Growth of same-sex marriage in Canada more practicality than principle
SURREY, B.C. — Laura and Jen O’Connor got married for all the romantic, fairy-tale reasons: after seven years together, they were deeply in love and wanted to start a family. But on another level, they thought it might just make their life together a little easier.
After all, being gay comes with its own unique set of challenges — challenges they hoped might be easier to navigate if they shared a last name.
“It’s one less thing, one less obstacle that you have to deal with,” says Jen, 27, during an interview in a sun-drenched backyard at Laura’s parents’ house in a Vancouver-area suburb.
“When we’re sitting together, (people ask), ‘Are you sisters? Are you cousins? Are you family? Are you best friends?’ No, we’re actually wife and wife.”