I have to say I'm a pretty proud Canadian. It's a bit of a joke that lots of Canadians define themselves by the differences between our country and other countries, which, almost by default means "not the US." This may have more to do with our inferiority complex than actual differences. I like that we tend to be more liberal than other countries (even if that may only be perception now).

Apparently, though, with the election of Steven Harper, one of the things I truly see as something which sets us apart from other countries may no longer be. Word from this article is that now, after allowing same sex marriage for some time (the first marriage was in 2001, but same sex marriage has been sanctioned nationally since this December of 2004), the new government, well known for its right wing "Christian" members, will now re-open the debate on same sex marriage this fall. The previous government put the question to the Supreme Court of Canada which held that the current definition of marriage involving a man and a woman was discriminatory in its exclusion of gay and lesbian couples.

I like the idea that Canada has same sex MARRIAGE and not the lesser cousin of "civil unions." It's ironically the fault of many of the same conservative party who outright refused years ago to have civil unions that we have same sex marriage now. Had they agreed to allow civil unions at the time (ie something "officially equal to marriage") then there likely would have never been same sex marriage because the civil unions would probably wouldn't have been labeled discriminatory by the courts.

I know "opening the debate up" doesn't mean that same-sex couples won't be allowed marry. In fact, from what I understand a free vote in Parliament would still likely pass. I guess what bothers me is the fact that my fellow Canadians object to same sex marriage. It's not that they aren't entitled to their opinions, but that I see the issue as being fairly one-sided: discrimination on the basis of who you love is not cool, and as a "progressive" society we shouldn't even have to debate that.

I had it pretty easy as a kid. One of the things that I think probably made it easier for me was that I happened to have liked boys, which is, I guess, what society expects girls to do. But, I'd like to think that if I liked girls that I would have still met with society's approval and been allowed to marry the person I loved.

The opening of this debate again really seems like a huge step backward. I can't help but see the current "debate" about same sex marriage in a historical context. It wasn't too long ago that women just didn't have the "fortitude" (or however it was described) to be in the workplace, or that visible minorities couldn't do as good a job as their pastier counterparts. To me the debate is the same, the only thing that's changed is the "target."

We're planning our wedding right now, and I think of gay and lesbian brides an grooms reading that article and wonder what it would be like to be planning a wedding, not only worried about the usual photographer, what to wear, and who to sit beside whom, but that after everything there would be no guarantee that your wedding will actually result in you being married.

I'm not sure what else to say, other than I hope that my fellow Canadians and Parliamentarians will think twice about sending us back in time to a place where discrimination is sanctioned by government.

I've found a use for my fossil collection

I'm thinking about mailing my fossil collection from when I was a kid to this guy.
He's a conservative candidate running in the federal election in the riding of Ajax-Pickering.

You have GOT to watch the video here of him describing his proposed war on same sex marriage. Yeah because love is a bad thing. How horrible that some girls love girls and that some boys love boys! I'm really appalled. Yit yer pitchforks people, we're gonna have a war on love!

Note his comment about "the truth not getting in the way" of his views on same sex marriage and that the first humans were around 6000 years ago. Frightened? I am. I had no idea some people still subscribe to the Dr. John Lightfoot theory that the earth was created on October 23rd in the year 4004 BC at 9 AM, and even more frightening is people will probably vote for this dinosaur.