Celebrating A Decade of Gay Marriage in Canada

I am grateful to have seen so much social change and acceptance for gays and lesbians in my younger years, so that I can enjoy those hard-fought changes for a while yet.

Canada's first legally wed same-sex couple -- Michael Leshner and Michael Stark -- will celebrate their 10-year anniversary tomorrow (Monday, June 10).

This article at least mentions a significant caveat -- that there's more work to be done. Throughout Canada, LGBT folks have deeply asymmetrical lives, are able to be out to varying degrees, and experience a wide range of oppressions.

"Some people feel that the only good queer is a married queer and there's a hierarchy in our relationships with that being the pinnacle," she said.

"We need a lot of work on queer acceptance, safety in schools, anti-bullying, protection against hate crimes...the same sorts of issues that we've always had to work on."

While there's no doubt there's still room for improvement when it comes to same-sex issues and acceptance, there are many who see Canada as an international leader in the field.

CP24 has more here: Canada marks decade since legalizing gay marriage.

Anti-Gay Protestors Interrupt Nadal/Federer at French Open

France may have passed legislation for gay marriage, but not everyone is happy about it.

At the French Open, a protestor with a flare stormed the court, minutes after two other protestors held up banners "accusing France of trampling on children's rights."

For more from the BBC, click here. Incidentally I couldn't find any Canadian news sites yet to report on this. Video below.

Campaigners against gay marriage and adoption by same-sex couples, backed by the Catholic Church and conservative opposition, argue the law undermines an essential building block of society.
The protests at the French Open final were quickly snuffed out.

Thankfully.

John Malkovitch and Prince Harry Both Heroes

He's in town performing in 'The Giacomo Variations' but has inadvertently done something even more amazing. John Malkovich helped save an elderly Ohio man's life after a freak trip-and-fall turned into a slit throat. According to cbc.ca, the eccentric actor and star of must-see Being John Malkovich took over the post-accident scene like a seasoned paramedic until help could arrive.

This reminded me of the admirable claim from yesterday's Telegraph that Prince Harry protected his fellow soldier, a gay men who received homophobic threats from a rival unit, from harm. In my humble opinion, he's been redeemed from some of his past faux pas from the past.

Trooper Wharton, who was on training in Canada with the Prince at the time of the 2008 incident, said: “I will always be grateful to Harry and I will never forget what happened. Until he went over and dealt with everything I was on track for a battering.” 

Update: Prince Harry's heroic actions happened in Canada, at a training camp in Alberta.

Some Good Gay News from Around the World

It's not all doom and gloom for queers the world over. Pride season has begun and here are some reasons to celebrate:

• In the last 50 years we've made some incredible strides.
• 'Bigot's Island' Tasmania becomes a holy land for gay rights.
• NBA's Jason Collins -- the first active professional U.S. athlete to be openly gay -- marches in Boston's pride parade. Simply amazing.
  
  And as a little feel-good bonus:
• Long-time friend of the LGBT community, Daniel Radcliffe will be the best father ever. Let's hope he has some gaybies soon.

Gay News Roundup, June 8, 2013

Here's what's going on today:

• Interview with Sabine Berghahn: Gay and unmarried couples may be extended same rights as married couples in Germany.
• Gay life in Cuba is getting easier, but has not shaken homophobia and exploitation.
• "Andrew is not gay," Coronation Street actor's wife insists regarding allegations of sexual assault of a 15 year old.
• As the national debate drags on, gay marriage may come to Michigan in 2013.
• In spite of violent incidents, Tel Aviv pride carries on.
• Pentagon will issue benefits to same-sex partners, starting Sept 1.

Most Americans Say Gay Marriage Inevitable: Survey

This headline is so somberly accepting it might as well be about Canada. I like it -- it's that reluctant calm as baby boomers and old folks give into the changes they now know they can't control.

This is what it looks like to win:

Seventy-two percent of those surveyed said they believed legal recognition of same-sex marriage was inevitable, including 85 percent of gay marriage supporters and 59 percent of opponents.

Read about it on Yahoo News.

Update: Click here for more from the New York Times on the gay marriage debates in the US.

Rock Hudson Gay Confession Secretly Recorded by Wife

It's like the Rob Ford crack tape of a bygone era...

Scroll to the end to see the transcript of Rock Hudson's gay, innuendo-laden confession. From The Hollywood Reporter.

Edmonton Military Base Raises Gay-Pride Flag

I have to say this is pretty remarkable. Even though LGBT can openly serve, I've anecdotally encountered assumptions about the climate of repression in the military.

Even after a Charter of Rights and Freedoms challenge in 1992 that guaranteed gay and lesbian individuals could serve openly in the military, he hesitated in coming out. It wasn’t until five years later that McDougall formally acknowledged his relationship with his long-term partner.

It is wonderful to think that in Canada's red-states this level of acceptance is becoming normal. But there are at least two angles for this one:

1. As one commenter puts it: "OMG. There is hope for the West yet."

2. And another: "As being gay approaches mediocrity, these occurances will no longer be newsworthy."

Touche? 

Pictures from Miami Beach Gay Pride

My god this looks good. Pride is a ways away here in Toronto -- at least someone is having fun.

From The Miami Herald: Miami Beach Gay Pride parade | Sunday, April 14, 2013.

When we think of the experiences of gays and lesbians abroad, us in the West often generealize pretty wildly. This article gives personal examples of homophobia experienced in China.

From The Guardian: China's gay lovers desperately seeking 'a wife'.

Equal-sign logo isn't enough to achieve gay marriage

I think anyone interested in civil rights today should read this column by Henry G. Brinton. There are many more critiques to make of the equal sign logo, and of the fight for marriage and other conservative institutions in general, but the point here is clear: the passive deployment of symbols usually fails to create a lasting change.

From USA Today: Gay marriage needs more than equal-sign logo: Column.

Ireland May Legalize Gay Marriage

I'm amazed to see something like this happening in in Ireland -- so much more Catholic, yet so many years ahead of, say, the United States. Let's hope it all goes through.

From The Guardian: Ireland to hold gay marriage referendum.