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April 15, 2005
Rabbi rallies for rights
Clergy from all denominations back same-sex unions.
PAT JOHNSON
A Vancouver rabbi was responsible for bringing several hundred
people – including representatives of most Canadian faith groups
– together to support Canada's proposed legislation recognizing
same-sex marriage.
Rabbi David Mivasair, spiritual leader of Vancouver's Ahavat Olam
Congregation, was among the key organizers of the Sunday afternoon
event on the grounds of the Vancouver Art Gallery.
Several hundred participants, including at least a dozen clergy
members, rallied in support of equal marriage as part of a series
of similar rallies in cities across Canada organized by a group
called the Religious Coalition for Equal Marriage Rights. A mass
rally was held on Parliament Hill in Ottawa the day before, opposing
same-sex marriage.
Mivasair, who has been a vocal proponent of equality for gays and
lesbians, said it was time for progressive people of faith to let
their views be known. "The religious angle on same-sex marriage
in the public discourse until now has been entirely dominated by
the religious right – and I know they don't represent us all,"
Mivasair told the Bulletin. "There are many religious
organizations and communities and entire nationwide churches like
you see here today that are in favor of same-sex marriage and they
weren't being heard."
While some Orthodox and other Jewish religious leaders oppose gay
marriage rights, Mivasair said the legislation does not likely contradict
halachah [Jewish law], because the bill deals only with civil marriage.
"I don't know what halachah has to say about Canadian civil
law," he said. "Rabbis may have different opinions about
that. I don't know if halachah has anything at all to say about
Canadian civil law. Does halachah say two non-Jews who love each
other shouldn't be recognized by the civil law? I don't think so.
Halachah talks about Jews." Even when the discussion is about
marriage between Jewish gays or Jewish lesbians, Mivasair said,
halachah is interpreted differently. "Halachah evolves. Halachah
changes. Halachah has never been static," he said.
Mivasair was joined by many other clergy members, including the
former head of the country's largest Protestant denomination. Bob
Smith, a former moderator of the United Church of Canada, referred
to his church's long association with the issue of blessing same-sex
couples. "I am so grateful that we are able to gather in this
way after the long struggle in which we and so many of you have
been engaged," Smith told the crowd.
The religious leaders endorsed a statement, released publicly this
week, affirming Canada's diversity and supporting same-sex marriage.
"The Religious Coalition for Equal Marriage Rights includes
representatives from liberal and traditional faith communities in
Canada," according to the statement. "The coalition attests
to the diversity of religious opinion on the question of equal marriage
rights for same-sex couples and growing support in religious communities
for equality for those couples."
Rev. Philip Cable of First United Church, in Vancouver's Downtown
Eastside, was another of the organizers. He said the rally and the
coalition include representation from the United Church of Canada,
the Canadian Unitarian Council, the Muslim Canadian Congress, the
Canadian Friends Service Committee (Quakers), the World Sikh Organization,
the Coalition of Liberal Rabbis for Same-Sex Marriage, some Anglican
congregations and individual members of the Baha'i, Buddhist, Catholic,
First Nations, Hindu and Mennonite communities.
"We believe that Bill C-38, the Civil Marriage Act, upholds
the religious freedom of those opposed to same-sex marriage and
will not discriminate against them any more than the legal recognition
of divorce did in the last century," the statement said. "Offering
anything less than marriage, such as civil unions, would perpetuate
a second-class status for same-sex couples, which is unacceptable....
Members of many of our communities are from racial and religious
minority groups and themselves experience discrimination. We understand
that human rights, as guaranteed in the Charter of Rights and Freedoms,
must extend to everyone, including gay men and lesbians. Same-sex
marriage is a human right."
Politicians were also at the rally, including two members of Parliament.
Bill Siksay, the New Democratic party MP for Burnaby-Douglas, said
his presence at the rally was motivated by his faith. "I'm
a believer," said Siksay. "I'm a Christian and also a
parliamentarian, so I wanted to be here with my faith community,
St. John's United Church, to witness this important legislation
and the important need to pass it." Siksay's faith is strong
– especially on the issue of the eventual success of the government's
same-sex marriage bill. "It's going to pass, I say that with
great confidence," said the New Democrat.
His Liberal colleague, Hedy Fry, MP for Vancouver-Centre, said the
rally reflected her perception that many religions believe equal
marriage to be an issue of social justice. "For me, it's a
simple issue of charter rights, it's an issue of discrimination,
it's an issue of social justice, it's an issue of human rights.
How can you fight against any of those things?" Fry asked.
The rally came on the heels of a week of tumult in Ottawa, with
new revelations about the sponsorship scandal. No Conservative MPs
were at Sunday's rally, but the possibility of a non-confidence
vote bringing down the Liberal minority was top of mind among the
crowd. If an election were forced and the Conservatives were elected,
Fry said, it would represent a lurch backward on this issue.
"I think it would not only be a setback in the fight for same-sex
marriage and civil marriage," she said, "it would be a
setback against what I consider to be a lot of human rights issues
and charter issues that we have fought for so long and have believed
in for so long in this country. It would be set back very, very
much, to pre-charter times."
The government aims to have the legislation passed by the time the
House rises, likely in June. If an election intervenes, the bill
will die.
Pat Johnson is a B.C. journalist and commentator.
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