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Apology
for Canada’s Same-sex Marriage Legislation
Pro-family groups in Canada believe it is
necessary to apologize to the people of the world for the
difficulties caused in other countries by the legislation
in Canada which permits same-sex marriages to non-residents.
Same-sex couples having gone through a form of marriage in
Canada are bringing their “marriages” to the courts
in their own country to have them recognized as legally valid.
Courts in Ireland and the UK have refused this legal recognition.
However, recently, the New York Supreme Court recognized a
Canadian same-sex marriage. This case is now on appeal. According
to 2003 Statistics Canada, 55% of same-sex marriages performed
in BC have been granted to foreign couples. The apology was
included in a media release distributed by REAL Women of Canada
on April 11th,2007. The apology is to be delivered to the
world leaders, to the UN and will be distributed at the World
Congress of Families in Warsaw in May. Below are the media
release and the apology.
Media Release
It is unfortunate that some foreign same-sex
partners have come to Canada to participate in same-sex marriage
ceremonies and subsequently applied to the courts in their
own country to recognize this so-called Canadian marriage.
Canadian marriage law does not demand residency requirements
and this is being used by activists to attempt to change the
marriage laws in their own country.
There are also many Canadians who do not,
and will not, accept the marriage of same-sex partners. Such
Canadians will continue to work to restore the traditional
definition of marriage defined as being between a man and
a woman only. To do so is not to discriminate against same-sex
partners, since their relationships are markedly different
from those of opposite-sex relationships, regardless of what
the law in Canada states.
The unfortunate results of the change in
the legal definition of marriage in Canada, which came about
not by the will of the people, but rather through the manipulation
of the vote by both the former Liberal governing party and
some of the opposition parties, have now become apparent.
The insistence that children in public schools be provided
with biased and inaccurate information on the homosexual issue,
and the continuous attack, by way of the courts and by current
provincial government policies, on those who oppose same-sex
marriage are but two examples of the detrimental effects of
same-sex marriage in Canada.
Canadians who do not accept the same-sex
marriage legislation, and who grasp the ramifications of this
legislation, both here and abroad, wish to apologize to the
world by way of correspondence with the world leaders and
the UN as well as other avenues, for the same-sex marriage
legislation passed in Canada, and to give warning to other
nations of the problems that this legislation is creating.
Apology To the World’s Leaders and People,
We, the people of Canada who support marriage
solely as the union of a man and a woman, apologize to the
people of the world for harm done through Canada’s legislation
of homosexual marriage.
We are grieved and troubled as we consider
the impact this is having in weakening the fundamental institution
of marriage in countries and cultures around the world. We
understand that because Canada does not impose citizenship
or residency requirements in order for same-sex individuals
to be “married” here, couples are coming to Canada
to seek legal sanction for their homosexual relationships
with the intent of returning to their own countries to challenge
those countries’ legal definition of marriage.
We understand that Canada is seen by people
around the world as a country in which public policy is developed
carefully and judiciously. It would, therefore, be a natural
assumption that in legalizing homosexual marriage our government
and courts thoroughly considered the implications of this
action through proper and extensive study of social sciences
and facts. But it is essential that the people of the world
understand that this was not the case. Our government and
courts only considered adult “rights.” Among other
things, religious rights, adoption, the economy and family
law were never fully considered. Changes were implemented
quickly and without a genuinely free vote in our federal parliament.
Our warning to you, the people of the world,
is to learn from our mistakes and avoid repeating them in
your own countries.
Forewarned should be forearmed.
Groups who endorsed statement:
REAL Women of Canada
Canada Family Action Coalition
United Families Canada
Christian Heritage Party of Canada
Third Watch Ministries
United Mothers, Fathers & Friends
Sault Ste. Marie - CFAC
Dawn Stefanowicz - Author
MY Canada Association
Father’s Resting Place
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