In 2005, Canada broke new ground and gained the appreciation of millions as the first nation outside of Europe to legalize gay marriage. This, coupled with the country’s socialist leanings, set the stage for Canada to become known as a safe haven for the JLGBTQ+ community. Now, pride month has exploded onto the mainstream, and corporations and people everywhere are flying rainbow flags. While Trump continues to take the US back to the Mad Men era, Canada sets out to make headlines once again as the first country to outright ban straight marriage, specifically during the month of June.

The official legislation won’t pass through the Canadian government until after June, but for now, Trudeau has asked the Canadian people to honor the ban and act in good faith to postpone their June weddings for another month. In Halifax on Sunday, during Trudeau’s announcement, the crowd was awash with awe, and many were in tears. In the crowd, a seven-year-old drag queen fell to her knees and her mother caressed her head. She turned to some onlookers and said, “My child has been waiting for this moment since she was two years old!”

Trudeau spoke for a few more moments, and then left the stage.

Afterwards, the crowd felt energized, as if an electric current was running through them. There were cheers, and music started up from the stage loudspeakers. As the crowd danced to the electronic dance music, Trudeau got into the back of the limousine he arrived in and waved the rainbow flag until he disappeared at the end of the street.

Standing in the crowd, this reporter couldn’t help but smile. Back in the US, the JLGBTQ+ community didn’t feel so welcome, and I knew it was going to be difficult to get on the plane in the morning. But in that moment, between the drag queens and the allies, things felt right. Things were going to be okay with people like Trudeau in the world.

Stay safe, and fight back.

Quinn

