Sweden moves to allow
gay marriage
By AP from The Star
Online, March 21, 2007
STOCKHOLM, Sweden -- Sweden
took a step toward allowing gay marriage Wednesday when a government-appointed
committee proposed expanding the rights of same-sex couples.
Sweden has recognized civil unions between homosexual couples since 1994, but
does not permit gay marriages.
If the new law is passed, couples who have entered such unions would
automatically be considered legally married, said Hans Regner, who led the
committee that presented the proposal.
"Two men or two women should be able to wed, and in the future be called
spouses,'' Regner said. "All the rules for heterosexual spouses will be
applied also to homosexual couples.''
Same-sex marriage is legal in five other countries: Canada, Belgium, the
Netherlands, Spain and South Africa. In the United States, only the states
of Massachusetts allows gay marriage.
The Swedish proposal needs parliamentary approval but is expected to pass
because gay marriage has widespread support in the Scandinavian country, Regner
said.
However, the clergy has been divided on the issue, and the government proposal
would allow individual churches to refuse same-sex weddings.
Sweden's predominant Lutheran Church said last week it would be willing to marry
gay couples in church if the law is changed, but that the ceremony would be
given a different name than wedding.
Gays in civil partnerships already enjoy similar rights as married couples.
One difference is that the age limit of 18 years for civil unions is absolute,
while married couples can request an exemption.
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