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O Canada: Senate votes to make national anthem gender neutral

The country changes the second line of O Canada from "true patriot love, in all thy sons command" to "in all of us command".

Some Canadians have not welcomed the change in lyrics
Image: Some Canadians have not welcomed the change in lyrics
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Canada's national anthem is set to become gender neutral after politicians passed a bill to alter its lyrics.

The country's senate approved legislation to change the second line of O Canada from "true patriot love, in all thy sons command" to "true patriot love, in all of us command".

Opposition Conservatives had argued against the move and forced the bill to stall but it won senate approval in a vote on Wednesday.

Justin Trudeau, Canada's Prime Minister
Image: PM Justin Trudeau said it was a 'positive step towards gender equality'

Liberal Party member Mauril Belanger proposed the change but the politician, who was diagnosed with Lou Gehrig's disease, did not live to see it become law. He died in August 2016.

The senate - the unelected chamber of the Canadian parliament - usually approves legislation passed by the House of Commons.

On Twitter, the Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau said it was a "positive step towards gender equality".

Author Margaret Atwood was among those campaigning for the change since 2013 and thanked the senate on Twitter.

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However, not all Canadians welcomed the change.

"#SorryNotSorry but I am NOT changing the way I sing O Canada," one tweeted. Another wrote: "'I wish 'O Canada' was gender neutral' - (said) no ordinary Canadian, ever."

O Canada was first performed in 1880 and several versions of the lyrics soon followed.

It was first composed with French lyrics and later became the country's national anthem in 1980.

The "in all thy sons command" line in the English version had replaced the line "thou dost in us command" in 1913.

The French lyrics do not mention sons at all.