SGN Page 45

by Rex Wockner

4 countries down, 188 to go
by Rex Wockner Spain and Canada legalized full same-sex marriage at the end of June - joining the club that includes Belgium, the Netherlands and Massachusetts. The vote in the Spanish Congress of Deputies was 187 to 147. The vote in the Canadian House of Commons was 158 to 133. Gay weddings are happening in Spain, and will begin soon in the four Canadian provinces and territories that had not been forced by courts to offer them previously. They already were legal in nine jurisdictions. I got emotional watching the Webcast of the Canadian vote. For some reason, it was the near-unanimous support of the Bloc Québécois party that got to me the most. I've long been a Quebecophile. Montreal is one of the Gay-friendliest cities on earth. But Spanish Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero got me choked up as well. "Today, Spanish society is responding to a group of people who for years have been humiliated, whose rights have been ignored, their dignity offended, their identity denied and their freedom restricted," he said. "Today Spanish society grants them the respect they deserve, recognizes their rights, restores their dignity, affirms their identity, and restores their liberty. "We are not the first [to do this] but I am sure we will not be the last," he said. "After us will come many other countries, driven, ladies and gentlemen, by two unstoppable forces: freedom and equality. "[This is] a small change in wording that means an immense change in the lives of thousands of citizens. We are not legislating, ladies and gentlemen, for people who are far away and unknown to us. We are expanding opportunities for the happiness of our neighbors, our work colleagues, our friends, our relatives. "It is true that [Gays] are only a minority but their triumph is a triumph for everybody ... Their victory makes us all better, makes our society better." Give that man a pile of awards. Canadian Prime Minister Paul Martin was not as eloquent but cut to the chase nonetheless. "[This] is about the Charter of Rights," he said. "In a nation of minorities, it is important that you don't cherry-pick rights. A right is a right." You hear that, Dubya? While Canada's vote was historic, Spain's was even more groundbreaking because it amounted to a gigantic screw-you to the historically powerful and aggressively homohating Roman Catholic Church. "It ... proved that even strong Roman Catholic roots and heritage is not a barrier for building an inclusive and equal society," said Patricia Prendiville, executive director of the European Region of the International Lesbian and Gay Association. "We believe the Spanish marriage victory will have a significant positive impact in other European countries where religious arguments are used to oppose the legal recognition for same-sex partners." Polls found that up to 65 percent of Spaniards supported opening marriage to same-sex couples. I suspect Spain's move may have a domino effect in other European nations where "almost marriage" laws allow Gays to enter into registered partnerships or civil unions that grant some, most or all the rights of marriage. I don't think Denmark, Norway and Sweden will like being upstaged on equality by Spain. Germany, Finland, France and Iceland might come along, too. Maybe Switzerland and a couple of the former East Bloc nations, as well. I also think the California Supreme Court is paying attention - to both Canada and Spain - along with top courts in Washington, New Jersey and other states where same-sex-marriage cases are under way. Change is a comin'. How cool that we're alive at this moment in history to watch it all go down. I mean, think about it. All the Gays and lesbians who came before us hid amid hate and fear and repression - not the least Spanish Gays and lesbians, who experienced extreme abuse under Franco. Twenty years from now, homosexuality is going to be a nonissue in all developed nations. But right now, we get to experience the transition. It's pretty damned awesome. By the way, in case you've forgotten, Canada has no residency requirements for marriage - and only Quebec has any kind of waiting period. You can bop across the border, buy a license, and get hitched all in the same day. You can even bop to the Yukon Territory, to Newfoundland, to Nunavut and tie the knot! Then you can come back to the U.S. and demand recognition of your marriage under the "comity" principle via which nations historically have recognized each other's marriages. Dubya and hateful Christians may continue to scream and kick and claw and spout, but the outcome of the Gay culture wars is clear. We're going to become full and equal citizens in developed nations - and it's all gonna happen pretty damned fast.