Lucky to live in Canada

Forty years ago in 1969, homosexuality was decriminalized in Canada through a bill introduced by Pierre Trudeau who famously told reporters that "there's no place for the state in the bedrooms of the nation." In 2002, Canada's Immigration and Refugee Protection Act was implemented and same-sex marriage was officially recognized for the purpose of immigration to Canada. In 2005, Canada became the fourth country in the world to legalize same-sex marriage, and, in 2007, Canada recognized legal marriages of gay and lesbian couples performed in jurisdictions outside the country for purposes of immigration in exactly the same way as the legal marriages of heterosexual couples are recognized.

Most countries in the world, including the United States, provide absolutely no recognition for international same-sex relationships forcing thousands of these couples to make difficult decisions to prevent separation. J.W. Lown, for example, the former mayor of San Angelo, Texas, left a home, a ranch, and a promising political career in America and moved to Mexico to be with the man of his life, a Mexican citizen. Lown, whose mother was Mexican, fortunately holds dual citizenship allowing him to live legally in Mexico. You can read more about his story here.

Yes, gay people still face numerous barriers and battles here in Canada, but I feel lucky that I can marry a man, Canadian or otherwise, with whom I can share a life and have a family.

Thank you Canada, and happy 40 years of decriminalized homosexuality!