http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/109...665122_19?hub=Canada

Nova Scotia legalizes same-sex marriage
CTV.ca News Staff

Nova Scotia has become the sixth jurisdiction in Canada to allow gay couples to marry.

The Nova Scotia Supreme Court ruled Friday that banning such marriages is unconstitutional and ordered the province to recognize same sex unions.

Justice Heather Robertson's decision effectively changes the definition of marriage in Nova Scotia to "the lawful union of two persons, to the exclusion of all others.''

The decision was not opposed by either the province or the government of Canada.

"This is a great day for Nova Scotia.," said Bob Fougere, coordinator of the Nova Scotia Rainbow Action Project, a political action group that supported the case throughout.

"Slowly but surely, the civil institution of marriage is being opened to same-sex couples, no matter what province they are living in."

The case in Nova Scotia began back in August, when three couples asked the court to rule that banning same-sex marriages is unconstitutional. The couples also argued same-sex couples who have married outside the province should have their status recognized in Nova Scotia.

Already, Ontario, British Columbia, Quebec, Manitoba and the Yukon have legalized gay and lesbian unions.

Nova Scotia's justice minister, Michael Baker, says it would have been too expensive to oppose the court application. He says the province didn't want to waste money on a long fight when other provinces have granted the same right.

Gay and lesbian couples in Nova Scotia have some of the rights of marriage through a domestic partnership registry since 2001, but Foreman says his clients wanted more recognition for their relationships.

One of the three couples in this case were married in Toronto when Ontario legalized same-sex unions in 2003, but are now fighting to have their marriage recognized at home.

Another couple is seeking to have their union legally recognized. The third couple, Ron and Brian Garnett-Doucette, joined the case because they hope to marry this year to mark their 20th year together.

"I can't express how excited I am today, because we've been talking about getting married and now we can actually start planning," Ron Garnett-Doucette, told a news conference in Halifax.

"For us it's about feeling equal and today we do."

Last year, the federal government drew up draft legislation to legally redefine marriage across the country.

The Supreme Court of Canada will begin holding hearings on the legislation next week

Newfoundland is holding out for the Supreme Court Decision. Too bad really. Not much of a statement when your forced to accept it.

yeah it is. you'd think they'd realize that soon it will be legal everywhere so why not just do it and get it over with.

I have a feeling that's not going to be happening in my country anytime soon...

i get the same feeling its sad really.

they'll probably legalize dope before they'll legalize same-sex marriage in america.

i'd rather not look at it that way but that's what it seems like.

well..congratulations Nova Scotia, at least. it's a step in the right direction and that is what matters.

it is definately a step in the right direction.
and you're probably right in saying that dope will be legalized in the US before gay marriage is. i felt physically sick last year when watching one of the State of the Union speeches where Shrub stood up there and publically denounced gay marriage and said that the sanctity of marriage should and will remain between man and a woman.
apparently he forgot that church and state are two seperate things :roll:

no no no didn't you hear? America is "God's land" :P

sad ol state.

ahhh this is true :P and Dubya is spouting off that God wanted him to lead the country. i completely forgot.
:roll:

a friend of mine near Edmonton had to vote in the federal election in a church...but then, he *is* in Alberta, and Alberta might as well be the U.S... :?

it's just a little scary (or a lot scary) when i think about Canada being as bad as the U.S in any way.

[quote:a76d683ac4="dslrbbt"]a friend of mine near Edmonton had to vote in the federal election in a church...but then, he *is* in Alberta, and Alberta might as well be the U.S... :?

it's just a little scary (or a lot scary) when i think about Canada being as bad as the U.S in any way.[/quote:a76d683ac4]

hehe, when you said that it reminded me of something Ricky said on the trailer park boys about how the U.S. and Calgary had cheap gas, so they might as well have cheap gas as well... I might've said it wrong. it probably wasn't as funny...

anyhoo... i don't even wanna get started on Dubya. it's too early in the morning.

I was uber-excited to be living in NS when I heard about the ruling too. OMG -- I went and bought a newspaper (albeit, for a friend of mine) to mark the occasion. No one else seemed to think it was that big of a deal -- in fact, I didn't even hear about it until someone told me. How's that for spreading the news?

[quote:a7abf9b79f="dslrbbt"]a friend of mine near Edmonton had to vote in the federal election in a church...but then, he *is* in Alberta, and Alberta might as well be the U.S... :?

it's just a little scary (or a lot scary) when i think about Canada being as bad as the U.S in any way.[/quote:a7abf9b79f]

That's kinda funny.. I live in Ontario and I don't think I've ever NOT voted in a church. I think that we've been voting in these places since Confederation and nobody ever though to change them. I vaguely remember there being an issue in the federal election this past year where an orthodox jewish woman was not allowed to vote in a church (her/her religion's choice, she wasn't banned from teh church or anything), and she had difficult making alternate arrangements.

PS, I, too, am proud of your province

[quote:d608b41296="spiffylike"]I was uber-excited to be living in NS when I heard about the ruling too. OMG -- I went and bought a newspaper (albeit, for a friend of mine) to mark the occasion. No one else seemed to think it was that big of a deal -- in fact, I didn't even hear about it until someone told me. How's that for spreading the news?[/quote:d608b41296]

i didn't hear anything about it until i was on a ctv news site. however it does bother me that my mother knew of it a day or two before i heard and neglected to tell me about it.
it doesn't seem like it's a big deal to many people here but to my gay friends elsewhere they can share in my joy

and thank you sweet one

[quote:704d69ba13="spiffylike"] No one else seemed to think it was that big of a deal -- in fact, I didn't even hear about it until someone told me. How's that for spreading the news?[/quote:704d69ba13]


The thing is, it's [i:704d69ba13]not[/i:704d69ba13] a big deal, and nor should it be. By making a big deal out of it, it implies that we should be shocked that this is being allowed, when in reality, it's about fucking time that they've done this. As important as it is to acknowledge progress, I believe it's more important to expect it.

More gets done that way

fierce