Canada comes out of the closet

Gay marriages? Decriminalizing marijuana? What else? At least that's what the boys and/or girls in Washington are asking: These Canadians are pushing the envelope.

Who would have thought that a rugged, semi-arctic, and almost infinite landscape would provide a nesting place for liberalism? It all seems ironic. But Canada now is one of only three nations in the world to allow same-sex marriage.

Smoking pot out in the open and even during the day in the streets of downtown Montreal is not an uncommon site. Young people can be seen around college campuses rolling joints, even in front of police cars.

And what about the gays and lesbians? Well, they are citizens with equal rights. Some couples have been together for decades now, and if one is admitted to a hospital, their partner would not be granted any visitation rights: 'only family, sir… I'm sorry,' a hypothetical nurse would say.

So why are the Americans outraged? Let us bring four other parameters to solve this algorithm: Canada's opposition to the US-led war on Iraq, Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), West Nile Virus and finally the resurfacing of Mad Cow disease in Albertan beef.

Now, imagine a worst-case scenario for an American border officer: A Canadian car approaching the border, with a sticker saying: Impeach Bush -- Drop Bush not Bombs. In the car: two middle-aged men sit, trying to finish their joint before entering the US to spend their honeymoon, taking with them some Canadian beef and maybe a few mosquitoes that might have slipped in by mistake.

While most liberal social movements started in the United States, Canadian culture seems more fertile for liberal change. Having consensual homosexual intercourse in private is still illegal in 13 American states.

Just as incestuous and polygamous marriage licenses may be issued in some American states, while not being recognized at others, same-sex marriage licenses issued in Canada, will not be valid in any American state. However, it would be interesting to see how the issue might be a subject of debate in future political elections in the United States.

But why did Ottawa legalize same-sex marriages now?

Well, why not? It was going to happen sooner or later. The summer is just around the corner, and SARS seemed to be threatening this year's tourism industry. Canada, being the number one gay and lesbian summer destination in North America, might help end the SARS phobia.