[5] He then told the media he believed that private companies should also allow such pensions for homosexuals, or they could be subject to the Ontario Human Rights Commission.
When Leshner heard of colleagues' plans to try to legalize same-sex civil marriage, he persuaded Stark to get married so the two could start the case.
[9] The marriage then occurred after the decision Halpern v. Canada (Attorney General) by the Court of Appeal for Ontario deciding homosexuals should be allowed to marry.
[11] Paul Boddum, a Canadian artist profiled in the National Post for his work based on dogs, made a portrait called "Schmikey the Schnauzer" for Leshner and Stark as a wedding present.
One paper called this an "apt reflection of public opinion polls" indicating Canadians were divided on whether same-sex marriage should be allowed.
However, they did select the judges involved in the case, namely Chief Justice Roy McMurtry, Eileen Gillese and James MacPherson.
[15] In 2003, Bishop Jean-Louis Plouffe argued that future-Prime Minister Paul Martin would not be truly Catholic if his government recognized same-sex marriage.