Not long after winning the leadership for the Liberal Party in Canada,(see Gay Talk ‘A Choice For Canada) Stephane Dion has weighed in on the upcoming motion to revisit the same sex marriage act in Canada.
It asks: “that this House call on the government to introduce legislation to restore the traditional definition of marriage without affecting civil unions and while respecting existing same-sex marriages.” (see story)
What many in the religous right have failed to understand, is very simple. This isn’t about marriage, but about equal rights under the law. Whether it is the US Bill of Rights, Constitution or our own Charter of Rights, the issue is about a segment of society being denied equal rights. You cannot call it anything else, because separate but equal dilutes the meaning more than anything else. It leaves it open for amendment and that is just wrong.
If something is equal, then it should bear the same name, same classification. Otherwise it cannot be equal, it becomes open to tampering. If you want to limit pension benefits for surviving spouses, you must do it for all. However if you have separate names, you can reduce them for one, while not for the other. That is not Equal, and hence the admantant stand that it must be marriage for all.
Stephane Dion seems to understand that a right is just that. That you cannot pick which rights to give to people or to some people. It must apply to all and so it seems like Canada is once more on track.
“To me it’s a matter of rights, and you don’t pick and choose rights,” said Dion. (see story)
At last, a politician who actually gets it. Jean Chretien and Paul Martin got it. Stephen Harper and his master George Bush still haven’t. Soon though, soon we hope.
