WINNEPEG, Manitoba (BP)–Manitoba became the fourth Canadian province to legalize same-sex “marriage” Sept. 16 when a judge there struck down the province’s current definition of marriage.
Because Manitoba’s government chose not to challenge the lawsuit, the ruling will not be appealed and the province’s first same-sex “marriages” will take place within days, if not sooner.
Courts in the provinces of British Columbia, Ontario and Quebec — as well as the Yukon territory — also have legalized same-sex “marriage.”
In the latest ruling, Justice Douglas Yard of the Court of Queen’s Bench ruled that Manitoba’s law violates Canada’s Charter of Rights and Freedoms, according to Canadian Press.
“The traditional definition of marriage in Manitoba is reformulated to mean a voluntary union for life of two persons at the exclusion of all others,” he wrote in his decision.
Three homosexual couples brought the lawsuit.
Yard’s ruling means that nearly half of Canada’s 10 provinces have legalized same-sex “marriage.”
The Liberal Party government is pushing a bill that would legalize same-sex “marriage” and is awaiting an opinion from the Canadian Supreme Court on the proposed legislation.
Although the Liberal Party lost seats in Parliament in the election, pro-family leaders acknowledge that the same-sex “marriage” bill likely has enough votes to pass.
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For more information about the national debate over same-sex “marriage,” visit http://www.bpnews.net/samesexmarriage
