News > Politics > Spanish Parliament Approves Gay Marriage

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THURSDAY APRIL 21 2005 11:52 AM

Spanish Parliament Approves Gay Marriage

Submitted by legionnaire

Edited by legionnaire

In what some could consider to be a big, fat "fuck you" to the new conservative pope, the lower house of parliament of the overwhelmingly catholic country of Spain today passed a bill legalizing gay marriage. The bill will move on to the senate where it is expected to pass without much difficulty.

Under the proposed bill, Spanish Civil Law would include the phrase: "Matrimony shall have the same requisites and effects regardless of whether the persons involved are of the same or different sex."

Justice Minister Juan Fernando Lopez Aguilar argued that the bill overcomes "the barriers of discrimination, many of them with deep historical or primitive roots, which affect rights and freedoms and, in a specific way, the extension of free choice in the search for happiness, an unwritten basic right".

The vote in parliament was passed by 183 votes, with 136 against and six abstentions.

Members of gay and lesbian groups in the public gallery cheered and clapped when the result was read out.

If the bill is approved by the Senate as expected, it will make Spain the third EU country to authorise gay marriages after Belgium and the Netherlands.

Responses from religious leaders were predictably dire.

Religious groups, including Roman Catholic bishops, Jews and protestant bodies also expressed their opposition.

Correspondents say the law will worsen relations between the Socialist government and the Roman Catholic Church.

[...]

The Spanish Bishops Conference, which has opposed the bill from its conception, says it goes "against the common good" and that it was "unfair that real marriage should be treated the same as the union of persons of the same sex".

I don't know, it seems to me that what's unfair isn't people being able to gain legal recognition for their marriage, but rather a religious organization trying to define what constitutes a marriage in a secular democracy.

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Comments

MrNailbat

Atlanta, GA

December 2002

APR 21, 2005 11:58 AM

Will you marry me?

adjunct

Philadelphia, PA

July 2002

APR 21, 2005 12:06 PM

The opposition centre-right Popular Party voted against, saying that gay relationships fall outside the traditional institution of marriage.

No mention, of course, of a progressive instution of marriage.

Pwndcake

Portland, OR

October 2004

APR 21, 2005 12:38 PM

You know the minute something horrible happens in Spain, it's going to get blamed on God's reaction to this.

r_daneel

Portland, OR

February 2005

APR 21, 2005 12:40 PM

Whatever happened to Spain, anyways?

Once a world power, now .. well. I don't know. Anyways. Good job Spain!

Now we're gonna have to start cooking freedom rice instead of spanish rice, because they will be viewed as terrorists!

theseeman

Asheville, NC

December 2002

APR 21, 2005 12:44 PM

Fucking A! Good Job Spain!

Now lets get an apology for the New World Invasion and we'll be just about set.

YUSHi

United Kingdom

May 2004

APR 21, 2005 12:44 PM

Again, like abortion and contraception it amazes me that there is still a debate about this sort of thing... people marry particularly here in the UK not because they want to be closer to "god" or any ancient bullshit like that but because a) they want something to signify that they are committed to one another and b) for tax relief reasons - married couples get taxed less than singletons... (apparently)

So, i can not see what all the big deal is about two people of the same sex wanting to marry - although from it's amusing to watch all those cross baring nut jobs get all worked up about gay marriage.

Ilsa

SUICIDEGIRL

New Jersey, USA

APR 21, 2005 12:50 PM

Is there any hot girl who wants to move and marry me?

[Edited on Apr 21, 2005 by Ilsa]

amaz0nmatchu

I'm lost

December 2004

APR 21, 2005 01:01 PM

Go Spain! Get your marriage on!

bean

STAFF

Los Angeles, CA

APR 21, 2005 01:04 PM

NOBODY EXPECTS THE SPANISH...oh....wait. Nevermind.

ThisIsWhoWeAre

Oakland, CA

July 2004

APR 21, 2005 01:05 PM

I don't get it. If the Church hates gays having sex (partially) because it's sex out of wedlock, you think they'd be happy they want to get married.

So many of the things in the Bible are dismissed in the modern world (like shutting a woman away during her "unclean" period, slavery etc.) as outdated and irrelevant. It's really time homosexuality joined the list of useless old rules.

Good for Spain!