[LINK] "Gay marriage turns 10"

[rfmcdonald]

Xtra!'s Matthew DiMera writes about the upcoming tenth anniversary of same-sex marriage in Canada. What has changed? DiMera visits different couples, talking about their experiences, allowing them to suggest that same-sex marriage opened up new possibilities for the general recognition of GLBT relationships.

[S]ame-sex marriage in Canada is no longer the hot-button topic it once was. In July 2005, the federal government passed the Civil Marriage Act, legalizing marriage for all Canadians, regardless of their sexual orientations.

Since then, the number of married same-sex couples has climbed dramatically.

The 2011 Canadian census counted 64,575 same-sex couples: 21,015 married and 43,560 common-law. Fifty-five percent of the couples were male. Of the married couples, 3,442 lived in BC and 8,372 lived in Ontario.

Since 2006, the number of married same-sex couples has almost tripled, while common-law couples have risen only 15 percent.

According to those same statistics, 0.8 percent of all couples (common-law and married) are in same-sex relationships.