Here’s something that I missed when it happened: in mid-August, Scott Brison became the first federal politician to marry a same-sex partner.
Guests described the ceremony as joyful and emotional.Neighbours in the small sea-side town on Nova Scotia’s western shore were perplexed by the media frenzy surrounding the marriage.
“I think it’s silly that there’s so much publicity over it,” said Joanne Lake, a neighbour of Brison’s.
Brison started out as a Conservative Member of Parliament. However, he crossed to the Liberals when the depleted remnants of the Conservative party joined the Alliance party, which has a core of homophobic and anti-abortion supporters. He is now a Liberal MP in Nova Scotia. From the article:
Brison became the first openly gay federal cabinet minister in 2004 — coincidentally, the same year a Nova Scotia judge ruled that not allowing gays in that province to marry was unconstitutional. However, he has said he is “not a gay politician, but a politician who happens to be gay.”
Mr. Brison is not the first sitting politician to enter a same-sex marriage:
Earlier this summer, Ontario Health Minister George Smitherman wed his partner Christopher Peloso.
