Better definition but still wrong
I think marriage should be defined as "a religious ritual affirming a civil union."
Canada to Move on Gay Marriage After Court Ruling
Thu Dec 9, 2004 01:36 PM ET
By Randall Palmer
OTTAWA (Reuters) - The Supreme Court of Canada gave the federal government the go-ahead on Thursday to legalize gay marriage, prompting Prime Minister Paul Martin to announce plans to introduce a redefinition of marriage early next year.
But the court refused a government request to say the constitution required the legalization of gay marriage, stripping away a political weapon that would have made it easier to push its draft bill through Parliament.
It did rule that the constitution allowed the proposed redefinition of marriage as "the lawful union of two persons," while protecting the right of religious organizations to refuse to perform same-sex marriages.
Canada would be the third country, after the Netherlands and Belgium, to allow gay marriage, but the issue is a political hot potato that has divided all four parties in Parliament.
Lower court decisions have legalized gay marriage in six of the 10 provinces and in one of the three territories, and Martin said this patchwork could not be allowed to continue.
"The government believes that uniformity is absolutely essential, since we don't want the balkanization of marriage in this country," Martin told reporters.
"I do not believe you can have two classes of citizens."
