There are many heterosexual couples that say they won’t get married until after marriage equality is achieved and same sex marriage has been legalized — Brad and Angelina are probably the first couple that comes to mind. This isn’t a decision I’d ever have to think about because, well, same sex marriage is already legal in Canada where I’m from. It’s a decision I admire, and it’s cool to see that one woman has taken the fight for equality a step further.

Yes, an openly gay Texan judge has said she won’t perform marriages until she is able to get married to a person of her choosing. This week Tonya Parker told Stonewall Democrats:

“I don’t perform marriage ceremonies because we are in a state that does not have marriage equality, and until it does, I am not going to partially apply the law to one group of people that doesn’t apply to another group of people.’ And it’s kind of oxymoronic for me to perform ceremonies that can’t be performed for me, so I’m not going to do it.”

It’s a bold move that I completely support. In Canada churches are not required to marry two members of the same sex, and I don’t think a judge should have to perform marriages when they don’t support biased legislation.

[Lead image via Lasse Kristensen/Shutterstock]

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The real life worst boyfriends ever

Oh Canada!…and their hot men

When bad hair happens to attractive people

5 sketchy guys you’re likely to meet at college parties

What to do the morning after a hookup

How to feel more in control of your life

What is J.K. Rowling’s big announcement?

How Lady Gaga parties in Paris

Guess which ’90210′ star went from blond bombshell to dark diva

Those ads are lying: light yogurt does not replace desert

Our favorite Canadian stars

Finally! Other male birth control options are here

The best heels for shorter ladies

The newest products for complementing your summer glow

Are tattoos more than just a fad?

I’m sure all our American readers are counting down the days until they can crack a Miller Lite, light some sparklers and celebrate Independence Day. Me too, except, being a Canadian, I don’t have to wait quite as long to do so…. and I will probably be sipping on something Molson over something Miller.

Up here in Canada we do our celebrating on July 1st. It’s Canada Day – our nation’s big, fat birthday – and it rocks. And being the nice neighbor that I am, I’m inviting you to party with us. If the fact that fabulous CollegeCandy writers Alex from Lakehead and Ness from Sheridan are Canadian isn’t reason enough, then here are 5 more.

1. Calling in sick to work because you’re too hungover from partying it up on the Fourth of July is totally suspicious.  Call in on July 2nd (which happens to be a Friday!) and no one will bat an eyelash.  Celebrating Canada Day means you can party straight through the weekend!

2. For anyone close to the 49th parallel and under 21, Canada is the place to be.  With a drinking age of 19 in most provinces (18 in Alberta and Quebec!) you can enjoy a drink on a sunny patio.  If you can’t make it North for a drink, raise a Caesar in celebration of Canada – this popular (and tasty) drink was created by a bartender in my hometown of Calgary, Alberta!

3. An all-Canadian playlist is a great reason to have a Canada Day party.  With the extremely talented Arcade Fire, Metric, Stars, Tokyo Police Club, The Weakerthans, and Feist reigning from Canada, there is so much CRTC approved music to rock out to on July 1.  Or if you’re more into the Top 40 stuff, who better to dance to at the club than Drake, Nelly Furtado and J.Biebs.

4. Celebrate Canada day with some fine Canadian cuisine.  We have poutine, elephant ears, ginger beef, Montreal smoked meat, Montreal bagels, Nanaimo bars, Shreddies, Coffee Crisps, Timbits, and pretty much any ethnic cuisine you could possibly want available.  And made on a cart if you’re in Toronto.  Though we can’t seem to agree on a National dish, there are plenty of tasty treats we can all identify with.

5. Because we’re probably the friendliest neighbour you could possibly have.  And you know what good neighbours do?  They invite you over when they’re having a party and maybe, just maybe even hand you a nice, cold beer.

However, sometimes I actually pay attention to outside advice on what I should “Write a top ten about.” So I can write the Weekly Ten about it. Or rather, why their ideas are miserable. Below are some of the suggestions I’ve gotten. Honestly, I wish I could make this up.

10. “Top 10 Best Calculator Words”
“You know like if you type in 1134 it spells hell when you flip it upside down. That’s funny, right?”
No. No it’s not. Also, I doubt that you can make any more than 5.

9. “Top 10 Best Footwear”
Wait, really? Best brands? Best type of shoe? Flats, high heels? I don’t even understand this one.

8. “Top 10 Reasons Why I’m Not Upset I Don’t Live in Somalia”
Double negative and unappealing to the CollegeCandy demographic, for the most part. Also, I’m not touching other countries ever again.

7. “Top 10 ‘Guy Movies’ That Girls Like Too!”
I don’t know what exactly a “guy movie” entails and judging by the title itself, I wouldn’t expect anything less than scathing “you’re being stereotypical!” comments full hatred and internet rage.

6. “Top 10 Awesome Summer Jobs”
Let’s be serious, the only thing good about working in the summer is the clothing discount. But really, there’s nothing that’s good about slaving in retail or an office while all your friends are at the beach. Next!

5. “Top 10 Worst Sexual Experiences”
Oh, please. I would never exploit my exes/flings like that. Plus, I’m saving all of that content for my book anyway.

4. “Top 10 Best Cocktails”
Really, you want me to write ‘shot of Patron’ 10 times in a row?

3. “Top 10 Reasons Why You Will Never Be as Charming as That Southern Gentleman on YouTube Who’s Dog Poops in the Ocean.”
I have no words. I think my friend was being facetious, but I can never tell with her.

2. “Top 10 Reasons Why I Loooove Taylor Lautner”
This would be great if I actually saw New Moon, cared about the Twilight “saga” in any form or could even come up with any reason other than his dreamy abs.

1. “Top 10 Reasons Why Canada Sucks”
The last time I ever take a suggestion from anyone. Thanks Mike!

Got any suggestions for the Weekly 10 that don’t suck? Maybe some that do? Leave them in the comments and I’ll credit you in my next post if one really strikes a chord in the spot where my heart is supposed to be.

I’m long overdue for a more light-hearted list, since last week’s Weekly Ten caused a bit of a controversy to say the very least. So I’ve decided to focus whatever minuscule amount of energy I have leftover from my intense ski weekend in Vermont on sharing with you why I really, really adore my boyfriend. Who, by the way, came up with last week’s topic for the Weekly Ten so please divert your hate mail to him. Appreciated.

10. He’s learned the magic rule: Cupcakes fix everything.
No matter what, I can always count on him to cheer me up with a red velvet cupcake if I’m down. He even brought it to a whole new level by sprinkling cheerios on top of a cupcake for Valentine’s Day. Sounds gross unless you are me and if given the option, would only consume dry cheerios until the end of time.

9. Not a video gamer.
Okay, so I admit I am sort of a sucker for Guitar Hero and Mario Kart. However, I can’t stand it when guys devote 99% of their free time to ridiculous video games. Seriously, Call of Duty? Seriously? Granted, it is a little embarrassing when I beat him in Super Smash Bros. but pretty much only embarrassing for him.

8. He’s down to try it all.
Before we started dating he’d never had guacamole, been skiing or been to a kick-ass New England brewery. I lucked out with a guy who’s totally willing to break out of his comfort zone and try anything new out. Even if it ends in disaster. Especially if it involves Victoria’s Secret whipped body creme. I don’t want to get into it.

7. Gets along with the fam
This is a biggie! It’s never easy to find someone who blends seamlessly into your dysfunctionally adorable fam (just me?), but my guy totally hit it off with every member of my crazy family. In fact, I’m almost sure my mom would adopt Mike and give me up if given the opportunity.

6. Hardest-working, ever.
So we might turn this one into a competition sometimes. And by sometimes, I do mean constantly. I’m working 55 hours? He’s working a 55 hour MINIMUM for the month. I’m studying for my undergrad midterms? He’s got the final (AND HARDEST) test of his CPA next week. I worked on a Saturday? He’s working for all the Saturdays for the rest of time. This might not exactly be the most healthy or cool competition, but I have to love how ambitious he is. Even if I am totally winning the contest. Hello? Three jobs and still a junior in college? I totally win.

5. Dr. Boyfriend
Sick in bed? Totally can count on him to bring me over chicken noodle soup and a pint of Ben & Jerry’s. Amazing.

4. Awesome friends
Since I only moved to NYC last summer and left most of my friends back home and in Boston, my social life has diminished substantially. Luckily, le boy has an amazing set of friends who aren’t d-bags and welcomed me with hugs, dance parties, shots… you know, all the things you want in a social circle.

3. Completely 100% there for me
This is a tough one to find in a person. I’ve definitely run through my fair share of sheisty dudes. Who hasn’t? The boyfriend has proved to me that there are guys out there who you can trust, who won’t screw you over and who will love you even if you shrink all his work shirts in the dryer.

2. Treats me like a princess
As Oscar Wilde once said, “How can a woman be expected to be happy with a man who insists on treating her as if she were a perfectly normal human being?” Okay, so obviously I’m not expecting him to wait on me hand and foot while I take bubble baths and eat truffles while wearing a tiara (except that actually sounds amazing and I may propose this idea for my birthday), but my guy definitely goes the extra mile for me. From cute dates to “just because” presents, he definitely lets me know that I’m special. Even if he does tease me for having super stinky feet, especially after I’m wearing my cute gold flats.

1. Unlike most CC readers (and now some writers… and occasionally the lovely editor when I’m late with an article) he actually loves and puts up with me.
Except for when I watch “Real Housewives of Orange County.” But I totally get that.

Yonge & Dundas Intersection in Toronto after Team Canada Win

This week’s Weekly Ten, Why Canada Deserves Silver, stirred up quite the controversy yesterday. Seriously, I didn’t see this much hate on CollegeCandy since one writer expressed her disdain for Taylor Swift. And rightfully so. Yes it was meant to be a joke, but we in Canada aren’t entirely laughing with you.  While we know for a fact CollegeCandy loves their Canadian readers, and even has a few Canadian writers (myself included), this post pissed a lot of people off.

But instead of get angry and insult the intelligence of the writer, editor or Americans in general, I decided to take the high road and just show why Canada deserves more than just a gold medal in Olympic hockey. So here is my condensed version (there are way too many reasons for one post!) of all the reasons Canada rocks that they forgot to teach you in high school.

Education – Education (university included) receives higher subsidies from the government in Canada, meaning it’s cheaper for us to attend post-secondary school.  Also, did you know that Toronto, Canada’s largely city (where I happen to attend school), has more people with university degrees than ANY other large city in the world? Yeah, take that and deep fry it!

Health Care – Okay, so maybe you’ve heard about this recently with Obama pushing for health care reform and all, but it’s true – we have universal health care in Canada, thanks to this pretty awesome guy named Tommy Douglas.  We also have a higher life expectancy rate and lower infant mortality rate than the United States.

Good Music – I agree with you, America: Avril Lavigne isn’t the greatest, but Canada has some other pretty fantastic musicians.  Arcade Fire, Metric, Stars, Feist, and The Weakerthans are just a few of my personal faves.

Tim Hortons – As I write this, I’m rolling up the rim to win on my Tim Horton’s coffee cup.

Inventions - I’m sure you’re enjoying some Canadian inventions as you read these post.  Have a light on? Used the telephone? Wearing jeans (with a zipper… not Pajama Jeans)? Played or watched hockey or basketball? Used your CrackBerry? Taken out the garbage? Eaten peanut butter? Yeah all these things were made possible by Canadians or on Canadian soil.

Multiculturalism – Canada is a mosaic of multiculturalism.  When people come to Canada we don’t expect them to give up their own identity – instead we embrace our differences.  We have two official languages in Canada – French and English – as well as  two national anthems. “Thy history is an epic of the most brilliant exploits” is a snippet of the English translation of the French version. Yeah, we’re pretty epic.

Nationalism – We have a pretty inoffensive nationalism in Canada, except when it comes to hockey.  The street parties that ensued following Sid the Kid’s gold medal winning goal were truly Canadian – according to CTV 16.6 million people saw this goal, making it the most watched broadcast in Canadian history.

Space/Landscape - As Molson Canadian (makers of the fine Canadian beer) puts it, “we have more square feet of awesomness per person than any other nation on Earth.” We have the fourth lowest population density in the world and our country is full of diverse landscapes.  This was captured by the Group of Seven, a group of Canadian painters from the 1920s that developed a new school of truly Canadian art.

Definition of Marriage – Canada was the fourth country in the world, and first in the Americas, to legalize same-sex marriage.  Much like our belief in the mosaic of multiculturalism, this shows our commitment to equality.

[photo courtesy of Max Mertens]

Last night, the Vancouver Winter Olympics ended with a flourish–including comedy from William Shatner, performances by Avril Lavigne and Nickelback, and yes, giant inflatable beavers. With the Olympic flame extinguished, and dreams of Sochi 2014 barely blooming, let’s take a look at Vancouver’s biggest winners.

Canada
The Canadians accomplished their two most important goals in Vancouver: to bring home gold, and specifically to win the men’s hockey competition on home soil. Alexandre Bilodeau broke the Canadian gold-medal draught with his win in moguls skiing early in the Games. But perhaps the single most important event in Canadian history was their win in the gold-medal hockey game over arch-rival the United States. In a nail-biting sudden death overtime, the Canadians broke through with the win and fulfilled the dreams of everyone young and old  in the hockey-obsessed nation. (Editor’s Note: And their hockey team is pretty damn hot.) And as if that weren’t enough, Canada walks away with the most gold medals–14–ever won by a single nation in the Winter Olympics.

US Nordic Ski Team
Johnny Spillane and Billy Demong led a record-breaking US contingent in Nordic skiing, winning medals across four events. Nordic events, which include ski jumping, cross country skiing, and biathlon, are typically dominated by Scandinavians, but Americans came from out of nowhere to steal podium spots. Spillane grabbed three silvers while compatriot Billy Demong won the first-ever American gold medal in a Nordic event, the Large Hill/10k pursuit.

Red Mittens
Who knew these little babies, originally sold for about $10 a pair, would spark an international fashion craze? Simple, iconic, and adorned with the signature Canadian maple leaf, they were perhaps the most sought-after accessory in Vancouver besides an Olympic medal.

Kim Yu-Na
Critics have hailed Kim Yu-na’s performance in the ladies’ figure skating competition as one of the greatest of all time. She was nearly flawless in her free skate and demolished any doubts about her skating supremacy as a Bond girl in her short program. Journalists and skaters around the world had wondered if the pressure of $9 million in endorsements and the hopes of the entire nation of South Korea (which had never won an Winter Olympic medal of any color in any sport besides speed skating) would be too much for teenage Kim, but she now gets to revel in the hype and the fame that are all very much fit for figure skating’s new queen.

Bode Miller
He was the face of the 2006 Olympics, with his hard-partying ways and high expectations for a dynamic medal haul. But after a few spectacular crashes which left Americans disappointed and Miller ambivalent, four years of training and the birth of his first daughter, Bode came back to these Olympics recharged, refocused, and under everyone’s radar. Much to the suprise of fans around the world, Miller made the Vancouver Games a “mulligan” of Olympic proportions, winning a gold, silver, and bronze medal while leading the winningest American Alpine skiing team of any Olympiad. Redemption,  complete.

Every week, I provide you with a list. No, not a grocery list, to-do list or even a bucket list like our friends over at “The Buried Life.” It’s simply a list of ten things that are relevant, whether it’s to my life (like living with dudes), your life (packing on the poundage), or something that the media just won’t shut up about (COUGH Tiger Woods COUGH).

Yesterday, after going through the multiple heart attacks during the USA/Canada gold medal hockey game (that the USA took into overtime in the last 24 seconds of the game!!), I began to think of all the ways that America is far superior to our upstairs neighbor. You know, since we proved that hockey wasn’t one of them. And I was bitter. And angry. And inhaling a tube of cookie dough to cool down….

Okay Canada, you may have taken the gold in hockey, have national healthcare, legal drinking at 18 and some pretty awesome strip clubs night clubs. Now let me just give you ten golden reason why America is much, much better than our hat.

10. We have Florida, they have Nova Scotia.
Seriously, is there anywhere warm in Canada? Miami is so much better than any place Canada has to offer.

9. We say “about” properly
Aboot? That’s what I do after I drink too much Cuervo.

8. The American dollar is worth more!
By five cents!

7. None of that “Eh” nonsense.

6. Avril Lavigne.
Way to go Canada, thanks for Sk8er Boi. I really appreciate that.

5. The metric system.
32 degrees is FREEZING, not warm.

4. Their flag is stupid
What the eff is that about? A maple leaf? Seriously? I can’t think of anything more uninspired. Plus, everyone knows the best maple syrup comes Vermont or Aunt Jemima, which are both clearly AMERICAN.

3. Their national anthem is stupid
“O Canada”? Are you kidding me? Change that shiz to “Blame Canada,” like now.

2. Jack Bauer.
America has him. Canada does not.

1. Dammit Canada, I really wanted to hate you. After that hockey game, I really did. But then I remembered all my pre-21 year old days of traveling up north and getting legally wasted at 19, all the French, the healthcare, Jim Carrey, Le Chateau, Quebec, Montreal, Pam Anderson, ketchup chips, Terrence and Phillip and pretty much everything that rules. Sigh. The gold is all yours, you Canuck bastards.

The 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver begin today, and athletes from around the globe are prepping for their fifteen minutes of fame. If you’re like me and will probably find yourself at an Olympics party this evening, check out this list of athletes who are sure to find their names in the headlines (or faces on a Wheaties box) in the near future.

Don’t know who to root for in speed skating? Not sure if you want to bet your roommate that Canada will win more golds than ever this Olympiad? You can find the answers to these questions (and trivia to impress all your friends) right here.

1. Mirai Nagasu

Sport: Ladies’ figure skating
Nation: USA
Age: 16
Can she win? Perhaps she’ll medal.
What makes her someone to watch: There’s no pressure on her. The favorite to take the gold in this event is reigning world champ Kim Yu-Na from South Korea, and Nagasu placed second behind Rachael Flatt in the 2010 US National Championships. Much of the media focus will zero in on Flatt and Kim, leaving the door wide open for Nagasu (whose long program at Nationals was exuberant and graceful) to steal the show. Skeptical? Consider that all of the past four Olympic figure skating champions were not the favorite: Oksana Baiul, Tara Lipinski, Sarah Hughes, and Shizuka Arakawa.

Follow her: on Twitter @mirai_nagasu.

2. Melissa Hollingsworth

Sport: Skeleton (think luge, but face down and head first!)
Nation: Canada
Age: 29
Can she win? Yes
What makes her someone to watch: In 2006, Melissa became the first Canadian to medal in skeleton at the Olympics, earning a bronze. Now she’s back to grab the top spot on the podium before a hometown crowd. If you want to catch a truly adrenaline-pumping competition while getting behind a hometown favorite, check out Hollingsworth!

Follow her: on her website.

3. Shaun White

Sport: Snowboarding
Nation: USA
Age: 23
Can he win? Absolutely
Why he’s someone to watch: Well, you can’t miss him, with all that red hair. But besides that, he’s shown some awesome grit (recovering from smashing his head at the X-Games just weeks ago) and staying power: he’s the defending Olympic champ in the half-pipe.

Follow him: on Facebook.

4. Johnny Weir

Sport: Men’s figure skating
Nation: USA
Age: 25
Can he win? He’s a contender!
Why he is someone to watch: Johnny Weir is someone to watch both literally and figuratively. He is the new face of men’s figure skating, pushing himself beyond the rink to the realms of fashion and reality television, with his show “Be Good Johnny Weir” airing Mondays on the Sundance Channel. He refuses to be a role model, often sports outrageous and intricate costumes, and has a sassy mouth. Oh, did we mention he’s competing in the Olympics? Many figure skating enthusiasts will be watching Evan Lysacek, but we’ll be hanging on every jump, turn, sequin, and smirk of Weir.

Follow him: on his television show.

5. Shani Davis

Sport: Speed Skating
Nation: USA
Age: 27
Can he win? No one is sure.
Why he is someone to watch: (Editor’s Note: He’s hot.) Shani made waves in 2006 as the first black athlete to win an individual Olympic gold medal, in the 1000m. Now he’s rousing headlines because of his fierce independence. Shani trains with no coach, no nutritionist, and no club. He refuses to practice with fellow American teammates. And he wants no part of being on an American relay team.  Furthermore, unlike most speed skaters who specialize in either long or short track, Shani does both. Can his independent training schedule earn him a medal again, or will his individualist attitude get the better of him?

Follow him: if you can!