Canadian MPs
have voted to make changes to the country’s national anthem to make it
gender-inclusive.
The country’s
Parliament is currently addressing a bill, tabled by Liberal
MP Mauril Bélanger, which tweaks the country’s national anthem O
Canada.
The bill, which
passed by a vote of 219-79 on a free vote thanks to a cross-party
coalition of support, would scrap the line “True patriot love in all thy sons
command”.
Instead, the
tweaked anthem includes the line “True patriot love in all of us command” –
indicating that all are included.
The move was
staunchly opposed by some conservative MPs, but historians pointed out the
original line was “thou dost in us command” – while the French version
does not refer to ‘sons’ at all.
Bélanger, who
has a fatal diagnosis of Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), was not
present for the vote.
The country’s
PM Justin Trudeau said: “I was proud to vote for Mauril Bélanger’s bill to make
O Canada gender neutral. It passed second reading tonight and now goes to
committee.”
New Democrat MP
Christine Moore explained of the change: “We are in 2016. The Canadian
population will understand why we want to make the change.
“It is not a
big change, and there will not be a big difference in the national anthem, but
the difference is significant for women all across Canada.”
Prime Minister
Trudeau – who came to power in Canada last year – has put equality at the
heart of his leadership: appointing a diverse,
expert-led gender-balanced cabinet, speaking
out against homophobia, and becoming
the first Canadian PM to march at Pride.
He also made
history by flying
a rainbow flag from Parliament Hill, and announced
a raft of new trans rights protections that will bolster
anti-discrimination laws on the grounds of gender identity.
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