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| Great White North |
| Lesbians launch Canada's first same-sex divorce |
| 2004-07-21 |
| Two Canadian women who were among the first same-sex couples to get legally married, may become the first same-sex couple in Canada to get a divorce. The two, who decided to call it quits after getting married last summer, are trying to get the country's Divorce Act amended so they can go their separate ways, a lawyer for one of the women said on Wednesday. "Under the Divorce Act, a court can only dissolve a marriage between a man and a woman," Hannaford said. Oops! We didn't consider that one. The couple are asking the Ontario Superior Court of Justice to grant them a divorce and deem the Divorce Act's definition of spouse -- "of a man or woman who are married to each other" -- unconstitutional. The petition asks the court to order the phrase "to each other" be dropped. "If that doesn't happen, it is not possible for same-sex couples to divorce," Hannaford said. "That is their dilemma. They are married, they both want to have their marriage dissolved and they both want to get on with their lives, and right now, they can't." That's a lot of straight people's dilemma too: stay for the kids; stay for the place to live; stay because one has no marketable skills. The two women were married just days after a landmark Ontario court decision in June 2003 opened the door to same-sex marriages. But after a five-year relationship, the marriage lasted only five days before they separated. Moved too fast? Well, there is that old joke a lesbian friend of mine tells: What do two lessbians do on their second date? A: Rent a U-Haul. |
| Posted by:growler |
| #3 But after a five-year relationship, the marriage lasted only five days before they separated. Just proves that nothing kills a good relationship like marriage. |
| Posted by: Pappy 2004-07-21 9:11:58 PM |
| #2 It lasted twice as long as Brittany (sp?) Spears'. |
| Posted by: ed 2004-07-21 2:42:37 PM |
| #1 I'm really sorry that their relationship didn't work out. |
| Posted by: Super Hose 2004-07-21 2:38:00 PM |