With the unrelenting media masturbation over Michael Jackson’s death it can be hard to find real news. Well, here’s one that actually may affect people: The Saskatchewan Party government has put forth a proposal that would give the province’s marriage commissioners the right to refuse to perform same-sex marriages.
The proposed law would make sure that a marriage commissioner would be available to perform the ceremony should another be too offended (morally or religiously) to perform the task.
Refusing to perform an otherwise legal marriage is simply discrimination!
Saskatchewan’s Justice Minister and Attorney General Don Morgan has said he will ask the province’s Court of Appeal if the proposed legislation flouts Canada’s Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Morgan said there are two options being put on the legislative table, “One would grandfather the existing marriage commissioners that are reluctant or unwilling to perform a same-sex marriage and the second option would grant religious exemption for not only the existing ones, but for future marriage commissioners that would have the same concerns.”
This has been an on-going issue in Saskatchewan for a number of years. Last year, the Saskatchewan Human Rights Tribunal ordered marriage commissioner Orville Nichols to pay $2,500 in compensation after refusing to officiate a gay couple’s nuptials. Nichols said he refused on the basis of his religious beliefs.
I don’t talk much about my personal life in this blog but I will say this: my husband and I were married at Toronto’s City Hall two years ago and we experienced nothing but joyous acceptance and smiles as we went through the marriage process. It seems obvious that the city vetted its marriage commissioners and JOP’s to ensure they weren’t morally or religiously conflicted. If Orville Nichols finds himself in a religious dilemma, perhaps he should only perform marriages in the church.
Second to this, if a marriage commissioner has a moral objection to a mixed race couple’s nuptials, will he or she have the right to refuse and be protected legally? I get the feeling that would be deemed an egregious case of discrimination.
Hopefully Saskatchewan’s courts can put this to rest and align the province’s public servants with the rest of the nation and with out Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
July 27th, 2009 at 12:34 am
You people demanded tolerance and acceptance for years. Now you have it – and refuse to return it to the very people who gave it to you.
I don’t happen to support gay marriage, although if you want a civil union, fine. Fill your boots. But at least permit a person their own rights, such as the right to their religious beliefs.
It’s not like MJ’s wish to be married wasn’t accommodated. And you know as well as I do, it was a setup to get Nichols, based on his public statements about gay marriage.
We gave you rights – now how about you return the favour and get off Nichols’ back?
August 7th, 2009 at 5:35 pm
To W. Moran,
A) If you’re going to go to a gay focused website and write things like your disgusting comments, find something better to do with your life. You’re tragic.
B) Nichol’s rights were not infringed upon as a Baptist. He CHOSE the job he worked at. When the terms of marriage in Canada changed, what did he do? Actually he raised a stink but then decided he’d rather keep his job and quieted down… That to me says he’s okay with the new terms of his employment. If he wasn’t why not, as Andrew suggested, move to another field of Civil service? Yet he didn’t… I have no sympathy for him but I have PITY for you.
C) You include yourself in the people who gave the Queer community their rights… um… you don’t sound like a left leaning or liberal or open-minded or fair thinking individual so I assure you that YOU sir did NOTHING to give the Queer community the equal rights it has.
August 7th, 2009 at 7:30 pm
Well said, Jon!
Cheers,
Andrew