In 2004, Canada legalized same-sex marriage and has since issued thousands upon thousands of marriage licenses to not just Canadian residents but also foreigners wishing to tie the knot and have the certificate to prove their marriage even though it might not be legal in the country in which they reside. I personally have several friends who have such a piece of paper from Canada showing their marriage. Well now the Canadian government is the midst of a huge conundrum where they are now taking the stance that the Canadian marriage isn't legal or valid if the marriage is not recognized in the residing country as well.
The Globe and Mail reported Thursday that the government is contending in a Toronto court case that non-Canadians gays and lesbians who have been married here since 2004 are only considered married under this country's laws if gay marriage is also recognized in their home country or state.
The paper is basing its report on court documents filed in a Toronto test case. It was launched by a lesbian couple seeking a divorce. They were wed in Toronto in 2005, and cannot be identified under a court order.
A Department of Justice lawyer reportedly argued the marriage was not legal in Canada because the couple could not have been legally married in Florida or England, where the two live.
This could be a very huge problem for some and I am very sure that we will see a lot of backlash and coverage regarding this court case and issue in the very near future.
People need to Calm down! Firstly, the government has no intention of back tracking on gay rights in Canada. The problem is when someone who is gay marries in Canada, but go and reside in another region where same sex married is not valid, what happens when the married couple wants to now divorce? This is only one governments lawyer "interpretion" of the law. Nothing more...the media is blowing the whole thing out of proportion, as usual, The Globe and Mail is leading the race is making a mountain out of nothing.
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