On Canadian Soil
A few years ago, for instance, I worked with two men. Let's call them Clark and Trent. They lived in a house Clark had purchased before meeting Trent, though in the years that they had been together, both had put money into restoring it, and both had worked hard on its upkeep and landscaping.
Meanwhile, Clark had been diagnosed with AIDS. Clark often voiced his wishes for Trent to get the house and the rest of his belongings when he died, but he could not seem to come to terms with the seriousness of his condition. Even though their lawyer had drawn up a will for him, he was not able to bring himself to sign it before he succumbed to his illness.
To make a long, miserable story as brief as possible, his estate went to his family of origin, who had not spoken to him since he came out in his early twenties. Trent was thrown out of his home of ten years and his grieving process was seriously complicated by not being able to take part in funeral arrangements and not having access to anything of Clark's. This would never have happened to a married couple!
Also bad for same-sex couples in the U.S., there is currently a movement afoot called the Federal Marriage Amendment. Supported by the likes of Bill Frist and Rick Santorum (see related story), this amendment to the U.S. Constitution would define marriage in the United States as consisting "only of the union of one man and one woman." It goes on to add that, "Neither this constitution or the constitution of any state, nor state or federal law, shall be construed to require that marital status or the legal incidents thereof be conferred upon unmarried couples or groups." In other words, say goodbye to what small protection the Constitution currently offers us as far as marriage rights are concerned. And while you're at it, wave adios to even the shaky protection of Civil Union laws. (To sign a petition opposing the Federal Marriage Amendment, please click here.)
With all this going on in the states, it's no wonder that I trembled and teared up as I wandered around the lovely streets of Victoria. I was closer to true equality than I'd ever been in my life. And it broke my heart to return to my ship and sail for the U.S. a
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