Conservative MP Ripped for Saying Gays Can Marry

Conservative MP Jason Kenney says gays have every right to marry whoever they want - as long as it isn't someone of the same sex.

The Calgary MP made the remarks during a sometimes heated 40-minute discussion with members of the Toronto-area Punjabi language media, a recording of which was made available to The Canadian Press.

"The fact is that homosexuals aren't barred from marrying under Canadian law," Kenney said at the meeting of the Punjabi Press Club last month in Brampton, Ont. The group represents more than a dozen Punjabi-language newspapers.

Former NDP MP Svend Robinson - an outspoken gay rights advocate and Canada's first publicly declared gay MP - was once married to a woman, noted Kenney. He also said that NDP MP Libby Davies was once married to a man.

"Marriage is open to everybody, as long as they're a man and a woman," said Kenney.

"It doesn't say you can't marry if you're a homosexual. The fact is that homosexuals have been married and do marry."

But Kenney said Sunday his remarks were intended to illustrate a point made in numerous same-sex court cases. People aren't excluded from marrying because they are gay. They're excluded because marriage itself requires a man and a woman.

"Marriage - in the eyes of those of us who support traditional marriage - is, by its nature, a heterosexual institution that requires the complementarity of the sexes," Kenney said from Calgary.

As Kenney told the Punjabi Press Club, "there's not a single human rights document in the world that enumerates a specific right to same-sex marriage," including those of the United Nations, European Union and Organization of American States.

Say, there something stupid that I've been musing about that I'd like to bounce off you all. Whenever a politician is involved in an issue for which he/she will benefit personally, the individual is supposed to declare a conflict of interest. Now I would safely assume that the passing of the Liberal's Anti-marriage Bill C-38 would be to the benefit of homosexuals, right? Does this mean that all homo MPs voting on the bill are obliged to out themselves or otherwise declare themselves to be in a conflict of interest? Now I'm sure that the argument for not having to out themselves will be that 'this is something that is in the interest of all Canadians' like health care, or unemployment or pension benefits. But wait a minute, homosexuals only represent about 2% of the population so that argument doesn't hold water.

As I mentioned earlier on this posting, I've contacted my MP to see where he stands (he's for it) and I'd like to pose a questions to him but am not sure how to word it. Essentially I'd like to ask him if he is a homosexual and whether he believes his orientation has anything to do with how he intends to vote. Is it not a fair question to ask? Any ideas on how I should word it with him? Thanks for any suggestions that you all may have.

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