Equal Marriage

On July 20, 2005, Canada became the fourth country in the world to enact legislation providing for marriage for same-sex couples, following The Netherlands, Belgium, and Spain.

Prior to that, same-sex marriage was legal in some Canadian provinces and territories by court rulings. The first court ruling was in Ontario on June 10, 2003. (Making Canada the third country in the world which allowed same-sex marriages.)

To focus public attention, Egale Canada and other partners created the organization Canadians for Equal Marriage. Their mandate is to work specifically on the issue of legalizing marriage for same-sex couples across Canada.

Resources for Equal Marriage

• Make a donation to Egale to support the Equal Marriage campaign.

• Read our FAQs on Equal Marriage at the time of the Supreme Court hearing in October 2004: The Marriage Reference: Legal and Political Q & A and The Marriage Reference in Context.

• View the Canadians for Equal Marriage video TV spot.

• View our database of Members of Parliament and their stances on LGBT issues.

• View all of Egale’s materials on the Fight for Equal marriage including the original court cases in BC, Ontario, and Quebec; the “quick” court cases in the remaining provinces and territories; the Supreme Court hearing; and what’s been going on in parliament all this time.

Egale Canada ©2011

Canada's LGBT human rights organization: advancing equality, diversity, education, and justice.