Same-sex marriage: French parliament approves new law
France has become the 14th country to approve a law allowing gay marriage. The bill, which also legalises adoption by same-sex couples, was passed by 321 votes to 225 in the French parliament.
France is now the 14th country to legalise gay marriage after New Zealand last week. It is also the ninth country in Europe to allow same-sex marriage after legalisation in the traditionally liberal Netherlands and Scandinavia, but also in strongly Catholic Portugal and Spain. Legislation is also moving through the UK Parliament.
The support for same sex marriage isn’t overwhelming, but it is still a majority; unfortunately support for related issues like adoption isn’t as strong, so there’s some way to go to get to the point of truly equal rights for the homosexual community. The article also points out the apparent disconnect in having a comparatively secular nation like France running into problems getting same-sex legislation passed, while Catholic nations like Spain and Portugal legalized it back in 2005 and 2010, respectively.
And speaking of New Zealand …
New Zealand legalises same-sex marriage
New Zealand’s parliament has legalised same-sex marriage, the first country in the Asia-Pacific region to do so. Lawmakers approved the bill, amending the 1955 marriage act, despite opposition from Christian lobby groups. The bill was passed with a wide majority, with 77 votes in favour and 44 against.
“In our society, the meaning of marriage is universal – it’s a declaration of love and commitment to a special person,” Labour MP Louisa Wall, who introduced the legislation, said.
Australian members of parliament overwhelmingly voted against a bill that would have legalised same-sex marriages in September. However, some states allow civil unions for same-sex couples.
We’re getting there … (Map courtesy of BBC)
To date, fourteen nations have legalized same sex marriage. Given how the majority of this legislation has been enacted during the last decade or so, it’s my hope that the remainder of at least Western Europe and the US will follow suit in this one. (You never know about America, though … we’ve got a pretty serious issue with fundamentalist lawmakers who still treat the bible as a science book and a legal manual.)
Aaaaaand that’s it for my commentary. I’ve had a recurring migraine recently and looking at things is becoming increasingly unpleasant.
*does happy party dance*
Hrm? What were you expecting?