, in part:
Egale is writing to you because the upcoming Census 2006 treats same-sex couples unfairly. We’re hoping you will take a simple action to show your support for same-sex couples across Canada.
The census form instructs same-sex couples who are married to check the ‘Other’ category at the bottom of the list of relationships, rather than checking the top box marked ‘Husband or wife.’
Egale Canada, the national organization which advances equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and trans-identified people in Canada, is recommending that same-sex married couples list their relationship as ‘Husband or wife’ rather than ‘Other.’ According to Statistics Canada, either response will be captured correctly as a married same-sex couple. In addition, Egale is calling on all concerned Canadians to add a comment on Page 6 of the questionnaire, such as ‘Same-Sex couples deserve equal treatment.’
Please take further action to make express your support for same-sex couples. Please visit http://www.egale.ca/census2006, and see how easy it is to make your voice heard.
Apparently the folks running the census missed the debate last year where same-sex marriage became the law of the land.
by alec on January 11, 2006
I haven’t commented on the election that’s going on here in Canada for some time. However, two things have really been gnawing at me for the last couple of days.
The first was Paul Martin’s promise, during the debate, to amend Canada’s Constitution to prohibit the use of the notwithstanding clause. Liberal party staffers subsequently clarified that to state that he would prohibit the use of the notwithstanding clause federally, but not provincially. “Prohibit” is the key word here. Martin is not proposing to amend the Constitution at all, because otherwise he would simply remove the clause. Amending the Constitution, however, requires the support of 7 of the provinces, representing more than 2/3 of the population of the country. As Brian Mulroney discovered, that’s not easy to get.
What Martin is really proposing to do is simply pass a bill in parliament tying the Federal Government’s hand. And, just as any parliamentary bill can be overturned, so could this. So, ultimately it’s meaningless. It’s also unbelievably hypocritical. Just a few months ago, Martin promised Canada’s church leaders that he would use the notwithstanding clause to protect their freedom to choose not to marry gay people, if a Supreme Court decision forced them to do so. Is he now abandoning that promise?
The second of my beefs has to do with the new Liberal attack ads. So far, this has been a pretty civil campaign. Not now. Harper has made a lot of mistakes in the past, but he’s also a smart guy who appears to have learned from them. The campaign he has run has been, for the most part, a very centrist campaign. It’s been full of ideas, policy, and vision. The Liberals, devoid of any new thought, have turned to propaganda as the means to sway the public. Goebbels would have been proud, Mr. Martin.
Interestingly enough, the Liberal’s latest antics have finally cemented in my mind how I will vote. I had been strongly considering a Green vote because of my opposition to the Conservative position on same sex marriage. However, on Friday I’ll be at the advance poll voting Conservative. I don’t want to see another Liberal parliament.
