O Canada!

While we in the U.S. have just passed discriminatory amendments to the constitutions of eleven states and are busy working on more, Canada is working on legalizing gay marriage nationally. I should feel thrilled at this prospect, but it actually makes me quite sad. Yes, the issue is contentious in Canada, but still, they're moving forwards, not backwards like we are. I love my country. I want to be proud of it and always think "USA #1!" It bothers me--a lot--that we're so far behind countries like Canada and New Zealand on an issue of equality and equal rights. We should be leaders, not followers! It grieves me to be ashamed of my country.

The bill itself is so logical, it makes so much sense:

WHEREAS only equal access to marriage for civil purposes would respect the right of couples of the same sex to equality without discrimination, and civil union, as an institution other than marriage, would not offer them that equal access and would violate their human dignity, in breach of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms;...

WHEREAS nothing in this Act affects the guarantee of freedom of conscience and religion and, in particular, the freedom of members of religious groups to hold and declare their religious beliefs and the freedom of officials of religious groups to refuse to perform marriages that are not in accordance with their religious beliefs;...

NOW, THEREFORE, Her Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate and House of Commons of Canada, enacts as follows:
1. This Act may be cited as the Civil Marriage Act.
2. Marriage, for civil purposes, is the lawful union of two persons to the exclusion of all others.
3. It is recognized that officials of religious groups are free to refuse to perform marriages that are not in accordance with their religious beliefs.
4. For greater certainty, a marriage is not void or voidable by reason only that the spouses are of the same sex.

So simple. So clear-cut. It doesn't take away anyone's right to think gay marriage is immoral. It doesn't force religious institutions to comply. It just gives people equal rights.

What's so hard about that?