A gay Yukon couple are legally entitled to marry, the territory's Supreme Court ruled Wednesday.
Stephen Dunbar and Rob Edge plan to do so on Saturday.
Yukon Supreme Court Judge Peter MacIntyre ruled that the old definition of marriage which limited it to a man and a woman is “wrong and discriminatory.”
The 40-minute decision was delivered orally, with a written decision expected Thursday.
Stephen Dunbar, left, and partner Rob Edge leave the Yukon Law Courts in Whitehorse on Wednesday after hearing a Supreme Court verdict on gay marriages. (Vince Federoff/CP)
Mr. Dunbar and Mr. Edge were originally denied a marriage licence, and have spent the last few months fighting for it.
“Stephen and I are very happy,” said Mr. Edge in a statement. ”Our wedding this Saturday will be one of the most important days of our lives, symbolic of the commitment we feel for each other and wish to demonstrate to our friends, our family, and our community. It's an odd feeling to be explaining that to others. Hopefully some day nobody will question why same-sex couples want to marry – they'll know it's for the same reasons as everyone else.”
This makes The Yukon the fourth jurisdiction to allow gay marriage. The others are British Columbia, Ontario and Quebec.
Gay rights groups cheered the decision.
”This ruling sends a message that governments across the country must now accept the Charter right of same-sex couples to marry in a civil ceremony,” said Laurie Arron, Director of Advocacy of gay-rights advocacy group Égale.
”It is simply unacceptable to maintain the fiction that capacity to marry, which is federal law, is different from one province or territory to the next. There is one law for the whole country, and that law includes same-sex couples. Governments who don't accept that are leaving themselves open to legal challenges and liability for costs.”
The same-sex marriage issue came up again and again during last month's election. Prime Minister Paul Martin said the Liberals would respect the Charter of Rights and Freedoms if they were to be re-elected.
“The Prime Minister spoke eloquently during the election campaign about the importance of the Charter, and Canadians clearly agreed,” said Cicely McWilliam, Outreach Co-ordinator for Canadians for Equal Marriage.
”It's time for the Prime Minister to make a clear statement saying that the law has been changed across Canada and that all provinces and territories should comply."
