Months ago, I wrote that Luxembourg had promised same sex marriage legislation before the summer recess - and the promise has been kept. A bill was introduced last week that will extend existing marriage regulations to same sex couples, and will also provide for “simple” adoption rights, but not “full” adoption. (No, I don’t know what that means.)

Although the legislation has bee introduced, this does not mean gay or lesbian weddings just yet. The recess has intervened, and the legislation cannot be debated or passed until the autumn. There should not be serious opposition, though, and the new arrangements are likely to take effect from the start of 2011. This is likely to make Luxembourg the eighth country in Europe, and the eleventh worldwide, to introduce full marriage equality.

It’s a small country, but symbolically this is every important as the marriage advances in bigger countries, as yet one more indicator of the inexorable march across western Europe towards full family equality. Already, almost the whole of Europe provides for equal treatment via strong civil unions or civil partnerships, and there is steady movement towards converting those to full marriage. Luxembourg will (likely) be next, Finland will follow (the legislative process has started, but will take longer to complete - probably by 2012). In the UK, pressure is building, in the political parties, and in public support. (Slovenia has already passed legislation in the lower house , in March this year - but I have been completely unable to track down any information on progress since then.)