When did gay marriage legalize in canada

Bill C, An Act respecting certain aspects of legal capacity for marriage for civil purposes, or the Civil Marriage Act, received first reading in the House of Commons on 1 February The bill codifies a definition of marriage for the first time in Canadian law, expanding on the traditional common-law sympathetic of civil marriage as an exclusively heterosexual institution. Bill C defines civil marriage as “the lawful union of two persons to the exclusion of all others,” thus extending civil marriage to conjugal couples of the alike sex.

Second reading debate on Bill C occurred between 16 February and 4 May , followed by Legislative Committee hearings from 11 May through 14 June. The Committee heard fundamentally divided testimony on the merits of the legislation from witnesses representing various religious institutions and affiliated organizations or groups, advocacy groups for lesbians and gay men, spokespersons for traditional marriage, academics and legal experts.

The bill was reported back to the House of Commons on 16 June, with one substanti

A History of Same-Sex Marriage in Canada

Written on behalf of Shariff & Associates

Canada is known around the world for its liberal and progressive laws. Although same-sex marriage was first declared legal in The Netherlands in , Canada quickly followed suit by

However, the road to legalizing same-sex marriage was a long one. This article will explore how homosexuality became legal in Canada and how it became legal for same-sex couples to marry all across Canada. And although same-sex marriage was made legal in Canada in , many laws as they relate to the LGBTQ2 family require much-needed updates for equality to fully be realized.

Homosexuality used to be illegal in Canada

Homosexuality was illegal in Canada until , when it was decriminalized by the Criminal Law Amendment Act of The bill decriminalized sexual acts of consenting adults over the age of 21 years, regardless of their gender.

The decriminalization of homosexuality is one of former Prime Minister Pierre Elliott Trudeau’s most notable contributions to Canadian law. As he famously stated in in defe

How Same-Sex Marriage Became Legal in Canada

As the th anniversary of Confederation approaches, many Canadians are taking this opportunity to reflect on how much we’ve developed as a nation, and how much growing we still have to do. Family law and gay rights, for example, have changed significantly, even over the past decade, but more changes are expected as the current needs of couples and families are recognized.

Canada has and continues to be a global leader when it comes to gay rights; it was the fourth territory in the world to legalize gay marriage. However, it took many years, several debates and a big push from the public before Bill C, the Civil Marriage Act, was introduced in Below is a timeline which highlights some major events that lead to the legalization of same-sex marriage in Canada.

Pierre Trudeau, who was Justice Minister at the time, makes an amendment to Criminal Code in , decriminalizing homosexuality in Canada. Before this, men could be sent to prison for having sexual relationships with other men, documents an article from the CBC.

In , Quebec

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 share tools, resources, and lessons learned to authorize 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