Although Canada became one of the few countries to legalize same-sex marriage in 2005, the political parties that make up the House of Commons have very different ideas about the rights of the GLBT community, and these are reflected in their political policy statements and their stances on various issues of interest to gay rights activists.
The New Democratic Party and the Bloc Quebecois
The New Democratic Party is particularly amenable to the rights of the GLBT community, and their current platform includes many statements dealing with these issues. According to their national website, they are firm in their commitment to ensuring that none of the rights that have been achieved so far (including same-sex marriage and spousal benefits,) are rolled back. They also support a number of other important issues, including discouraging discrimination in all of its forms, both domestically and abroad.
The Bloc Quebecois, one of the leading voices for Quebec, also lent their support to same-sex marriage. When the votes in the House of Commons were tabulated, 43 of the Bloc voted in favor of allowing same-sex marriage, while only 5 did not.
The Liberal Party of Canada
The Liberal Party of Canada, however, is not as vocal in its support of the GLBT community, and there are no specific mentions of it on their national platform. However, it should be noted that it was under the Liberal government that same-sex marriage was finally allowed, even though there were several in the Party who did not vote for it.
That being said, there have been several prominent Liberal politicians who have taken a stand and shown that they support and are encouraged by the Civil Marriage Act and similar legislation in Canada.
As reported on their national website, Liberal leader Michael Ignatieff made some very affirmative statements in July, 2010, which marked the five year anniversary of the Civil Marriage Act. According to him, protecting the rights of the minority, not just the majority, is at the heart of what it is to be Canadian.
The Conservative Party of Canada
The Conservative Party of Canada has traditionally opposed the expansion of rights for the GLBT community, and was staunchly opposed to the Civil Marriage Act. When it was brought up for a vote in the House of Commons, only 3 members of the Conservative Party voted for it, while 93 voted against it.
Similarly, in 2006, Stephen Harper and the Conservative Party attempted to raise a motion to restore the definition of traditional marriage, but the motion failed to carry.
Clearly, the issue of GLBT rights and gay marriage still has the potential for political turmoil, although not as heavily as in the United States. It remains to be seen whether the Conservative Party will attempt to rescind these rights given to GLBT Canadians.
Sources
New Democratic Party of Canada
Equal Marriage for Same-Sex Couples
Thomas West - Thomas grew up near Wheeling, WV, but pursued a Bachelor of Arts in English, History, and Classics at Marshall University. After working ...
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