Toronto, Ontario -
Taking a page out of African American history, five same-sex couples are traveling the Freedom Trail, the route taken by former slaves, to Toronto and "marriage freedom".
The couples, who come from California, Florida, Missouri, New York and Illinois, are using the same route that the slaves took and will arrive in Toronto Saturday.
Same-sex marriage has been legal in Ontario since last summer. Toronto city hall's marriage license bureau will remain open Saturday for Valentines Day.
Called the "Civil Marriage Trail," it was organized by gay activist Brendan Fay of New York City, who came up with the idea after he and his partner, Tom Moulton, married in Toronto last summer.
"The couples are making the journey to Canada in memory of the historic Freedom Trail route. Slaves made their way to Canada and found freedom and equality denied to them in the U.S.," said Fay,
Mr. Justice Harvey Brownstone, the first openly gay judge appointed in Canada, will preside over the Valentine's Day ceremonies. The judge has already performed dozens of same-sex marriages since last June's landmark ruling by the Ontario Court of Appeal.
"Toronto is becoming a major destination for same-sex couples," said Brownstone. "Those who wouldn't have thought of Toronto as a vacation spot are coming to get married."
Since the court ruling, the City of Toronto has issued 11,668 marriage licenses. Of those, 1,114 have been given to same-sex couples, a third of them from the United States.
"I want other couples to have the same experience, the joy of equality," Fay said, adding he now sees the maple leaf as a symbol of liberation. "The joy of standing before a judge and having our relationship respected and celebrated in an equal fashion was an incredible moment for us that many people don't understand."
Frank Jump and Vincenzo Aiosa of New York will be one of the couples to tie the knot Saturday at a restaurant in Toronto's gay district.
"It's great that Canada has a marriage law that enables same-sex couples to get married," said Jump, 43, a teacher. "It is unfortunate that it is not accepted here in America, that claims to stand for freedom and democracy. ... But getting married in Canada gives us international recognition."
Jump and Aiosa, 43, who owns a remodeling company, met 14 years ago over a heated conversation about a bounced check. That led to dinner and they've been together ever since.
Brownstone, who will personalize each of the five ceremonies this weekend, was asked to officiate after marrying Fay and Moulton last year.
"These couples will be just as married as any other couple. That's the challenge that we face, getting growing acceptance," he said.
by Jan Prout
365Gay.com Newscenter
Toronto Bureau
©365Gay.com® 2004
The couples, who come from California, Florida, Missouri, New York and Illinois, are using the same route that the slaves took and will arrive in Toronto Saturday.
Same-sex marriage has been legal in Ontario since last summer. Toronto city hall's marriage license bureau will remain open Saturday for Valentines Day.
Called the "Civil Marriage Trail," it was organized by gay activist Brendan Fay of New York City, who came up with the idea after he and his partner, Tom Moulton, married in Toronto last summer.
"The couples are making the journey to Canada in memory of the historic Freedom Trail route. Slaves made their way to Canada and found freedom and equality denied to them in the U.S.," said Fay,
Mr. Justice Harvey Brownstone, the first openly gay judge appointed in Canada, will preside over the Valentine's Day ceremonies. The judge has already performed dozens of same-sex marriages since last June's landmark ruling by the Ontario Court of Appeal.
"Toronto is becoming a major destination for same-sex couples," said Brownstone. "Those who wouldn't have thought of Toronto as a vacation spot are coming to get married."
Since the court ruling, the City of Toronto has issued 11,668 marriage licenses. Of those, 1,114 have been given to same-sex couples, a third of them from the United States.
"I want other couples to have the same experience, the joy of equality," Fay said, adding he now sees the maple leaf as a symbol of liberation. "The joy of standing before a judge and having our relationship respected and celebrated in an equal fashion was an incredible moment for us that many people don't understand."
Frank Jump and Vincenzo Aiosa of New York will be one of the couples to tie the knot Saturday at a restaurant in Toronto's gay district.
"It's great that Canada has a marriage law that enables same-sex couples to get married," said Jump, 43, a teacher. "It is unfortunate that it is not accepted here in America, that claims to stand for freedom and democracy. ... But getting married in Canada gives us international recognition."
Jump and Aiosa, 43, who owns a remodeling company, met 14 years ago over a heated conversation about a bounced check. That led to dinner and they've been together ever since.
Brownstone, who will personalize each of the five ceremonies this weekend, was asked to officiate after marrying Fay and Moulton last year.
"These couples will be just as married as any other couple. That's the challenge that we face, getting growing acceptance," he said.
by Jan Prout
365Gay.com Newscenter
Toronto Bureau
©365Gay.com® 2004
This article originally appeared on 365gay.com. Republished with permission.
