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Ted Morton's Bill 208 Is Back

August 28, 2006

Teddy Returns

Someone call a nanny! Alberta’s hysterical temper-tantrum over same-sex marriage is still going strong, apparently. Ted Morton (MLA and super bigot extraordinaire ) resumed debate on Bill 208 Friday. The bill, which was presumed dead after legislature ended back in spring, was granted a surprise resurrection.

Here’s what the bill will do, if passed:

  • Allow civil marriage commissioners to refuse their public services to gays
  • Allow teachers to refuse to acknowledge the existence of same-sex marriage in Canada
  • Force teachers to hand out “parental warnings” if they do choose to acknowledge reality
  • Remove all punishment for an individual “exercising their beliefs” against gay marriage.

Un-freaking-believable!

Julie Lloyd, a local activist, is terrified.

The effects of this bill, should it become law in Alberta, would be devastating for gays and lesbians.

[Bill 208], if passed, would allow employers to fire gays and let landlords evict gay tenants with impunity because they’re “exercising a belief against same-sex marriage.”

Of course, the bill is also grossly unconstitutional, and certainly wouldn’t survive a court challenge (assuming the obscure notwithstanding clause isn’t used—which Alberta has done before to prevent court challenges to a ban on same-sex marriage from 2000-2005). But, really, even if the bill doesn’t survive, how much more of this hemorrhaging fit can Teddy produce?

Yeah, that’s totally a rhetorical question.

  • Battle lines being drawn over Alberta same-sex bill [Globe and Mail]
  • City gays & lesbians lash out [Edmonton SUN]
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