By Tony Grew • June 11, 2008
Members of Parliament in Norway today approved a bill that will allow
same-sex couples to marry.
The new law, which passed by 84 votes to 41, will make marriage gender neutral.
The Scandinavian country already allows gay and lesbian couples to
enter into civil partnerships, but LGBT rights groups had long
complained the law does not go far enough.
In 2004 a similar law, which proposed to abolish the system of civil
partnerships and replace it with one single gender neutral marriage
law for all citizens, was rejected by the Norwegian parliament.
The new legislation, while not full equal marriage, amends the
definition of civil marriage in Norway to make it gender neutral.
It will replace a 1993 law that gives gays the right to enter civil
unions similar to marriage, but refuses them the right to church
weddings or to be considered as adoptive parents.
As well as more equal partnership rights, it would expand the
provision of parenting rights.
Family Issues minister Anniken Huitfeldt, introducing the bill in
March, called it "an historic step towards equality."
She also had a message for some members of Parliament who claimed the
bill would weaken tradition marriage.
"The new law won't weaken marriage as an institution," Huitfeldt told
Parliament.
"Rather, it will strengthen it. Marriage won't be worth less because
more can take part in it."
About 85 percent of Norway's 4.7 million people are registered as
members of the state Lutheran Church of Norway, although far fewer are
active.
Norway has historically had a tolerant attitude towards the LGBT
community and has championed LGBT rights on the international stage.
Representatives from Norway delivered a short oral statement at the
United Nations Human Rights Council in 2006 in support of a resolution
condemning human rights abuses involving LGBT victims.
The statement dealt with the most severe human rights abuses , such as
violence, torture and death, directed against people because of their
sexual orientation and gender identity.
Norway, which is not a member of the EU, joins Spain, Belgium, the
Netherlands, South Africa and Canada in granting gay people full
marriage rights.
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