Yesterday my cousin Scott married his partner Maxime in the same country church where Sam and I exchanged our vows eight years ago. The church, with it’s weathered white paint, deep red carpet and dark stained pews, has hosted the weddings of my parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles and most of my extended family. This wedding was a little more high profile than mine - given Scott’s political status (no former Prime Ministers on my guest list, I’m afraid) and the fact that - oh yea - he married another man.

Scott is a damn fun guy to be around, always the life of the party. He can’t sing worth a damn, but insists upon doing so at every available opportunity (usually Johnny Cash). He’s got a dry humor that can keep a crowd laughing (or groaning) in spite of themselves (check him out on the Rick Mercer Show**) and I’ve never heard anyone massacre the French language quite like him. He is passionate about his political beliefs, his feels strongly about the environment and like most members of my family, is damn effective at arguing his side of whatever debate he finds himself in.

I remember him as a shirtless, gangly teenager, mowing my grandparents lawn in the summer, or making my cousin Jennifer and I laugh (I thought he was just old enough to be cool, without being so old as to be considered a boring adult). He couldn’t be at our wedding, but he gave us free use of his fabulous house on the shore for the entire weekend. I remember just how proud my grandfather was of Scott and his accomplishments, and how he predicted that he would go far.

I am so happy for Scott that I don’t think I really have words to express it. I’m amused by the news coverage, because honestly, in a perfect world this would not be news at all. I’m proud that my country is one of only five in the world that has recognized legally and politically that EVERYONE has a right to enjoy the benefits of marriage. As a Canadian living in George Bush’s America it’s sometimes hard to remain optimistic about the world my daughters will grow up in. This gives me hope (although reading some of the comments below those articles reminds me that bigotry, hatred and small-mindedness can be found everywhere).

Congratulations Scott and Maxime, may your marriage be blessed with much joy

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** I couldn’t get the Rick Mercer link working - will add it when I can get it to work.