Canada: Commence with the Marryin' of the Homos

Gay marriage in Canada is imminent. And no, not as in "imminent threat." Proving itself once again the banal, boring, rational cousin to the schizoid, hyperbolic lunacy of America, Canada's Supreme Court has given Ottawa the ok to allow gays to marry. Boring, but in a good way.

While at the same time recognizing that the government has the right to change the legal definitions of marriage, it also recognizes the freedom of religion: of course, denominations won't be forced to marry the homos if their congregations don't want to.

Yawn. They're so rational, so logical, it makes me want to take a nap. A state definition of marriage and a religious definition of marriage are two different things, and should be treated distinctly as such in discourse and in the media. Who would have thunk? Plus they like gravy on their fries.

Also, domestic partnership benefits are being denied to gay couples in Massachusetts!!!!! Why? Because they can get married now.

Brad Salavich, global program manager for workforce diversity at IBM, which acquired Lotus in 1995, said unmarried gay employees should not be surprised by a decision to end domestic-partner benefits, effective January 2006. "We were very clear," Salavich said. The domestic-partner benefit "was an extension to equalize benefits for gay and lesbian employees who were not legally able to have their relationships recognized, he said. "If they choose not to continue to receive the benefits, that is a personal choice."

Cathleen Finn, an IBM employee in Cambridge, said she hasn't heard any complaints from colleagues. Finn, a lesbian who married her longtime partner on July 17, said, "It's not fair to offer a benefit to one group and exclude another group."

Sometimes these things happen so quietly. Where's the blood and bayonets? I want red-stater blood spilled over this before I turn fifty.

Posted by jason at December 9, 2024 12:57 PM