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Calgary Herald

Couples renew vows at Contemporary Calgary celebration of 20 years of marriage equality

Twenty years to the day after same-sex marriage became legally recognized in Alberta, couples, allies and community members gathered together at Contemporary Calgary on Sunday for an event that organizers described as 'a chance to reflect on the past, rejoice in the present and look forward to an inclusive future for all.' Article content July 20 marks the historic date in 2005 when Alberta began recognizing same-sex marriages, following the nationwide enactment of the Civil Marriage Act. Article content Article content Article content Longtime couple and gay rights advocates Keith Purdy and Rick Kennedy organized the celebration through the Marriage Equity Fund. A simultaneous event was held at the Government House in Edmonton. Article content Article content Offering live entertainment and on-site vow renewals, the event served as both a celebration of love and a reminder of the ongoing fight for equality. Article content Purdy and Kennedy met 35 years ago and were among the first same-sex couples to wed in Alberta in 2005. Purdy said organizing the event was about ensuring their legacy of gay rights advocacy wasn't forgotten. Article content 'We wanted to make sure that our efforts are still understood, and that with the struggles that our community faces now, we have the ability to celebrate the wins that we've had along the way and the important things that we might have to do in the future,' said Purdy. Article content Article content Article content Carolyn Krahn, a friend of the couple and volunteer at the event, said the anniversary gave them a meaningful reason to reconnect with the community. Article content 'They decided, what better time to renew their vows than on the 20th anniversary of the same-sex marriage legislation? So, they called in all their friends and got us all in here in support of this great event,' she said. Article content The event also drew support from labour groups and businesses, including the Canadian Union of Postal Workers and the Texas Lounge. Article content 'Everyone loves a wedding, so we've got a lot of really good cheer and a lot of really great vibes here,' said Krahn. 'I think we always need a reminder of how hard people fought to get that legislation in the first place, especially when there's external pressures to basically look at repealing or invalidating those legislations and those rights.'