An intense debate taking place in Ottawa in recent months is now one of the lead political stories across the country and, quite frankly, it is about time.
The same sex marriage debate hit a climax this week when Members of Parliament from across Canada approved the so-called same-sex marriage bill.
Before approval of this bill, homosexual men and women in long-term committed relationships across Canada have existed in a world that does not give them access to the marital perks heterosexuals get.
Gay partners who live together, in what is essentially a relationship equivalent to marriage, do not enjoy the same benefits as men and women who live together.
The reason for the discrimination dates back through the ages. Homosexuals were discriminated against in Biblical times. The discrimination stuck for centuries. Now Canada is poised to join only a handful of other countries in extending rights to gay partners.
The saddest part of this good news is that some people feel that being fair to gay people is the wrong thing to do.
We hear this from those who think, for reasons I don't understand, that gay people are a threat to heterosexual society. Gays don't roam the streets in packs with guns, shooting at heterosexuals. They aren't poisoning the water. Gay people aren't going door to door trying to convert heterosexuals.
For the most part, gay people just want to live their lives like all other Canadians.
Is it too much to ask that when two people love each other and commit to being together that they get the same government benefits as everyone else? It isn't too much to ask. Is this legislation going to create an explosion in the Canadian gay population? I don't see it. Is this legislation going to erode the government benefits extended to heterosexual couples? Not that I can tell.
Conservative Party leader Stephen Harper asked recently who will stand up and protect faith and religion. I'd like to know what he thinks faith and religion need to be protected from?
Let's review: gays aren't storming the streets with guns, they aren't poisoning the water and they aren't going door to door trying to convert heterosexuals. If churches feel threatened by the presence of gay people in the pews then the individual churches that feel threatened will do what they feel they have to do to reduce or remove the threat.
One of the reasons this legislation is in place today is because courts across this land have determined that denying gays a legal right to civil union is discrimination.
Conservative MP David Chatters of Alberta asked his fellow MPs if the passing of this legislation is the next step down the slippery slope to legalization of polygamy, prostitution and hard drugs.Yes, if a majority of MPs support those things. Really, is legislation allowing polygamy going to even make it to the floor of the House of Commons? I don't see it.
What mainstream established political party is currently promoting the legalization of prostitution and hard drugs? As far as I know, none of the parties are pushing for these things.The Conservatives are overreacting and if they win a majority government any time soon, they can try to repeal the legislation. I believe that if they do form government they'll look at it and decide to just leave it alone because it is a just law.
Let's allow gay couples to live their lives knowing they can have the same benefits as heterosexual couples. I'm certain that allowing gays access to all the benefits civil union brings will not lead to any harm to the heterosexual segment of Canadian society.
