Denmark is Ready to Legalize Gay Marriage

[xchrom]

http://www.gay.net/news/2012/03/13/denmark-ready-legalize-gay-marriage



In a press conference held Tuesday, Denmark’s Prime Minister Helle Thoring-Schmidt (left) said the government is finalizing a bill that will legalize gay marriage on June 15th. The legislation also allows individual priests to refuse to perform ceremonies for same-sex couples.

“It’s an important message for a country such as Denmark to send,” said Thoring-Schmidt. “We respect every citizen’s choice but we also respect priests’ choices, too. It will be up to each priest whether he or she will perform gay marriages, but the government gives all members of the church the right to get married in church, whether they want to marry a person of the opposite or same sex."

In 1989, Denmark became the first nation to legalize same-sex unions. The passage of legislation allowing gay couples to marry will make Denmark the 11th country to do so. Though the Danish parliament previously rejected several same-sex marriage bills, the new legislation containing the priest compromise is expected to pass.

Same-sex marriages are currently performed in Argentina, Belgium, Canada, Iceland, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, and parts of the United States and Mexico.

[William769]

1. YES!

[joeybee12]

2. You know, if you had previously asked me which countries have marriage equality...

I would have guessed Denmark is one of them that already had it.

KNR

[closeupready]

3. To be the forum cumudgeon, it's sad that gay Danes see their tax dollars

go towards supporting homophobic priests, isn't it?

I've always wondered why "modern" Europeans seem so proud of a system where even atheists have to subsidize Christians and Catholics and others co-religionists.

Anyway, K&R.

[RetiredTrotskyite]

4. In a Way, The US Supports Clergy As Well...

when we subsidize churches via tax-exempt status and I may be wrong on this point, but I believe clergy housing allowance is not taxed and there may be other tax breaks as well.

I think it is great that Denmark will have gay marriage soon. Of course, the US is still lagging behind on this. Sad.