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New law ends three-year wait and gives same sex couples on P.E.I. all the rights enjoyed by mixed-sex couples.
Charlottetown (22 Dec. 2009) - Changes giving same sex couples on Prince Edward Island all the rights enjoyed by mixed sex couples have finally been proclaimed by the province, ending a wait of more than three years.
Marriage commissioners on P.E.I. have been able to perform same sex marriages since June 2006. However, numerous pieces of legislation continued to refer to married couples as "man and woman" or "husband and wife."
The Domestic Relations Act replaces these references with more gender neutral terms. While the bill received royal assent last year, same sex couples were still waiting for it to be officially proclaimed, a final step that occurred over the weekend. In all, 29 pieces of legislation were changed.
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