While the bulk of English language reporting on gay marriage has focussed on three English – speaking countries, the state level battles in the US, the promise of equality for the UK, and on the political push in Australia, there is also important movement in several European countries. Denmark and Finland have expressed their intention to introduce enabling legislation (in 2012 and 2013 respectively), and Luxembourg introduced a bill in 2010 – it is just not clear when the process will be concluded.
Now, there are encouraging reports of progress in the European Union’s two major countries, Germany and France:
“Germany’s Social Democrat opposition (Sozialdemokratische Partei Deutschlands, SPD) backed marriage equality at its national convention in early December.
The vote from delegates was unanimous that the party should seek to change German law should the party form the next government, almost certainly in alliance with smaller parties which already back gay marriage such as the Greens.They also voted unanimously to end discrimination in adoption law.Ansgar Dittmar, National Chairman of lesbians and gays in the SPD (Schwusos), said that the party had decided that there was now no more legitimacy in maintaining two parallel institutions of marriage and life partnership.Marriage equality could come sooner as the city state of Hamburg has introduced it into the German Senate and the SPD has introduced a bill into the Bundestag.Registered life partnerships (effectively, a form of civil union) have been instituted since 2001, giving same-sex couples rights and obligations in areas such as inheritance, alimony, health insurance, immigration and name change but no tax benefits.Polls show a healthy majority of Germans favor marriage equality.”
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Despite marriage equality losing heavily in the French parliament in July, rumors are swirling in France that President Nicholas Sarkozy will support marriage equality and gay families in next year’s election. He is reported to have been inspired by the leadership of fellow conservative David Cameron, who told his party’s congress earlier this year:
I don’t support gay marriage despite being a Conservative. I support gay marriage because I’m a Conservative.
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Related articles
- Opposition to Gay Marriage Not Socially Acceptable?
- Brazil Supreme Court confirms Gay Marriage
- Gay / Lesbian Church Weddings for Denmark, 2012.
- Australian Labor Party backs gay marriage.
- Study Finds Marriage Equality Leads To Increased Health (towleroad.com)
- The Marriage Equality Governor (andrewsullivan.thedailybeast.com)
- Equal love: Time for the UK Parliament to recognise gay marriage (leftfootforward.org)
It is often forgotten that LGBT people are fighting for rights in other EU countries, thanks for this post Terence. As always, the Scandinavian countries have led the way, with the Netherlands of course, but the eastern part of the EU seems to be getting on board to. I didn’t know about Croatia for example, and I like ot think I’m quite well informed about these things (maybe I’ve just forgotten
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So-called Catholic countries are fast taking the lead here, with Ireland moving ever more swiftly to full equality and the legislature in South American countries pondering the seemingly unponderable. Even Mexico is doing well here.
France decriminalised homosexuality in 1791; the first country in Europe to do so I believe. Although Andorra, Belgium, Luxembourg, Monaco decriminalised in the 18th century to. Germany however had the notorious Paragraph 175 on its statute books until
It’s chaos out there!!
Some useful observations here, Jennifer. You’re right about France – I didn’t know about Andorra and the others (all Catholic countries).You quite obviously are well-informed.
As a (white) African, I like to point out the only countries that have never needed to decriminalize, were eight from Africa.
Wikipedia my dear, Wikipedia.