Of those, 6,800 individuals were non-Canadians, mostly Americans.

In British Columbia, where the highest court legalized same-sex marriage July 8, 1,400 same-sex couples have tied the knot, 766 of them American.

Canada's federal government has promised to legalize same-sex marriage nationwide as soon as the Canadian Supreme Court signs off on the plan by answering four procedural questions that the government sent it.

It would grant unioned couples most of the rights of matrimony.

To build momentum for the bill, six gay couples got hitched in a commitment ceremony before 10,000 spectators at Auckland's Big Gay Out festival in Coyle Park Feb. 7.

The measure has the backing of Prime Minister Helen Clark.

"I think a majority [vote] is there for it," she told festival-goers.

The bill now moves to the House of Commons.

On Jan. 7, the European Court of Justice ruled that transsexuals must have equal access to marriage and pension rights. The ruling applies in the 15 nations that presently make up the European Union, including the United Kingdom, and in the 10 countries that will join the union in May.

In 2002, the European Court of Human Rights -- the court of final appeal for citizens of the 45 nations that make up the Council of Europe -- also ruled in favor of transsexuals' right to marry.

The state of Western Australia, where Perth is located, and the island state of Tasmania also allow gay couples to adopt.

Prime Minister John Howard denounced the trend Feb. 14.

He said: "I don't support gay adoptions at all. I respect people's choices about their own lifestyles -- that's their right, and I don't seek to discriminate against them -- but I have a view that gay adoption goes against what the community regards as the traditional family formation, and that is a mother and a father.

"I think it [gay adoption] sends the wrong signal," Howard said. "I do not believe changes of this nature will strengthen family life. I think they send the signal that basically family life without a proper commitment, in the sense that we understand it, is up for grabs."

Organizers from the Gay and Lesbian Rights Lobby said they hoped to highlight the federal government's refusal to recognize same-sex relationships.

"Federally, we do not exist," GLRL convener David McCarthy told the AAP. "We are second-class citizens and we are treated as such."

Australian Prime Minister John Howard has repeatedly denounced same-sex marriage.

"I don't support gay marriages being given the same legal and community status as a traditional marriage," he said Dec. 8. "I believe traditional marriage is one of the benchmark institutions of our society and I hold that view very strongly. Even if you produced an opinion poll tomorrow that showed me 80 percent of the Australian community disagreed with me, I would still hold that view."

Last August, Howard asserted, "Marriage, as we understand it in our society, is about children: having children, raising them, providing for the survival of the species."

Al Warwick, 52, who performed as Alice Harlequeen, was singing So Long Dearie when he collapsed.

Warwick had a history of heart problems and recently had taken time off from work due to ill health. Worthing sits on the English Channel just west of Brighton.

There were 5,047 new cases compared with 4,204 in 2002 -- and the count is not yet complete. The final number for 2003 is expected to top 7,000.

At least 2,000 of the new cases are believed to be among gay men, which would be the largest yearly total since HIV testing became available.

"Increases in unsafe sex are undoubtedly the main driving force," government epidemiologist Barry Evans told The Guardian.

There are close to 50,000 HIV-positive people in the U.K., a third of whom don't know they are infected, the HPA told the newspaper.

The federal and provincial governments spent over US$760,000 to bring the show to Toronto for a week, for public-relations purposes.

According to Reuters, clips were shown of a visit to Quebec during which O'Brien staffers replaced street signs with ones that read "Quebecqueer Street" and "Rue des Pussies."

And during the show's "Triumph the Insult Comic Dog" hand-puppet segment, the puppet said to Quebeckers: "You're French, you're obnoxious and you no speekay English" and "I can smell your crotch from here."

New Democratic Party Member of Parliament Alexa McDonough described the program as "utterly vile ... racist filth" and demanded O'Brien give back the $776,000, Reuters said.

"We will not publicly fund this kind of vile, vicious hatemongering,"