Oh, Canada!

What a country! Last week, on Tuesday the Government of Canada introduced legislation to end gender discrimination in marriage in "our Neighbors to the North." It is widely expected to pass, despite the ruling party's decision to make the vote a "free vote" where Members of Parliament can vote their conscience. Two Conservative Party members are doing just that, and have endorsed the Liberal Party's "gay marriage bill."

Of course, one day later, back in this country, the President was re-stating his strong support for writing discrimination into the founding document of the United States, by endorsing the Federal Marriage Amendment in his State of the Union address. This amendment would not only prevent governmental recognition of same-sex marriages but also would nullify any state-based recognition of same-sex relationships like Vermont's Civil Unions, California's Domestic Partnerships and Hawaii's Reciprocal Beneficiaries.

Meanwhile, the judiciary continues on interpreting constitutions to prohibit discrimination against a class of individuals in the sex and sexual orientation of the spouse of their choice. On Friday, a New York Supreme Court judge (lowest court in that state's system) ruled that the statutary ban on same-sex marriage was unconstitutional.