Earlier this week, the Saskatchewan Court of Appeal upheld a ruling of the lower courts, saying that marriage commissioners could not use their own personal bias as a means of determining who it is that they marry. In effect, they could not refuse marriage to anybody, regardless of sexual orientation, skin colour, or other feature. It is their duty as representatives and employees of the government to provide marriage to those that choose not to have a religious ceremony.
As such, the individual rights of the commissioners are superseded by the rights of the marrying couple. It is now unlawful to deny one's services based on conscience or religious ideals.
I imagine this is a cause for celebration for many.
Unless you are a member of the Saskatchewan Party. The governing party of our provincial legislature had asked the court to consider two alternatives. One would have allowed marriage commissioners to deny public services to gay couples, and the other would have allowed only marriage commissioners licensed before the legalization of same-sex marriage to do so.
Both were ruled unconstitutional. (though perhaps not entirely unacceptable?)
Maurice Vellacott, a Member of Parliament and the Conservative Party, and an outspoken opponent to same-sex marriage: “The Court has hereby belittled religious faith or any faith for that matter. It sets up a hierarchy of rights saying these same-sex rights are more important than freedom of conscience and religion.”
Is that really what the court did?
I thought same sex marriage was legal across Canada.
ReplyDeleteTime to get on board, those of you who would deny marrying gays and lesbians. You are going to get left behind--not to mention bring unnecessary shame to you and your province.
As a person who considers themselves part of both communities, LGBT and faith based, it annoys me when the religious stand up and whine about how their rights are being infringed upon. More than annoy, but that's the nicest way of saying that.
ReplyDeleteI think it's important to note that mindsets are finally opening and modernizing and the religious community is threatened that perhaps people will wise up and focus on their faith, not the conveniently enforcable laws and unfair practices of the relgious.