The national anthem is getting a lyrical overhaul. Canada's Senate has passed a bill that will remove the gendered language from "O Canada."
The House of Commons initially passed a private member's bill back in 2016, proposing to change the lyrics "in all thy sons command" to "in all of us command" — though demand for the alteration is hardly new. Prior to this one, 12 bills were introduced and failed.
The 2016 bill was originally introduced by Liberal MP Mauril Bélanger, who passed away that same year. He argued that the gendered reference to "sons" was discriminatory.
The change will officially be signed into law once it receives royal assent from the governor general.
Despite opposition from a number of Conservative voices, the anthem is expected to adopt the lyrical change ahead of the Olympic Games in South Korea later this month.
"O Canada" was officially adopted as Canada's national anthem in 1980, but it was written by Robert Stanley Weir in 1908. He added the controversial line "in all thy sons command" after World War I.
Mauril's bill to make O Canada gender neutral passed third reading in the Senate tonight - another positive step towards gender equality. #inallofuscommand
— Justin Trudeau (@JustinTrudeau) February 1, 2018
The House of Commons initially passed a private member's bill back in 2016, proposing to change the lyrics "in all thy sons command" to "in all of us command" — though demand for the alteration is hardly new. Prior to this one, 12 bills were introduced and failed.
The 2016 bill was originally introduced by Liberal MP Mauril Bélanger, who passed away that same year. He argued that the gendered reference to "sons" was discriminatory.
The change will officially be signed into law once it receives royal assent from the governor general.
Despite opposition from a number of Conservative voices, the anthem is expected to adopt the lyrical change ahead of the Olympic Games in South Korea later this month.
"O Canada" was officially adopted as Canada's national anthem in 1980, but it was written by Robert Stanley Weir in 1908. He added the controversial line "in all thy sons command" after World War I.
