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2 men to wed in first RCMP gay marriage

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From the Chronicle Herald in Halifax: http://www.herald.ca/Front/504265.html

Mounties get their men -- each other
The Force is with them as RCMP officers to wed
By DAN ARSENAULT Staff Reporter
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METEGHAN — On a Friday night in Yarmouth this June, Const. Jason Tree and Const. David Connors will don their scarlet dress uniforms, stand before family, friends and co-workers and wed in the first same-sex marriage in the RCMP’s storied history.

In an interview in their Meteghan home Wednesday afternoon, the men said they’ve had great support from the national police force, the community and their families.

"I’ve never had a single problem," said Const. Tree, 27, a native of Fredericton, who has worked in southwestern Nova Scotia for six years and is posted in Meteghan.

The pair, who’ve dated since meeting at the University of New Brunswick more than eight years ago, will be married by a justice of the peace at the Rodd Grand Hotel on June 30. Each will write his own vows, and each will have a best man. They expect plenty of fellow officers to attend and have yet to decide if they’ll have their colleagues form an honour guard for them. They plan to honeymoon in France and England.

Provincial RCMP spokesman Sgt. Frank Skidmore said the force was happy to hear about the union, adding that they’re proud RCMP officers reflect all aspects of the community.

"This is a first for us," Sgt. Skidmore said Wednesday. "Certainly, the RCMP welcomes a workforce that is representative of Canadian society, and that is the case here."

Const. Connors, 28, who grew up in Nackawick, near Fredericton, and Const. Tree had met before university because their high school clubs met each other occasionally. However, once they got to university, they discovered their mutual attraction.

"He kind of stood out from the rest," Const. Connors said.

After three years at UNB, Const. Tree left his partner for RCMP training in Regina and was posted to Yarmouth.

Const. Connors earned a computer engineering degree and took a job in Halifax. However, the industry took a downturn and he was laid off, so he moved to Yarmouth. After a year there, he took RCMP training and at the graduation ceremony had Const. Tree present him with his badge as his partner in front of the entire class.

He was posted to the Yarmouth town detachment.

"I love it more than any job I’ve ever done," he said.

Const. Tree said being a Mountie was always his goal.

The two moved in together several years ago and registered as domestic partners around the same time, which gives them the same basic legal rights as married couples.

But Const. Tree wanted to make the strongest possible commitment and popped the question while the pair were driving home from Halifax in January.

The pair had talked about it before, and Const. Connors said yes and kept on driving.

It was "no big romantic thing," Const. Tree said.

"It seemed like a good time (to ask)," he said, noting that laws had recently changed, the pair were living in the same area and had great support.

Asked if the publicity about their marriage will bring derision on them, Const. Tree said Mounties have thick skin.

"That’s nothing new. People insult you all the time.

"Everyone’s entitled to their opinion, and I don’t have a problem if people have that opinion as long as they keep it within the proper realm."

He said their decision to marry is entirely for themselves, but they do hope it helps change public perceptions about homosexuality.

"I think it really just shows that we’re representative of the community we live in."

Const. Connors said people in Yarmouth know he’s gay but haven’t tried to use it against him in any way, not that it would get them anywhere.

Although they have a lot of support from fellow officers, they aren’t immune to teasing and have heard joking remarks about being Brokeback Mounties.

"I’ve heard that, and it’s funny," Const. Connors said.

Both men have the support of their families, but Const. Connors admits to some challenges.

"My mother is the one who’s most concerned about it because she worries about her parents and what they’re going to think."

Const. Tree said his mother had trouble when he told her at age 19 he was homosexual but is now very supportive.

When asked how he thought other officers and members of the community might respond, Sgt. Skidmore said he doesn’t foresee any problems.

"It hasn’t been an issue. We’ve had gay officers for some time."

He said there shouldn’t be any problems when it comes to the officers working together. The RCMP’s policy regarding married couples, regardless of gender, is that one spouse cannot hold a position of power over the other in the same detachment.

"They can be nearby but not in the same exact environment," Sgt. Skidmore said.

Herm Wills, president of the Nova Scotia branch of the Campaign Life Coalition, isn’t eager to celebrate the force’s latest first.

Although he’s "not opposed to them doing what they want to do," he said the traditional definition of marriage should be respected.

There were differing opinions on the streets of Meteghan on Wednesday.

Two women who did not give their names said they oppose same-sex marriage.

A regular churchgoer, Gerald Deveau, 59, said the men can do as they please.

"It’s their business. What you do in your home is up to you."

Dwayne Beck, 23, also isn’t bothered and is comfortable with gay, married cops.

"It’s just their choice as men," he said.

( darsenault@herald.ca)

With Jennifer Stewart, staff reporter

 
Kind of gives new meaning to Mountie motto of "always getting their man".  ;)

Good luck to them both on their new adventure together.
 
I was watching the news when they interviewed these two guys and the news anchor actually refered to them as brokeback mounties hehe!!! Good for them though!!! >:D
 
Like the article says...it's none of my business what they do in their own home...
I do not oppose homosexuality but I do take issue with all of the publicity around it...
We don't put a pic on the front page of the news about two heterosexual RCMP officers getting married...

I hope they have a happy life together and that honeymoon sounds great!

HL

 
Bareback Mounties -  :rofl:

"Everyone’s entitled to their opinion, and I don’t have a problem if people have that opinion as long as they keep it within the proper realm."

Sounds about right to me. G'luck lads.
 
I think its great for them, especially since they are in the RCMP and considering the testing the RCMP used to do to keep homosexuals out of the force....I think its a great thing to happen to show how Canada has become tolerant about religion/sexual prefference etc. All the best to them and hope they have safe and successful careers.
 
I always heard that the Mounties always get their man.  Now I guess they won't have to farther than the locker room. 
And the uniform may need to be renamed Red Surge. 
Oh, the double en tendre's!  :blotto:
 
Hot Lips said:
Like the article says...it's none of my business what they do in their own home...
I do not oppose homosexuality but I do take issue with all of the publicity around it...

Some would argue it's part of their agenda to make people believe their lifestyle is more commonplace than it actually is. The slippery-slope crowd will wonder now if perhaps one of them will be allowed to marry their horse next.
 
nah , i dont thinks its right, ant their rules about strait ppl weding? like .. they cant... i know their was back in the day
dont get me wrong, im not against homosexuals or anything, and its none of my business..
but when its all over the news and the paper says '' gay marriage inside the RCMP'' well ... then is becomes anyones business
and seeing how the RCMP is like canadas elite police ... 'they were the first force'....... i dont like how they can tell the world like that .. atleast not yet .. to many ppl are not open to gay marriage yet .. i dont like how they can push it...
if a man and woman get married and stand on a cliff and yell at the world '' WERE MARRIED!'' someone will say '' ZIP IT'' know what i mean?
ha omg Bareback Mounties  :cdn:  :-X
 
Oh, now I see perfectly....Johnny, your post really cleared this whole issue up for me. Thanks man!  ;)
 
Johnny,

Please, get off the school computer and run, don't walk, to your English teacher and beg for his or her help........

and then read this,
MSN and ICQ "short hand" -  http://forums.army.ca/forums/threads/33247.0.html

Regarding the use of "MSN speak" versus the employment of prose which is correct in grammar, spelling and punctuation, please see: http://forums.army.ca/forums/threads/34015/post-260446.html#msg260446

Army.ca Conduct Guidelines: MUST READ - http://forums.army.ca/forums/threads/24937.0.html

FRIENDLY ADVICE TO NEW MEMBERS - http://forums.army.ca/forums/threads/24937/post-259412.html#msg259412
 
Johnny said:
dont get me wrong, im not against homosexuals or anything, and its none of my business..

True, it isn't anyone's business but theirs. And uh, if you're against equality (and you are) then you're against an individuals right to fair and equal participation in society.

and seeing how the RCMP is like canadas elite police ... 'they were the first force'.......

"Elite?" I'd go along with "National." But you've focused on their status as the "first" police force (which I'll have to verify, but I'm sure that they weren't), what exactly does that have to do with anything? Are you arguing in favour of tradition? I'm sure you're against turbanned officers, probably female officers and of course, the use of cars for transportation as opposed to the venerable horse. Traditions change my friend. Deal.

No offence (actually, I'm feeling offensive, but you know, I don't want to come right out and say that since we're being phoney and facetious today) but you enjoy the "right" to have your opinions and share them with anyone who can sit still long enough to tolerate you, but reading a book, learning to express yourself in such a way that won't upset those around you due to your obvious lack of etiquette; preventing moments such as this where your idiocy creates ire in those who judge your actions and statements. This would be a positive step towards your personal growth and may reverse the trend that I'm sure you feel in life when your participation in such arenas is tolerated at best, rejected (as now) at worst.

P.S.

I am sick of Trolls and feeling a bit of ire myself today, does it show?
 
Enzo said:
True, it isn't anyone's business but theirs. And uh, if you're against equality (and you are) then you're against an individuals right to fair and equal participation in society.
This isn't about equality: it never was.  The spin doctors spun it into a human rights issue and voila: a new issue for 2003.  There was nothing preventing homosexuals from marrying: they did it all the time.  EVERYBODY was equal under the law in that a man had to marry a woman and vice versa.  (By "had to" I mean that if one were to marry, one had to marry a person of the opposite gender).  And this is NOT "about love", it's not about acceptance of a lifestyle, this is about spin, nothing more and nothing less.  If "love" were the only thing to matter, then why can't a man or woman, who is already married, go and marry someone else?  You know, polygamy?  After all, the judicial part of our government "created" this law (by default), and the legislative fell in line without considering the consequences (eg: homosexual marriage divorce?  No law there.  Homosexual adultery?  It's there: now, but it wasn't a few weeks ago, at least in New Brunswick)
And this isn't just "about them", this is about our society.  If our society says that marriage can include men marrying men and women marrying women, then so be it.  As for an elite intelligentsia telling us what is right and what is wrong, well, for any issue, I have a problem with that.

Just my opinion, it was free, and you got your money's worth out of me.
 
I have to respectfully disagree. 

Equality is the crux of the gay marriage debate. 

To say anything less is adding personal opinion.  Remove the 'who' from the equation and you are left with the quintessential equality discussion.  Person A want to legally be joined to Person B with all of the rights and privileges that provides.  The right to medical/dental benefits and survivor benefits, the right to adopt, the right to be considered for a mortgage.  Even the right to decide legally that they no longer want to be joined and the myriad of issues that entails.   

When same-sex marriage became a legally recognized entity in this country, the RCMP were required to honor that.  A marriage between officers was simply the next step. 

 
Locked.
We are not going down this road [ for either side] again.
 
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