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July 6, 2003

World notes

International I do, I do... Canada says yes to same-sex marriages By V. Radhika/Toronto

A smile creases the faces of Harvey Romanovitch and Terry Goss as they cross out 'bride' in the marriage application form. They are part of an emerging reality in Canada where marriages will no longer be defined only as a union between a man and a woman but also between members of the same sex. The Justices of Peace conducting marriage ceremonies are getting accustomed to declaring couples "spouse and spouse" instead of "husband and wife". Even as this couple affixed a name to their 26-year-old relationship on June 12, Lina Soto and Paulina Acevedo walked out of Toronto City Hall with their marriage licence. "Marriage is important. We believe in it," said a beaming Lina.

Happily ever after: Joanna Radbord and Maretta Miranda on their wedding day

Two days earlier, a three-judge bench of Ontario Court of Appeal rewrote the traditional definition of marriage to include same-sex couples and ordered that such marriages be allowed with immediate effect in Ontario province. Within nine days of the ruling, Toronto City Hall had issued 161 marriage licences to 73 female and 88 male couples.

Part of the rush was due to the apprehension that the government may appeal against the decision. But on June 17, Prime Minister Jean Chretien announced that legislation granting same-sex couples the right to marry would be enacted. "We are blissfully happy," said lawyer Michael Leshner soon after marrying his 20-year partner, Michael Stark. "The bench has wished us a happy married life and we hope to fulfil that. It's a great day for Canada."

Joyce Barnett and Alison Kemper were also among the 'just married' lot. They had fought and won a case previously, for the rights of same-sex couples to adopt. Both have a child each. (Lesbians in Canada have access to the same medical technology as heterosexuals including artificial insemination.) "It is wonderful to feel like a full citizen of the country," said Alison. "We did not want to raise our children as single mothers but parent them as a single family unit." And now their children are ecstatic too. "Canada has finally figured out it is unfair to deny this to anybody," said Robbie, 11, Alison's son.

Gay and bubbly: Michael Stark, left, and Michael Lechner
celebrate their union with champagne

It has been a hard fought victory for homosexuals. When living together, Romanovitch and Goss had received hate mail, deflected armed attacks and coped with the threat of losing their jobs. "We would never have believed this was possible," said the couple, who feel re-assured after marriage.

Homosexual rights in Canada have come a long way since the time couples were put in jail for such a relationship. Then in the 1990s same-sex couples won significant victories. An Ontario court granted these couples the right to adopt children in 1995. In May 1999, the Supreme Court of Canada ruled that they should have the same benefits and obligations as couples of opposite sex (live-in relationships). A year later, the Parliament enacted legislation that granted them social and tax benefits. In July last year, an Ontario lower court ruled in favour of same-sex marriages. Courts in Quebec and British Columbia took the same position, but gave the government until 2004 to change the law. The Ontario Court of Appeal's decision on same-sex marriages "with immediate effect" forced the government to take a stand on the issue.

We did not want to raise our children as single mothers but
parent them as a family unit, says Alison (left).

However, cracks are appearing within religious establishments. A fortnight ago, when Bishop Michael Ingham authorised clergy in six parishes in the diocese of New Westminster to perform same-sex blessings, 80 parishes withdrew their financial support for the diocese.

Marriage has significant legal repercussions, say Romanovitch and Goss. "When we go to a seniors' home we can share accommodation as only married couples are allowed to do that. There are still other legal decisions that only a spouse is allowed to take."

Lawyer Maretta Miranda, whose parents are from Goa, is married to Joanna Radbord. "Joanna is expecting a baby and with this new ruling, I will become the child's parent auto-matically without going through an adoption process," she said. Miranda and Radbord have been together for 10 years and had a church wedding last year. Though initially hostile, Miranda's family is now supportive.

For the moment, all that seems important to the couples is "to be recognised on paper that we are a couple". The blessings for a 'long and happy married life' should sustain them.

World notes




Iraq
To check the possibility of a confrontation, US authorities have created a New Iraqi Army comprising 2,50,000 former Iraqi soldiers who will be paid monthly stipends of $150.
Dismissed officers took to the streets demanding compensation and the US feared their resentment could blow up into an armed resistance.

Sri lanka
Peace broker Norway is due to hold talks with London-based LTTE negotiator Anton Balasingham in an attempt to bring Sri Lanka's jagged peace process back on track.
The LTTE said deadlocked peace talks could be revived if the government offered it greater political power.

Israel
Israel's rounding up of more than 130 Palestinians in its search for militants has drawn condemnation from Palestinians who say that it is trying to sabotage efforts to reach a ceasefire.
The raids in the West Bank added to tensions following moves to implement an US-backed roadmap for establishing a Palestinian state by 2005.

Afghanistan
Mullah Omar, leader of Afghanistan's former Taliban regime, has named a 10-man leadership council to organise resistance against foreign troops in the country, according to a Pakistani newspaper.
Mullah Omar's whereabouts remain unknown despite 18 months of US-led operations in Afghanistan to track him down.

United Kingdom
A dossier on Iraq's weapons, partly plagiarised from an Iraqi student's thesis, has proved an embarrassment to the British government, said Foreign Secretary Jack Straw.
A recent poll showed that Prime Minister Tony Blair's image had taken a beating and his Labour Party's lead was at its lowest point in two years.

Mexico
It is the end of the road for the original Volkswagen bug. The last factory making the cars in Puebla has announced that production will end this summer.
New, subcompact cars had caused sales of the bug, not to be confused with the new water-cooled Beetle model, down to less than half the normal sales in 2003.

Zimbabwe
The US is offering ruling Zanu-PF party "generous assistance" for ousting Zimbabwe President Robert MugabeÑwhose reign has brought the once-prosperous nation to chaosÑand for holding elections.
The US, working with the UK and EU, has frozen the Zimbabwean government's overseas assets.

China
The World Health Organisation scrapped its warning against travel to China's capital, Beijing, which was the only remaining place on its SARS blacklist.
Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome, which originated in southern China, infected more than 8,000 people worldwide and killed more than 800.

 

 

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