Legislation legalizing same-sex marriage, which has nearly completed its journey through the Canadian Parliament, may be doomed.

But even if the bill dies, same-sex marriage likely will remain legal in the seven provinces and one territory that have legalized it. Five other provinces and territories have not done so.

The problem is not lack of support for the bill, but that a corruption scandal may bring down the current government and lead to a new election. The scandal involves allegations of kickbacks, payoffs and judicial appointments to party hacks, said Toronto-based 365Gay.com.

If the Liberals win again, the bill likely would be quickly reintroduced. But, if a Conservative coalition seizes power, the Conservatives have promised to introduce a bill to define marriage as between a man and a woman, while giving same-sex couples civil unions.

Conservative leader Stephen Harper has said he also wants to kill off legal same-sex marriage in British Columbia, Manitoba, Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Saskatchewan, Quebec and the Yukon Territory, but it’s not at all clear that would be legally possible.

The provinces and territories that have not legalized same-sex marriage are Alberta, New Brunswick, the Northwest Territories, Nunavut and Prince Edward Island. A court case on the matter is under way in New Brunswick.

Courts forced legalization of same-sex marriage in all the locations where it is allowed.

Canada has no residency requirements for marriage, and only Quebec has a waiting period after purchase of a license.

Same-sex marriage also is legal in Belgium and the Netherlands, and will be allowed in Spain by autumn. Belgium and the Netherlands do have residency requirements. Same-sex couples also have access to regular marriage in the U.S. state of Massachusetts.

The gay couple from the most recent season of TV’s “The Amazing Race,” Lynn Warren and Alex Ali, will get married June 1 in Ottawa, Canada.

Same-sex marriage is legal is eight of Canada’s 13 provinces and territories. There are no residency requirements and there is no waiting period except in Quebec.

All travel and other expenses related to the wedding will be paid by Ottawa radio station Hot 89.9, which came up with the idea.

“Lynn and I have always, always thought about getting married. We’ve been together for five years and that’s like 25 gay years,” Ali, 22, told the Ottawa Sun newspaper. “We were always planning on getting married, but in the states it’s hard.”

Spanish Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero on May 11 defended the nation’s recently passed law allowing full same-sex marriage, and took a swipe at the Spanish Bishops’ Conference for opposing it.

The bishops have called on Spanish Catholics, including those who work in government, to commit civil disobedience by refusing to implement the law.

“I will never understand those who proclaim love as the foundation of life, while denying so radically protection, understanding and affection to our neighbors, our friends, our relatives, our colleagues,” Zapatero said in his State of the Nation address to Parliament. “What kind of love is this that excludes those who experience their sexuality in a different way?”

The same-sex marriage law is expected to come into force by this autumn.

Only 19 percent of Belgians think the nation is too tolerant of homosexuals, a poll has found.

Belgium is one of four nations in the world where gays and lesbians have access to full marriage.

Among people over age 65, the figure rises to 39 percent seeing too much tolerance.

Differences also emerged between French- and Flemish-speaking residents.

Forty-four percent of Flemish Belgians support allowing same-sex couples to adopt children compared with 28 percent of French speakers.

The poll was conducted by the Flemish-language daily newspaper De Morgen, which published the results in its May 11 issue.

Out gay man Chris Morgan won the British Championship Final in powerlifting May 8, lifting 533.5 lbs.

He moves on to the European and world championships.

“My aim going into the British Final was solely to qualify for the European and world championships,” Morgan told OutSports.com. “I’m delighted to have become British Champion in the process, and am now looking forward to representing England once again at [the] international level.”

Morgan also holds a silver medal from the World Drug-Free Powerlifting Championship and numerous Gay Games medals, according to uk.gay.com.

Organizers say a recent report in the Jerusalem Post about the postponement of Jerusalem WorldPride 2005 was wrong.

The paper reported that the events, planned for Aug. 18-27, would be rescheduled due to concerns that police could not simultaneously protect the Pride celebrations and the planned evacuation of Jews from Gaza.

It quoted organizer Hagai El-Ad of the Jerusalem Open House gay center as saying, “The homo-lesbian community in Israel is not oblivious to what is going on in the country and to the major public event that the Gaza pullout will be.”

On May 11, however, El-Ad disputed the Post story, calling it “outrageously premature.” He said the Pride events will be reorganized only if they occur at the same time as the Gaza pullout, which, at present, lacks a precise date.

WorldPride has been aggressively denounced by local Muslim, Jewish and Christian leaders.

The celebration, last held in Rome in 2000, is licensed by InterPride, the International Association of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Pride Coordinators.