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16 Jun 2008

Norway becomes sixth country to legalise gay marriage

Norway has become the sixth country in the world after the Netherlands, Belgium, Canada, South Africa and Spain to legalise same-sex marriage.

Norway's parliament last Wednesday voted 84 to 41 in favour of a new law which will allow same-sex couples to marry and adopt children.

The new law, which goes into effect at the end of the year, amends the definition of civil marriage to make it gender neutral.

Since 1993, Norwegian same-sex couples have had the right to civil unions which accords rights similar to marriage, but refuses them the right to church weddings or to be considered as adoptive parents.

Under the new legislation, gay male and lesbian couples will be accorded the same rights to religious services in connection with their marriage, the right to use assisted reproductive technology and to adopt children with the same requirements being applied as to heterosexuals. The Church of Norway will also be allowed - but not compelled - to bless same-sex marriages.

The left-leaning coalition government - comprising the Labour Party, Socialist Left Party, and Centre Party - voted largely in favour of the law, while the Christian Democrats and the far-right Progress Party voted against it.

Homosexuality was illegal until 1972 in the Scandinavian country.

Reader's Comments

1. 2008-06-16 21:32  
Great News. God Bless Norway - When will God Bless Asian Countries? Thy Kingdom Come, Thy Will Be Done in Asia as it is in Norway!

Cheers!
Comment #2 was deleted by its author
3. 2008-06-16 22:43  
You haven't got a clue turk! You may feel negative while everyone else is celebrating a milestone in the battle for equality, but check your facts...or better still, tell us which countries you mean by "most if not all" of the EU. ...and don't try to wriggle by saying "legal" = something other than the ability to get married, because that is what the article you so ignorantly criticise is talking about.
4. 2008-06-17 00:02  
Helloooo.....
How bout Denmark?
5. 2008-06-17 00:48  
Wellcome Norway to this selected club!
When will my australian friends have the same rights I have as an spanish citizen? When will more countries join us? This is a long way to go, and each country has a different way to follow it and different needs; in many places is still illegal to have sex between consenting adults so, wake up! and fight for your rights!
P.S. most european countries have what they call "civil union" "PACS" etc that recognises couples that are living together but dont give them the SAME rights as any other couple. This only happen in the countries listed in the information, which is accurate, sorry terrificturk, but you are wrong.
6. 2008-06-17 04:14  
congratulation norway,im proud to have norway as my second home
7. 2008-06-17 05:13  
This is very heart warming :P

It took about 4 decades for this European State!

Leftwingers pray hard for Asia..
8. 2008-06-17 06:14  
Maybe next year we can marry in the Norway's Ambassy in Kuala Lumpur and invite all our family to attend the ceremony hehehe ;)
9. 2008-06-17 07:30  
Its so encouraging to see that some countries can move beyond tradition and religious fanaticism and recognise that gay people are no different to any other members of society. The world will be a lot better place when more countries and cultures show such tolerance.......Congratulations Norway
10. 2008-06-17 09:24  
Wow..another top stories for the whole world!

Best wishes for the norway gay marriages!

cheers
11. 2008-06-17 10:22  
ah~~breathe of civilisation
12. 2008-06-17 10:34  
Gratulerer til alle Nordmenn der ute!

I am proud of my country today! But we should have been first. Not 6th to implement the new laws.

C
13. 2008-06-17 11:17  
I thought Denmark also permits gay marriage...anyone know?
Comment #14 was deleted by its author
15. 2008-06-17 13:53  
Registered partnerships (Danish: registreret partnerskab) in Denmark were created by a law enacted on June 7, 1989, the world's first such law, and came into force on October 1, 1989. It was extended to Greenland in 1996 and later amended in 1999. Similar to civil unions in the United States or civil partnerships in the United Kingdom, registered partnerships have almost all the same qualities as marriage. All legal and fiscal rights and obligations are like those of opposite-sex marriage, with the following four exceptions:

* registered partners cannot adopt, with the exception that one party can adopt the biological children of the other
* registered partners cannot have joint custody of a child, except by adoption
* laws making explicit reference to the sexes of a married couple do not apply to registered partnerships
* regulations by international treaties do not apply unless all signatories agree.

Divorce for registered partners follow the same rules as opposite-sex divorces.

Registered partners must meet one of the following residency requirements to form a union: (1) one partner must be a Danish citizen and be resident in Denmark, or (2) both parties must have been resident in Denmark for two years. Citizens of Finland, Iceland, and Norway are treated as Danish citizens for purposes of the residency requirements.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Civil_unions_in_Denmark
16. 2008-06-17 14:05  
as the dominos of discrimination continue to fall....add to the short-but-growing list the USA State of California...ahhhhhhh yes, a nice breath of civilisation, progress, and fresh air.
17. 2008-06-17 15:10  
Congrats Norway (& Denmark) :D

I really, really hope (and am actively working!)
for Asia to move fwd with the rest of the world.
I'm proud to be Asian, bt some civil laws in (most) Asian countries sre just depressing :(
18. 2008-06-17 16:29  
thanks Kellen...and as we all know, civil unions are not marriage - they fail the equality test! I hope Denmark gets on board soon.

Scandinavia is generally so sexually advanced that even against the nasty efforts by religious bigots to maintain an unfounded sense of superiority for their members (by defining gay people as morally lesser human beings), I believe gay marriage will soon be available there - and likely used as infrequently by Scandinavian gay people as by the rest of the population. lol
19. 2008-06-18 00:45  
Hooray for NORGE! Now it's the turn of the rest of Scandinavia and Western Europe, especially Sweden, Finland and Denmark. I really do hope my father's homeland of Sweden allows gay marriage and not just second-class citizen civil unions or partnerships--Marriage is marriage, no matter who gets married. PERIOD. (However, Sweden likely won't allow it till we see the Social Democrats return to power there, sigh).
20. 2008-06-19 01:57  
CONGRATS!!

I'm wondering when will Asia move forward. Geez.
21. 2008-06-19 06:20  
Finally I can propose to my beautiful Singaporean boyfriend of 5 .years and be treated as equal human beings as the rest of the population in Norway. Have the same right to inherit, adopt, retirment entitlements etc. BUT honestly it should be a human right to be able to be together with the one you love. Finally Norway did the right thing, let us hope the rest of the world is soon following suit.
22. 2008-06-19 23:00  
hey guys, any residency requirements and such ? ... vacancies for a bridegroom ... and a few bestmen ... ... ... they say there is a sucker for everyone ... and everyone is someone's fool ... so which one of you is mine ? ;) ... will the real sucker cum fool (for me) please stand up? ... ... ... report yourself for duties immediately!
23. 2008-06-20 00:34  
just read kellen's posting ... thanks for the tip - residency requirement ... nite
Comment #24 was deleted by its author
25. 2008-06-23 00:37  
It's cool to know that Norway now legalise gay marriages,i hope there would be much more to come in the near future. That's what liberation is about... we are all human beings & there is nothing wrong with being gay. We experience the same emotions as that of a BGR,why should others look at us any differently just bcos our other half belongs to the same sex? Will it ever happen in S'pore while i m still alive...i wonder?=)
26. 2008-06-23 15:10  
Wonderful, another country in the list again!

Lets try harder, when is our pride parade in singapore?
27. 2008-06-23 15:29  
Just found out a list of countries that allow same sex marriage:

The Netherlands/Holland, 2001.
Belgium, 2003.
Massachusetts, USA, 2004.
Canada, 2005.
Spain, 2005.
South Africa, 2006.
California, 2008.
Norway, 2009.

Plan to go some of these countries to get married!
No restriction to residency for some countries, check it out.


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