Government Must Act on Court Decision

The decision Thursday by the Supreme Court of Canada is a call to all levels of government to take action to change discriminatory legislation and regulations, said the acting executive director of the Nova Scotia Human Rights Commission.

"The decision represents a powerful recognition of the historical disadvantage of gays and lesbians," said Maureen Shebib. "It also recognizes that issues of economics in a relationship are not limited to heterosexual couples."

In the groundbreaking decision, which stated that the definition of spouse cannot be limited to opposite-sex couples, the Supreme Court recognized the inherent value of same-sex relationships, said Ms. Shebib. Moreover, she said, the court solidly acknowledges that lesbians and gays have suffered significant disadvantages and vulnerability in society, facing laws that have contributed, in the court's words, "to the erasure of their existence."

"Governments at all levels can no longer force gays and lesbians to engage in case-by-case litigation in a slow crawl toward equality," she said. "The decision spurs government to do what is right and change discriminatory legislation and regulations the sooner the better."

Sexual orientation has been a protected area in the Nova Scotia Human Rights Act since 1991.