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From Canada - AFP:

British Columbia court rules gays on west coast can marry immediately

VANCOUVER (AFP) - Wedding bells rang for gay couples in Canada's westernmost province, after the top court in British Columbia scrapped a waiting period for marriage laws to change.

In May, the British Columbia Court of Appeal ordered Canada's federal government to change the legal definition of marriage, saying federal laws preventing same-sex marriages were discriminatory and violate the Canadian constitution.

However, at that time, the court set a deadline for the change of July 12, 2004.

Then, last month the Ontario Court of Appeal issued a similar ruling, but it allowed gays to marry immediately. Ottawa had indicated it would not appeal the Ontario ruling and would seek to change the current definition of marriage as that between a man and a woman.

On Tuesday, in response to an appeal by the gay rights group EGALE Canada and several same-sex couples in British Columbia, the western court removed the waiting period.

"Any further delay in implementing the remedies will result in an unequal application of the law as between Ontario and British Columbia," the court said in a written decision.

Immediately after the written decision was released, Anthony Porcino and Tom Graff exchanged marriage vows outside the courthouse in this coastal city. The couple have been together for 11 years.

"Marriage means a lot to both of us, and it means a lot to society," Procino told CBC Radio. "And to actually have our relationship recognized by society is actually very important to us."

In Ottawa, EGALE, the main lobby group for Canadian gays and lesbians, welcomed the BC court decision and called on other Canadian provinces to join British Columbia and Ontario to legalize same-sex marriages.

"We encourage other provinces to do the right thing and allow same-sex marriages," said Gilles Marchildon, EGALE's executive director, adding that so far some 250 marriage licences had been issued.

Parliament is expected to vote on a new marriage law in the fall.

The federal government, meanwhile, has indicated it will seek advice from the country's top court, the Supreme Court of Canada, on re-wording the definition of marriage.

On Monday, a coalition of conservative and religious groups said they would try to stop same-sex marriages in Canada by appealing to the Supreme Court.

Marchildon dismissed their fight to stop same-sex marriages, which he says are "part of a growing trend in the legal community."