The Quebec Coalition for Same-Sex Civil Marriage launches a campaign in support of the same sex civil marriage bill

Today the Quebec Coalition for Same-Sex Civil Marriage launched a campaign to support the same-sex civil marriage bill, C-38, an Act respecting certain aspects of legal capacity for marriage for civil purposes . Equality – I’ll vote for that! is the theme given to the campaign that will seek to convince Quebec’s Members of Parliament to vote for the bill.

An important part of this campaign is to invite people who support the bill to send a postcard to their Member of Parliament. The postcards will be made available throughout Quebec and may be requested by going to www.algi.qc.caand choosing ‘Campagne d’appui au mariage civil’. No stamps are required when writing to a Member of Parliament.

This campaign is a collaborative effort of the Quebec Coalition members, namely : the Lesbians Mothers Association of Quebec, the Confédération des Syndicats Nationaux (CSN), the Centrale des Syndicats du Québec (CSQ), the Fédération des Travailleurs et Travailleuses du Québec (FTQ), Egale Canada, the Fédération des femmes du Québec, Fondation Émergence/Gai Écoute and the Table de concertation des lesbiennes et des gais du Québec. Representatives of each Coalition member participated in the launch and strongly urged Members of Parliament to vote for this bill.

“The proposed legislation respects the equality and freedom of religion provisions of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms; it makes civil marriage accessible to all citizens while ensuring that each religion can define who they choose to marry. This bill ensures that religious marriages will be insulated from the proposed modifications made to civil marriage; religious marriage will not be affected” said Evangeline Caldwell, coordinator of the Quebec Coalition for Same-Sex Civil Marriage.

Pierre Séguin, Vice-president of the Centrale des syndicats du Québec (CSQ) believes “The time has come for our Members of Parliament to have the political courage to state unequivocally that there are not two separate classes of Canadian citizens where equality is concerned. Voting for this Bill will ensure equality of all Canadians.”

The President of the Fédération des femmes du Québec, Michèle Asselin also asks all Members of Parliament to vote in favour of Bill C-38. “The women’s movement is a strong supporter of equality rights. Lesbians and gays must be recognized as full citizens. Once civil marriage is made accessible to everyone, the last legal discrimination against lesbians and gays will have been eliminated.”

“Members of Parliament must look to the law and the Charter of Rights and Freedoms rather than their personal and religious views when they enact legislation. Their most important responsibility is to enact laws that respect the Charter of Rights and Freedoms” said Laurent McCutcheon, President of Gai Écoute and Fondation Émergence. He further stated “A society that takes a step towards inclusion and equality is a society that has just made itself stronger.”

“The proposed bill on same-sex civil marriage should receive the same unanimous support by our Quebec Members of Parliament as did the Civil Union bill in the Quebec National Assembly in 2002. We are working hard to make that happen.” stated Claude Côté, Co-President of the Table de concertation des lesbiennes et des gais du Québec.

Jean-Pierre Le Clerc, President of the Gay and Lesbian Committee of the FTQ emphasized that “This proposed legislation will bring full legal equality to gays and lesbians across Canada as well as bringing us closer to social equality. The latter will at last allow us to lead productive lives as full-fledged citizens.”

The Director General of Egale Canada, Gilles Marchidon declared: “The right to civil marriage and the right of religion to not celebrate same-sex marriages are complementary rights – they do not conflict with one another. All religions and people of faith should embrace the Charter of Rights and Freedoms as it protects religious freedom and equality rights, the latter being not only a social value but a religious one as well.”

Mona Greenbaum, coordinator of the Lesbian Mothers Association of Quebec states that “The legislative duty of each Member of Parliament is to ensure the equality of same-sex couples and their children as entrenched in the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. To vote in favour of this bill is to vote for the most fundamental values of the Charter.”

The Secretary General of the Confédération des syndicates nationaux (CSN), Lise Poulin declared that: “Permitting same-sex civil marriage does not remove any right or freedom from any one person or from society in general. Same-sex civil marriage is a matter of social justice and equality rights for all citizens.”

Currently, same-sex civil marriage is legal in seven provinces and one territory:

Ontario – June 10th, 2003 British Columbia – July 8th, 2003 Quebec – March 19th, 2004 Yukon – July 14th, 2004 Manitoba – September 16th, 2004 Nova Scotia – September 24, 2004 Saskatchewan – November 5th, 2004 Newfoundland and Labrador – December 21st, 2004

“The time has come for our elected legislators to embrace the equality provisions of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms and extend civil marriage to all Canadians from coast to coast to coast.” concluded Evangeline Caldwell.

Source : Quebec Coalition for Same-Sex Civil Marriage – 08-02-2005

Information: : Évangéline Caldwell Coordinator of the Quebec Coalition for Same-Sex Civil Marriage. Téléphone : (514) 482-6310 Courriel : caldwele@vaniercollege.qc.ca