When did gay marriage became legal in canada

In , the Marriage for Civil Purposes Act,[i] also known as Bill C, became law. This Act gives same-sex couples the legal right to unite, making Canada only the fourth region in the world to legalize same-sex marriages.[ii] Prior to this enactment, the courts in eight provinces[iii] struck down the traditional definition of marriage as a violation of section 15 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.[iv]

Traditional Definition of Marriage

The traditional definition of marriage was "the lawful union of one male and one gal to the exclusion of all others." In other words, only two people of different sexes could legally marry.[v]

Evolution of the Right to Same-Sex Marriage: A Brief History

(a) Halpern v. Canada

The first landmark case was Halpern v. Canada[vi]. In this case, two same-sex couples were married in a religious ceremony at a Christian Church. The Ontario government, however, refused to register the marriages, arguing that the legal definition of marriage did not include same-sex marriages. The couples took the issue to court.

The Ontari

Census in Brief
Same-sex couples in Canada in Census in Brief
Same-sex couples in Canada in

Highlights

  • According to the Census, there were 72, same&#;sex couples in Canada in , representing % of all couples.
  • From to , the number of same&#;sex couples increased much more rapidly (+%) than the number of opposite&#;sex couples (+%).
  • One&#;third (%) of all same&#;sex couples in Canada in were married.
  • Although Ontario had the most same&#;sex couples (26,), Quebec had a higher number relative to its population. Among provinces, Quebec also had the lowest percentage of married same&#;sex couples.
  • Half of all same&#;sex couples in Canada were living in four of the country’s five largest census metropolitan areas: Toronto, Montréal, Vancouver, and Ottawa&#;Gatineau.
  • About one in eight same&#;sex couples (%) had children living with them in , compared with about half of opposite&#;sex couples.

Introduction

The Census of Population provides important information on small population groups with diverse characteristics. One of these groups is same&#;sex coupl

Equal Marriage

These are selected shorts from the Nancy Nicol collection. Other interviews on the campaign for equal marriage are available on site at the CLGA, and include the following people:

Laurie Arron (Canadians for Equal Marriage, Egale Canada)

Joseph Arvay (Q.C. human rights lawyer for B.C. couples in the same-sex marriage litigation)

Kevin Bourassa and Joe Varnell (couple married at MCCT on January 14, , litigants in same-sex marriage case in Ontario, Canadians for Equal Marriage, authors of Just Married,

Libby Davies, (Federal MP, Home Leader for the NDP at the time of the debate on marriage equality)

Douglas Elliott (lawyer representing MCCT in the equal marriage case)

Barbara Findlay (lawyer representing B.C. litigants in the equal marriage case)

John Fisher (Egale Canada, principal author: Outlaws and Inlaws: Your Guide to LGBT rights, Same-sex Relationships and Canadian Law, Egale Canada, )

Jane Hamilton and Joy Masuhara (B.C. litigants in equal marriage case)

Mark Holland (Federal MP, House leader for the Liberals at the time of the debate on marriage

Marriage Equality Around the World

The Human Rights Campaign tracks developments in the legal recognition of same-sex marriage around the world. Working through a worldwide network of HRC global alumni and partners, we lift up the voices of community, national and regional advocates and disseminate tools, resources, and lessons learned to empower movements for marriage equality.

Current State of Marriage Equality

There are currently 38 countries where same-sex marriage is legal: Andorra, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Denmark, Ecuador, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malta, Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States of America and Uruguay. 

These countries have legalized marriage equality through both legislation and court decisions. 

Countries that Legalized Marriage Equality in

Liechtenstein: On May 16, , Liechtenstein's gove