Local MP votes to reopen gay marriage debate

BY ANDY BLATCHFORD

andy.blatchford@transcontinental.ca

Darryl MacDonald is glad the same-sex marriage debate has been closed, but last week’s vote left him disappointed with his MP.

Lac St. Louis MP Francis Scarpaleggia was the only Quebec Liberal to support the Conservative motion to reopen the same-sex marriage debate.

The move to restore the traditional definition of marriage was handily defeated 175 to 123 last Thursday and Prime Minister Stephen Harper says the dossier is closed for good. Thirteen Liberals supported the Conservative motion.

But MacDonald, a gay, married minister who lives in Pointe Claire, is disheartened by Scarpaleggia’s vote in favour of the bill.

“Marriage is an important institution for people who want to have that in their life. To call it something else is trivializing marriage period,� he told The Chronicle. “A rose by any other name is still a rose, so call it a rose.�

MacDonald, the minister of

Christ Church Deux Montagnes, hopes Scarpaleggia’s vote was based on religious convictions and not political reasons.

“This is a matter of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms at this point, not whether you agree or disagree with same-sex marriage,� he said. “If churches don’t want to do it, they don’t have to do it. I’m a minister (and) I can refuse to marry a couple.�

MacDonald, who married his longtime partner Chris in August, said wedding vows placed a powerful focus on his relationship.

“I didn’t realize the power of saying those words when you’re saying them to your spouse,� he said. “It was an incredible moment.�

He said Scarpaleggia, who voted against gay marriage in 2005, has never been open about his stance. After Chris wrote a letter questioning the MP on his decision, he received a “politician-style letter� in response that did not provide a clear answer, MacDonald said.

Last Friday, Scarpaleggia refused an interview request by The Chronicle about last week’s vote. He said it’s time to move on because the file is closed, according to his executive assistant, Jeff Guignard.

However, the MP released a statement: “I believe it is important for politicians to be consistent, and to live by their previous decisions. I consider such consistency important for building trust with one’s electorate, even with those who may disagree on the issue at hand.�

In March 2005, Scarpaleggia spoke to the House of Commons about his position on the tabled Bill C-38, a motion to recognize same-sex marriages.

“I favour equal legal and fiduciary rights and obligations for same-sex couples but, like most Canadians, I believe opposite-sex marriage has distinguishing features that make it worthy of its own designation,� he stated. “The word marriage, in my view, benefits from a sort of copyright, albeit not a legal one, but at the very least a cultural one. The Supreme Court, in the Nesbit case, alluded to this copyright when it stated that marriage is firmly anchored in specific realities, and that while ‘it would be possible to legally redefine marriage. . . this would not change the biological and social realities that underlie the traditional marriage.’

“My decision not to support Bill C-38 is based on a concept of liberalism that has caused me great reservations both about the substance of the bill and the process that produced it. As a liberal, my political actions are inspired by certain fundamental principles, including three which are extremely pertinent to this case.�

Meanwhile, John Fossey of the West Island’s Brethren Church said Scarpaleggia was “very courageous� in taking a stand contrary to the majority of his party.

Despite last week’s declaration by Harper that the same-sex marriage debate is resolved, Fossey expects the argument to continue.

“We’re disappointed (but) I don’t think the story’s over by a long shot,� he said. “We haven’t been proactive enough and we’ve got some ground to recover, but this thing is a matter of principle and we can’t let it drop.�

He said the Brethren believe “same-sex marriage just isn’t in the ordering of things the way God has ordered it.�

However, there are misconceptions about the church’s position, he said. “One thing I want to make clear is we’re not against the persons, we’re against the concept of same-sex marriage. Sometimes people get that mixed up.�