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Media Advisory
February 10, 2003
Valentine's Day of Action
Same-Sex Couples Across Canada Apply For Marriage Licences
On Valentine's Day, the national LGBT equality rights organization Egale Canada is inviting same-sex couples across the country, together with their families, supporters and friends, to present themselves at their local marriage registry office and ask for a marriage licence.
In what has been dubbed a campaign of "civil obedience", this day of action will draw country-wide attention to the fact that same-sex couples cannot yet get legally married. In many cases, the city/town would like to issue marriage licences to same-sex couples, but the federal government prohibits this.
"On a day usually reserved for celebrating love, our love and our relationships are not equally valued," said Campaign Coordinator Richard Chambers. "By taking local action in our own hometowns, we are asking all Canadians to defend our equal right to celebrate our love by calling on the federal Justice Minister to honour our Charter rights and end marriage discrimination. Equal marriage is not about special rights and privileges. Equal marriage is about allowing same-sex couples the freedom of choice—the freedom of choice that heterosexual couples have always enjoyed. Equal marriage is about fairness. It's about ending discrimination."
Egale has identified coordinators in regions across Canada to provide support to community-members wanting to participate and to respond to media inquiries. To find out more, contact:
National Coordinator:
Richard Chambers
416-323-9751 (h); 416-231-7680 x 4196 (w)
valentine@egale.ca
Newfoundland & Labrador:
Michael Riehl: 709-726-1850 (h); 709-737-3272 (w)
mriehl@mun.ca
Prince Edward Island:
Eric Fullerton
902-566-3036
ericg.fullerton@pei.sympatico.ca
Nova Scotia:
Don Tabor
902-667-2635 (h); 902-597-2449 (w)
don@egale.ca
New Brunswick:
Art and Wayne Toole
506-382-5837 (h); 506-863-7888 (w)
godfather@rogers.com
Quebec:
Dominique Dubuc
819-822-0323 (h)
srobert@sympatico.ca
Ontario:
Kevin Bourassa
416-894-3065
samesex@samesexmarriage.ca
Manitoba:
Karen Busby
204-474-6155 (w)
karen_busby@umanitoba.ca
Donna Huen
204-474-0212
wglrc@escape.ca
Saskatchewan:
Donna Smith
306-757-9292 (h); 306-522-8571 (w)
dsmith@sgeu.gov.sk.ca
Alberta:
Stephen Lock
403-228-9936 (h); 403-708-5302 (cell)
stlock@nucleus.com
British Columbia:
Craig Maynard
604-790-8751
cmaynard@shaw.ca
Northwest Territories:
Julie Green
867-669-7759
greenjulie@hotmail.com
Nunavut:
Allison Brewer
867-979-2093 (h); 867-975-5717 (w)
brewer@nunavut.com
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Egale Canada ©2011
Canada's LGBT human rights organization: advancing equality, diversity, education, and justice.