parliament

...now browsing by category

 

Portugal: Gay Marriage Bill Gets Final Approval

Monday, March 1st, 2010

The final wording of a gay marriage bill approved by Portugal’s Parliament received approval on Wednesday, Portugal’s IOL Diario reported. The government’s Committee for Constitutional Affairs unanimously agreed on the bill’s final language.

The measure now heads to the desk of President Anibal Cavaco Silva. Cavaco Silva is a Roman Catholic and a member of the PSD party, groups which oppose the legalization of gay marriage, and he has publicly stated his opposition to gay marriage.

Opposition to gay marriage in the mostly Roman Catholic country has been nominal, but last Sunday opponents staged a huge rally attended by thousands. A crowd estimated at 5,000 marched down Lisbon’s main downtown artery Av. da Liberdade (Liberty Avenue) calling on the president to reject the gay marriage bill and demanding a referendum on gay marriage, although Parliamentarians have already rejected such a measure.

Full Story from On Top Magazine
Click here for gay marriage resources.
To subscribe to this blog, use the rss feed on the right, or use the form at right to join our email list. You can also email us at info@purpleunions.com. Or find us on Facebook – just search for Gay Marriage Watch (you’ll see our b/w wedding pic overlooking the Ferry Building and Bay Bridge in SF). We’re also tweeting daily at http://www.twitter.com/gaymarriagewatc.

Posted in bill, Gay Marriage, marriage equality, parliament, portugal, president, same sex marriage, signature, veto | 1 Response »

Portugal: Parliament Approves Gay Marriage Bill

Friday, February 12th, 2010

Portugal’s Parliament approved a gay marriage bill on Thursday, the AP reported. The bill, however, does not include the right to adopt. Passage of the bill in the Socialist-controlled Parliament was never in doubt, but a presidential veto threatens to prevent the bill from becoming law.

President Anibal Cavaco Silva is a Roman Catholic and a member of the PSD Party, groups which oppose the legalization of gay marriage, and he has publicly stated his opposition to the bill. The president has 20 days to reject the bill.

Socialists and their allied parties, however, say they have the votes to override a presidential veto.

Full Story from On Top Magazine
Click here for gay marriage resources.
To subscribe to this blog, use the rss feed on the right, or use the form at right to join our email list. You can also email us at info@purpleunions.com. Or find us on Facebook – just search for Gay Marriage Watch (you’ll see our b/w wedding pic overlooking the Ferry Building and Bay Bridge in SF). We’re also tweeting daily at http://www.twitter.com/gaymarriagewatc.

Posted in Gay Marriage, marriage equality, parliament, portugal, same sex marriage | No Responses »

Albania: Parliament Passes Gay Rights Bill, But Not Gay Marriage

Friday, February 5th, 2010

ALBANIA’S new anti-discrimination law defends gays and minorities and meets European standards, its sponsors said on Friday, but warned that homophobia is rife and winning over the public will be slow. Albanian rights groups and the Alliance against the Discrimination of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) welcomed the law as a powerful legal tool to protect against any kind of discrimination.

Approved by the ruling Democratic Party and its allies in parliament late on Thursday, the law does not allow same-sex marriage as promised by Prime Minister Sali Berisha. Muslim, Orthodox and Catholic communities condemned the idea.

‘This law is not simply a fulfilment of requirements that Albania has undertaken for European Union integration and visa liberalisation. Above all, it is a victory for democracy and for human rights for all Albanians,’ the LGBT community said. The group hoped that Berisha would eventually keep his promise to legalise same-sex marriage.

Full Story from The Straits Times
Click here for gay marriage resources.
To subscribe to this blog, use the rss feed on the right, or use the form at right to join our email list. You can also email us at info@purpleunions.com. Or find us on Facebook – just search for Gay Marriage Watch (you’ll see our b/w wedding pic overlooking the Ferry Building and Bay Bridge in SF). We’re also tweeting daily at http://www.twitter.com/gaymarriagewatc.

Posted in albania, bill, Gay Marriage, gay rigths, marriage equality, parliament, Prime Minister Sali Berisha, same sex marriage | No Responses »

Portugal: Parliament Passes Gay Marriage Bill

Friday, January 8th, 2010

Portugal’s parliament passed a bill today that would make the predominantly Catholic country the sixth in Europe to permit gay marriage. The conservative president, Aníbal Cavaco Silva, is thought unlikely to veto the socialist government’s bill, which won the support of all left-of-centre parties. His ratification would allow the first gay marriage ceremonies to take place in April, a month before Pope Benedict XVI is due on an official visit to Portugal.

Right-of-centre parties opposed the change and sought a national referendum on the issue, but their proposal was rejected and the government’s bill was passed by 125 votes to 99.

Gay rights campaigners applauded from the galleries, hugged and kissed outside the building and ate wedding cake.

Full Story from The Guardian: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/jan/08/portugal-parliament-legalise-gay-marriage

Click here for gay marriage resources.

To subscribe to this blog, use the rss feed on the right, or use the form at right to join our email list. You can also email us at info@purpleunions.com. Or find us on Facebook – just search for Gay Marriage Watch (you’ll see our b/w wedding pic overlooking the Ferry Building and Bay Bridge in SF). We’re also tweeting daily at http://www.twitter.com/gaymarriagewatc.

Posted in Gay Marriage, marriage equality, parliament, portugal, same sex marriage | No Responses »

Netherlands: Dutch Parliament Encourages Gay Marriage Legalization in Caribbean

Wednesday, December 16th, 2009

The Dutch Parliament’s Second Chamber approved a motion Tuesday requesting the Dutch Government to “encourage” the legalisation of same-sex marriage in countries Curaçao, St. Maarten and Aruba. Parliament also asked the government to indicate when Dutch marriage legislation, which also allows persons of the same sex to tie the knot, would become applicable to the BES islands Bonaire, St. Eustatius and Saba. Parliament wants this legislation to go into effect “as soon as possible.”

Applying Dutch legislation would be part of the legislation trajectory to facilitate the integration of the BES islands into the Netherlands as “public entities.” Dutch law defines marriage as a bond between two persons, regardless of their gender, whereas Antillean law defines marriage as a bond between a man and a woman.

Equal rights and prevention of discrimination were the main considerations behind the motion submitted by Members of Parliament (MPs) Ineke van Gent of the green left party GroenLinks, John Leerdam of the Labour Party PvdA and Johan Remkes of the liberal democratic VVD party.

Full Story from Daily Herald: http://www.thedailyherald.com/news/daily/m180/gaym180.html

Click here for gay marriage resources.

To subscribe to this blog, use the rss feed on the right, or use the form at right to join our email list. You can also email us at info@purpleunions.com. Or find us on Facebook – just search for Gay Marriage Watch (you’ll see our b/w wedding pic overlooking the Ferry Building and Bay Bridge in SF). We’re also tweeting daily at http://www.twitter.com/gaymarriagewatc.

Posted in aruba, bonaire, curacao, Gay Marriage, marriage equality, netherlands, netherlands antilles, parliament, saba, sint maarten, st. eustatius | No Responses »

Austria: Parliament Passes Gay Civil Unions Bill

Thursday, December 10th, 2009

Austria’s parliament passed legislation Thursday allowing homosexual couples to enter into civil unions, a move hailed by proponents as a historic win for gay rights in the country. The bill, slated to become law Jan. 1., will give same-sex couples a series of rights enjoyed by their heterosexual counterparts, including access to a pension if one partner dies and alimony in the event of a split. It bans the adoption of children or artificial insemination.

“We are living in the 21st century and I’m very glad this step is being taken today,” Justice Minister Claudia Bandion-Ortner said during parliamentary debate leading up to the vote.

Christian Hoegl, co-president of the Homosexual Initiative Vienna, Austria’s oldest group of gays and lesbians, agreed.

Full Story from the AP: http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hDt8Yq8oetIOgJKLxdZGsNAvWNDwD9CGHIAO1

Click here for gay marriage resources.

To subscribe to this blog, use the rss feed on the right, or use the form at right to join our email list. You can also email us at info@purpleunions.com. Or find us on Facebook – just search for Gay Marriage Watch (you’ll see our b/w wedding pic overlooking the Ferry Building and Bay Bridge in SF). We’re also tweeting daily at http://www.twitter.com/gaymarriagewatc.

Posted in austria, bill, civil unions, Gay Marriage, law, parliament, passes | No Responses »

Argentina: Parliament Considering Gay Marriage Legalization Nationwide

Wednesday, November 18th, 2009

This week a gay couple in Argentina has received the country’s first marriage license. A judge ruled last week that stopping the couple from marriage is a violation of the country’s constitutional guarantee to equality.

The decision makes Argentina the first country in Latin America to allow same sex marriage. The ruling does not extend beyond the specific case, but Argentina’s parliament is now debating two measures that could legalize same sex marriage outright. FSRN’S Marcos Federman has more from Buenos Aires.

Full Story from Free Speech Radio News: http://www.fsrn.org/audio/audio-tag-title-raw/5767

Planning to marry your partner? Click here for gay marriage resources.

To subscribe to this blog, use the rss feed on the right, or use the form at right to join our email list. You can also email us at info@purpleunions.com. Or find us on Facebook – just search for Gay Marriage Watch (you’ll see our b/w wedding pic overlooking the Ferry Building and Bay Bridge in SF). We’re also tweeting daily at http://www.twitter.com/gaymarriagewatc.

Posted in argentina, Gay Marriage, legalization, parliament | No Responses »