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Bill C-33
Bill C-38
During the 1980s Mp Svend Robinson introduces and tries to pass Bills, which would “prohibit discrimination on groups of sexual orientation.” None of which will ever pass first reading. The first bill being C-242 and similar ones in 1983, 1985-86, 1989 and 1991. During October of 1985 the Parliamentary Committee on Equality Rights, released a reports titled “Equality for All.” The committee is shocked and outraged by the “high level of discriminatory treatment of homosexuals in Canada.” It reports of several cases involving all types of abuse from harassment, psychological oppression and hate propaganda. In 1996 the federal government finally puts through and passed a bill, which adds “sexual orientation” to the Canadian Human Rights Act. That is Bill C-33 chapter 14, it was widely believed to not have passed had it not been added to another form because the main reason for this bill was to ensure the protection of Nunavut waters and Nunavut surface Rights. But it was passed making this a huge milestone in the rights of gay people and couples all over Canada. Ontario becomes the first province in Canada on June 11, 2003 to allow gay couples to marry. All provinces will follow suite in the next 3 years making Canada the fourth country to allow same-sex marriage. Jean Chretien than Prime Minister on June 17, 2003 announces that marriages will become legal and if any person or church feels it goes against their rights they will not need to marry gay couples. On July 13th of the same year “Ottawa reveals the exact wording of historic legislation that would allow gay couples to marry.” On June 28 2005, Bill C-38, which would make same-sex marriage legal across the country, is voted upon and in a slim margin of 158-133 it passes with the support of most of the NDP, Liberals and Bloc Quebecois. The new Bill is passed into law less than one month later on July 20th, which has devastating effects on the Liberal party because of the fact that than Prime Minister Paul Martin told his caucus they must vote in favour, Conservative leader Stephen Harper says that if elected he will have the law revisited which is exactly what is happening in the news today. The effects this has had on Canada and the world are exponential, not only has Canada become the fourth country to pass into law same-sex marriage but it did so even without the major support of the people. Some believe that this is not right and that the majority should rule, but we are all people so why not let everyone have the same things. Canada has taken a lot of flak from many people including the extreme right and the United States, Canada not being one to back down from its own beliefs fought and went its own way guaranteeing that Canada is still ahead of the times in terms of Human Rights. No country is perfect when it comes to the rights of its people but it never hurts to give a couple more rights that are deserved by all.
