A new rainbow stamp will celebrate marriage equality
Canada Post has created a new stamp to celebrate the legalisation of same-sex marriage.
The new stamp features a rainbow flag inside a maple leaf and is part of a set of 10 special stamps honouring the most significant moments in Canadaās 150 years since Confederation.
It features the words āmarriage equalityā in both English and French.
The stamp was made to commemorate the Civil Marriage Act, which legalised same-sex marriage throughout Canada in 2005.
Its selection highlights the importance with which the legalisation of equal marriage was held by the Canada Postās stamp advisory committee,
The committee choosing the milestones for commemoration was made up of historians, collectors and artists.
Other significant moments commemorated include the Expo67 exhibition and the creation of the Canadarm remote-controlled mechanical arm for NASAās Space Shuttle.
Canada Post published a video featuring LGBT people emotionally opening up about what the recognition of same-sex marriage meant for them.
āItās important for people to remember,ā said lawyer Douglas Elliott.
āPeople think that today it just happened naturally but we had to fight for it, we had to fight in every province and territory of Canada.ā
Marriage equality activist Cicely McWilliam added: āThe campaign for me and this fight was about the last civil rights that we were denied.
āWhen we won equal marriage that was the moment when the country said, āI understand and I accept youā.ā
Our 4th #Canada150 stamp commemorates the 2005 passage of the Civil Marriage Act, which made marriage equality the law throughout Canada. pic.twitter.com/915AE8ETqF
ā Canada Post (@canadapostcorp) 9 maggio 2017
Canada Post unveiled the stamp in Toronto at a centre serving as LGBTQ hub for the community.
It will be available from June 1 together with the other nine commemorative stamps.
Canada was among the first countries to recognise same-sex marriage. The UK recognised it eight years later with the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Act 2013, though Northern Ireland has remains an exception.
The latest country to recognise marriage equality was Bermuda, where the law changed earlier this month.
