FF: Canada Dissolves, World Freaks

Posted by Nick Vivion on Jan 13, 2012 in Friday Freakout | 3 comments

It’s amazing how quickly – and often quietly – gay rights can be jeopardized by a radical conservative government.

Bearing witness to the firestorm over the past 24 hours, however, has given me new faith and respect for the power and intensity of the Internet. There’s not much chance anymore of a seemingly innocuous position with massive ramifications going unnoticed.

The world freaked out when a Canadian Department of Justice lawyer – a de facto representative of the conservative government – determined that a lesbian couple couldn’t get divorced because their marriage was actually void as their native countries, the US and England, did not recognize it.

When the world freaked more, the Canadian government said that, while they still believe that these marriages “should be legally recognized,” they aren’t.

As the world continues to freak out, the Canadian government now says that they will work quickly to amend the Civil Marriage Act to recognize all Canadian same-sex marriages – irrespective of the laws of the couples’ home countries.

That’s a pretty rapid about-face, and it’s a testament to how horrid and shocking most of us found this turn of events in Canada.

How could a gay couple go to Canada, get married in good faith (and pay for a license!), and then wake up to find that their marriage was no longer recognized because that very same marriage isn’t recognized in their home country?!? THAT’S LIKELY WHY THEY WENT TO CANADA IN THE FIRST PLACE!!!

I’m freaking out about Canada in today’s Friday Freakout. Here’s to hoping they get this little “kink” ironed out GAYSAP!

Anonymous

Typical clueless American rant about a topic you know nothing about. You Americans don’t spend thirty seconds of your lives studying Canada, but suddenly you’re qualified to comment on Canadian law when a story on same-sex marriage occurs. For your information, our “radical Conservative” government, which by the way, is much more liberal than Obama or Clinton ever was, has merely announced today that Canada’s laws are being tweaked so that foreign same-sex couples can divorce here. This is far too generous, in my gay opinion, since non-resident married gay couples don’t pay taxes in Canada, but now get to clog up our publicly-funded court system with their divorce proceedings You should be commending Canada, for once again being to generous for its own good to Americans, first letting you marry here, and now divorce here, without the one year residency requirement that hetero couple have always been subjected to.
http://www.facebook.com/KCWalter84 Craig Walter

Uh… This makes complete sense. You don’t go to Canada and get CANADIAN CIVILIAN Rights… There is no way that Canada’s laws will stand up in another country. I am all for gay rights, but please… don’t tell Canada to “Get with it” When they seem to be the only country who is legalizing gay marriage. I would like to see the US government pass such laws!
I, for one, find it completely pointless to get married in another country, especially if its going to be annulled where it COUNTS!.
http://twitter.com/JohnnyBlaze0 JohnnyBlaze0

What you’re suggesting is that Canada pick up the slack for every country that doesn’t allow Gay marriage.

If i were a family court judge and had to spend all this time dividing
marital equity I wouldn’t want my court backed up with cases from
couples who aren’t even citizens or even live there! Their own country
should be doing that, the one they live in should be recognizing these
marriage contracts and divorcing them. But its not recognized there, thats not Canada’s fault.

Legal technicalities are infuriating but I’m not sure if you’re focusing your anger correctly. Marriage and Divorce is a messy business that the government should stay out of entirely.

Tags

FF: Canada Dissolves, World Freaks

Pages

Tags

FF: Canada Dissolves, World Freaks

Yo Categories

Pages