Chaos broke out in the Queen’s Park visitors’ gallery the minute it was announced that the Ontario government’s controversial same-sex benefits bill had been defeated.

After filling the legislature with cries of “shame, shame,” homosexual demonstrators tussled with police and then took to the streets, blocked traffic and chanted “We’re here, we’re queer, we all pay taxes.”

The reason for the high emotions was Bill 167, the controversial legislation which would have given same-sex couples similar benefits, rights and obligations as those which married and common-law couples already receive. In a last-ditch attempt to make the bill more palatable, Attorney-General Marion Boyd dropped the right of same sex couples to apply for adoption and agreed not to change the current legal definition of spouse or marital status.

Even in its amended state, the legislation still proved noxious to family groups. Louis Di Rocco, past-president of Ontario’s Family Coalition Party was elated with the bill’s defeat calling it “a terrible piece of legislation.”

FCP leader Don Pennell echoed these sentiments: “Homosexuals may choose to behave in a certain way but it is wrong for the government to legally sanction and support these choices. This legislation would have put heterosexual and homosexual relationships on virtually the same level, which is morally reprehensible and economically foolish.”

The bill’s defeat (68-59) was due largely to 12 New Democrat MPPs who went against their party’s expressed wishes and voted against the legislation. They did so despite heavy pressure from Premier Bob Rae, who said it would be a free vote but then added that, in the next election, he would not campaign for those who voted against the bill.

Thirty two of the 35 Liberals voted against the bill, including leader Lyn McLeod who had earlier pledged her support for same-sex benefits. As expected, all 22 members of the Conservatives voted against the government. Both McLeod and Conservative leader Mike Harris have promised not to introduce same-sex legislation if either of them become premier.

For now, it appears that Ontarians do not want any changes to the family and that the issue is dead. Premier Bob Rae has stated that his party will not introduce similar legislation before their term ends in 1995. He did say that if his party is re-elected, he will pursue it again.

In the meantime, MPP Tim Murphy’s Private Members’ Bill 45, the forerunner to Bill 167, has passed second reading but remains in limbo. It is unlikely that the NDP, who received little support from the Liberals on the Bill 167 vote, will do anything to promote Bill 45. It is more unlikely that Lyn McLeod, who has promised no more legislation, will then turn around and support the Murphy bill.

Observers note that much of the credit for the bill’s defeat should go to those who contacted their MPPs to express their disapproval of the legislation. One MPP in particular, Liberal Carman McClelland, who initially supported the bill, later reversed his stance saying most of those who called his office were in opposition.

Also receiving high praise were the Catholic Bishops who, despite heavy criticism from the press, said they were “vigorously opposed” to the bill and asked Catholic voters to write their MPPs expressing similar sentiments. It is difficult to gauge what sort of effect this had on the final outcome but the fact that there are 1.3 million Catholic voters in the province must have played a significant role.

Several evangelical leaders also opposed the legislation and networked effectively throughout their communities adding to the numbers of Ontario citizens who rejected such radical moves against the family.