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All people, including youth, determine for themselves their personal
relationships. This is based upon the ability to move in and out
of relations. This requires the recognition of both formal and
substantial rights, both in law and in government policy.
People, regardless of their sexual orientation or their marital stauts,
have the right to be treated equally and equitably.
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Intervene in institutions and associations to challenge heterosexist
assumptions. The sites of struggle include hospitals, children's aid
societies, workplaces, funeral homes and the schools that train and
teach all those that manage and work in these places.
This type of engagement will build the broad base of support for legislative
change. Of course, it will continue beyond legal and political victories to
ensure not only formal rights but substantial rights.
Much of this organizing activity will not garner a high-media profile.
A key to the successful coordination of such efforts is information and
skill sharing.
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Human Rights Commissions
Encourage the use of the marital status provisions in
dealing with cases.
Push the commissions to produce educational materials on the issues.
Prompt the commissions to sponsor fourms with stakeholders, e.g.
the insurance industry.
Labour and Equity Seeking Groups
Encourage bargaining for "designated beneficiary" in collective
agreements. This is quite different than asking for equivalent spousal
status.
Produce and distribute a history of the 19th century imposition of the Family
Wage and its impact on equity struggles today.
Legal Action Fund
Seek intervenor status in key cases.
Produce a bulletin designed for lay people.
Explain how-to monitor case law developments.
Taxation
Call for an analysis of how much revenue is lost
in tax benefits to married
couples. Focus on inheritence tax.
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Continuing to create a unified front between those who advocate living in couples and those
critical of such arrangements is possible. Such a unified front finds
its base in the concept of relationship recognition which entails
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denuclearizing the family
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deprivileging marriage
and involves
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support for people with obligations to dependents
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the right to designate beneficiaries
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and the right to designate one's next of kin
all this on our own terms.
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