Egale Canada

Action Alert!

JANUARY 24, 2012   - EQUAL MARRIAGE IN CANADA - Rights of Non Residents supported

<http://egale.ca>

Hello ,

You are likely aware that once again the question of equal marriage
has come under fire in Canada. Recently, the details of a disturbing
legal case received international media attention as we discovered
that a lawyer in the federal Department of Justice had argued that
marriages performed in Canada between non-residents are not legally
valid if those marriages would not be recognized in the couple's
country of residence at the time the marriage was celebrated. The aim
was to avoid the problem posed by the 12-month Canadian residency
requirement in the Divorce Act. This news caused enormous stress and
anxiety for the thousands of same-sex couples who have been married in
Canada over the past eight years and the phones here at Egale began to
ring off the hook.

Egale immediately sprang into action, calling together a dedicated
group of lawyers, community leaders and experts in family law and
human rights. An editorial piece by Robert Leckey
<http://www.egale.ca/index.asp?lang=E&menu=1&item=1552>
, Egale president and McGill University law professor, which was
prominently featured in the Globe and Mail, can be viewed on our
website along with our letter to Minister of Justice Rob Nicholson
<http://www.egale.ca/index.asp?lang=E&menu=1&item=1554>
.

While this issue should never have occurred, we are delighted with
the speed and sensitivity with which the Government of Canada
recognized the distress that had been caused and moved to resolve the
situation. Over the coming weeks, Egale will continue to communicate
with the federal government to ensure that officials follow through on
their promise to confirm the validity within Canada of all marriages
performed here. This will include pushing to ensure that any
amendments to the Civil Marriage Act are made retroactive, so that no
same-sex couple married in Canada will have to question the legal
status of that marriage. It will also include providing constructive
measures to resolve the residency requirements under the Divorce Act,
so that any marriage performed in Canada can also be dissolved in
Canada.

Finally, we are also facing the question of how to recognize same-sex
relationships solemnized in countries that have chosen different
methods of conferring legal recognition. This, too, has caused great
distress for many couples, and we will continue to advocate for an
equitable and appropriate resolution.

We hope you will join us in making sure that we are prepared to
appear before the courts to advocate for what is right. Help us by
making a donation to support our work today! <http://egale.ca/donate>

While this entire debate has been unfortunate, Egale looks at the
swift and positive response from the Government of Canada as an
opportunity to open dialogue and begin to build a relationship based
not on fear, but on optimism.

>>Support Egale Canada <http://egale.ca/donate>

Sincerely,

Helen Kennedy

Executive Director

Egale Canada

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Wednesday, September 10, 2008

On s'excuse, ce document n'est pas disponible en français.

A federal election is on our doorsteps and LGBT equality in Canada has never been so threatened. According to recent polls, the Harper Conservatives have 43% of the popular vote. That's typically enough to form a majority government.

The Tory record shows they not only dropped the writ this past weekend, but they have also dropped the ball on LGBT human rights issues!

For the first time in decades, Parliament failed to pass any measures dedicated to giving Our Community, Our Families any advancement towards equality. In fact, the opposite happened! Legislation and regulations which began to address LGBT human rights were abandoned and other homophobic and transphobic conditions materialized under Harper's government:

• The Court Challenges Program, a vital tool in our struggle for equality - Slashed!
• LGBT refugee claimants facing torture and even death in their countries of origin have been refused and deported.
• The Reproductive Technologies committee was stacked with ultra conservative members, seriously threatening equal access to sperm and egg donations.
• Men who have sex with men prohibited from donating organs, perpetuating the stereotype that they are a high risk group.
• Bills tabled by MPs to introduce gender identity and gender expression as explicit grounds for non-discrimination gathered dust on the order paper.

With a Stephen Harper majority, what was a subtle, slow slide backwards in the areas of LGBT human rights will accelerate and once again our families will be the target!

With your help over the next 35 days, Egale Canada will highlight what our families want and identify those changes that will move us forward, not backwards.

Egale Canada has mobilized to expose the record of the Harper Conservatives and help Canadians make a progressive decision on October 14th that strengthens LGBT equality. But we can't do it without your help!

DONATE Now...and help us get the message OUT!

www.egale.ca/donate

Go to www.egale.ca regularly for updates and information about how you can make a difference in Election 2008!

Sincerely,

Helen Kennedy
Executive Director
Egale Canada

Nigel Flear
President
Egale Canada