This archive report was first published on 15 July 2019.
On July 15, 2019, the Anglican Church of Canada made headlines by rejecting a motion to modify its definition of marriage to include same-sex unions.
The motion, which aimed to change the church's marriage canon to remove references to unions between a man and a woman, required a two-thirds majority from each of three groups of delegates: lay people, clergy, and bishops.
Although lay delegates and members of the clergy voted largely in favor of the move, they did not meet the two-thirds threshold among the bishops.
The rejection of the motion was met with disappointment from many in the church, which has nearly 1,700 parishes.
Bishop Andrew Asbil of Toronto, Canada's largest city, expressed his devastation, saying the vote was "devastating news to our LGBTQ+ community, families, and friends."
However, the church has left room for maneuver, as a separate motion passed at the Vancouver meetings recognizes that each diocese can choose to handle same-sex marriage in their own way, allowing them to perform gay weddings.
Some dioceses have performed same-sex marriages since 2016, and many intend to continue doing so, according to Meghan Kilty, the church's director of communications.
It's worth noting that Canada legalized gay marriage in 2005.
