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Things were easy in Toronto when married couple Michael Campbell and Andrew Mason adopted their daughter Libby. Same-sex marriage is legal in Canada, and both men are listed on the birth certificate as her parents.
Then a little more than a year ago, Campbell lost his job. The new job he found was in the United States. For Campbell, a U.S. citizen, and Libby, who holds dual citizenship, the move was easy. But Mason is a Canadian citizen. Because the U.S. doesn’t recognize same-sex marriages, Campbell is not able to sponsor his spouse and the father of his child.
Michael Campbell and Andrew Mason with Libby.
Libby and Mason traveled back and forth to Fox River Grove, where they now live, until recently when Mason was accepted into graduate school in Chicago and received a student visa.
Campbell describes his marriage as a long-term, monogamous, stable relationship that the U.S. refuses to recognize. “The U.S. counts themselves as being the freest country in the world, but yet it’s Canada that treats us as equals and doesn’t discriminate.” He hopes laws here change by the time Mason finishes school in two years so the family can stay together.
In the meantime, Mason and Campbell spend their days working, going to school and caring for Libby. “A lot of people see same-sex couples as being very bohemian and, in reality, families are pretty much the same,” Campbell says. “It’s the same day-to-day life as any family.”
