[Article] Spain to legalise gay unions

yellum

Yeah, another Gay Marriage / Civil Union article.

http://uk.gay.com/headlines/5985

Spain to legalise gay unions
Ben Townley, Gay.com UK

The incoming Spanish Prime Minister has announced that he will oversee the introduction of civil union legislation for same-sex couples.

Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, who won the country's elections with a surprise majority last week, says the unions will not be called marriage, but will give similar rights to those currently received by heterosexual couples.

"We are going to present a bill to set gay unions on the same footing as marriage," Zapatero said in a TV interview.

"From a semantic point of view marriage may be a concept that does not cover this type of union, but it will have the same legal effects."

He was unable to give a time frame for the introduction of the new legislation, but its announcement has come as a shock for the staunchly Catholic country.

Zapatero's Socialist Party had expressed interest in unions at the start of the election campaign. They told voters that they would work to reduce discrimination against lesbians and gay people, as well as increase the legal standing of long term same-sex relationships.

The comments, made in January this year, angered the then Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar and the ruling Popular Party, which called on Catholic voters to back them.

Additionally, the head of the country's Church, Cardinal Antonio Maria Rouco Varela, stepped into the fray to claim the promise of equality is an "outrage" because gay families are "incapable by nature of having children". He added that such suggestions would precipitate the "collapse of the social security system".

Since coming to power last week, Zapatero has announced a string of big changes, including pulling Spanish forces out of Iraq, unless the United Nations takes over the country's management.

The war in Iraq was unpopular in the country and led to large protests in Madrid and Barcelona, but was supported by Aznar.

yellum

Spain's New Government to Legalize Gay Marriage
Thu Apr 15, 2004

MADRID (Reuters) - Spain will legalize homosexual marriages and grant equal rights to gay couples, incoming Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero said Thursday.

The move is likely to stir controversy in one of Europe's most Catholic countries as the Vatican condemns same-sex unions and homosexuality was banned under Spanish dictator Francisco Franco.

Spain's Catholic bishops have already spoken out strongly against the adoption of children by homosexual couples.

"The moment has finally arrived to end once and for all the intolerable discrimination which many Spaniards suffer because of their sexual preferences," Zapatero told parliament during a debate which will end with a vote to confirm him in office.

"Homosexuals and transsexuals deserve the same public consideration as heterosexuals," he said. "As a result we will modify the Civil Code to recognize their equal right to marriage with the resulting effects over inheritance, labor rights and social security protection."

Nine other European Union countries already have some provision for recognizing those in committed same-sex relationships. Last month, Britain said it would give legal recognition to gay partnerships.

Homosexuality was banned during Franco's 1939-1975 dictatorship. Spain's liberal 1978 constitution outlawed sexual discrimination and homosexuality was legalized shortly afterwards.

In the United States, the fight over gay marriage has become an election-year issue after officials in several states used ambiguities in the law to begin marrying gay couples. President Bush is backing an amendment to the U.S. Constitution to ban same-sex marriages.

Zapatero, whose Socialist party swept to a surprise victory in general elections last month just three days after train bombs which killed 191 people, made legalizing gay unions one of his campaign pledges.

Yoda

Felicitaciones al gobierno de España. Otro país en europa en que se piensa...