I sponsored my common law filipina partner as a conjugal partner to immigrate to Canada rather than marrying her in the Philippines precisely because we do not want the legal status of conventional marriage that would be recognised legally in the Philippines. This could jeapordise her widows pension from the Philippine Armed Forces. In Canada we are registered with the Manitoba govt. as common law partners and this gives her the same rights in Canada as if we were married conventionally but under Philippine law she remains a single widow. Common law marriages or unions are an alternative to civil unions or conventional marriage and at least in Canada can be same sex or opposite sex.
Blog: http://kenthink7.blogspot.com/index.html Blog: http://kencan7.blogspot.com/index.html
--- On Thu, 11/13/08, Doug Henwood <dhenwood at panix.com> wrote:
> From: Doug Henwood <dhenwood at panix.com>
> Subject: Re: [lbo-talk] Gay marriage
> To: lbo-talk at lbo-talk.org
> Date: Thursday, November 13, 2008, 11:05 AM
> On Nov 12, 2008, at 9:30 PM, John Thornton wrote:
>
> > Why would anyone want identical legal protections
> going under two different names, one for heterosexual
> couples and one for homosexual couples?
> > What benefit could one possibly derive from this
> circumstance?
>
> The point is to make one lesser than the other. Bill
> can't seem to accept that.
>
> Doug
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