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Same sex marriage in Nunavut: Nunavut Territory does not currently perform same-sex marriages.
On 30 October 2003, Premier Paul Okalik made the following statement:
- "If developments in the Parliament of Canada and the Supreme Court of Canada result in the definition of marriage being broadened, we will respect the law and comply with that. In the meantime, anyone in Nunavut who has been legally married anywhere will be recognized by the Government of Nunavut as married."
He further suggested that the territory would perform same-sex divorces should the issue arise.
It remains to be seen if the premier's declaration will bear fruit if or when same-sex marriage is legalized in Nunavut by federal legislation or a court challenge.
In general, the Inuit culture dominant in Nunavut does not presently approve of homosexuality or same-sex partnerships, seeing homosexuality as an artifact of qaallunaat (white) culture and thus foreign to the Inuit. Comments to the House of Commons Justice Committee's travelling hearings studying same-sex marriage were almost uniformly negative during the committee's audience in the capital Iqaluit. However, Premier Okalik has succeeded in passing a territorial human rights code banning discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation.
During the March, 2004 general election in Nunavut, one of Premier Okalik's main opponents ran on the basis that he would repeal the territory's human rights legislation on sexual orientation, and would not recognize same-sex marriages.
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