Recent Gay Rights victories around the world

[sonicx]

New Zeland (civil unions legal)

http://www.reuters.co.uk/newsArticle.jhtml?type=topNews&storyID=636361

WELLINGTON (Reuters) - New Zealand has joined a slowly growing number of countries which have passed laws recognising civil unions between same-sex couples, but has stopped short of recognising homosexual marriages.

The New Zealand parliament voted 65-55 on Friday to pass the Civil Union Bill recognising same-sex partners after lawmakers were freed by their parties to vote with their consciences at the end of a long and contentious debate.

Same-sex couples cheered and applauded from the parliament's public gallery as the result of the vote was announced.

Hundreds more gathered outside New Zealand's unique bee-hive shaped parliament, with the crowds reflecting an issue which opinion polls show has divided New Zealanders almost equally.

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UK (civil partnerships legal)

http://www.gaywired.com/article.cfm?section=9&id=4659

(London) The House of Commons Tuesday night passed legislation giving same-sex couples many of the same rights as married couples have.

The bill would create a civil partner registry. Gay couples would have inheritance rights to their partners' estates, hospital visitation rights, and the right to receive the spouses share of their partner's pension.

A move to weaken the bill by extend it to siblings who live together was rejected by Parliament. The proposal came from a handful of Tory MPs who oppose same-sex couples' rights, although Conservative Party leader Michael Howard supported the bill and gave his MPs a free vote on the matter.

The legislation applies only to same-sex couples.

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Canada (national gay marriage coming soon)

http://www.freep.com/news/nw/canada10e_20041210.htm

TORONTO -- Canada's Supreme Court ruled Thursday that same-sex marriages are allowed under the nation's constitution, clearing the way for Prime Minister Paul Martin and his Liberal Party to move forward with plans to introduce federal legislation to legalize marriage for gays and lesbians.


The top court's finding, which had been expected by legal experts, follows rulings by lower courts in seven Canadian jurisdictions that have said existing marriage laws discriminated against homosexuals.


The court was ruling on the legal question to help it advise the House of Commons before it considered legislation, approved by the federal cabinet last year, to redefine marriage to include gay and lesbian couples.


If approved by a majority of the House of Commons, as expected, Canada would become the third country to embrace marriage by homosexuals and lesbians. Belgium and the Netherlands are the other two.

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South Africa (!) (gay marriage coming soon)

http://www.gaywired.com/article.cfm?section=9&id=4930

(Pretoria, South Africa) - South Africa’s Supreme Court of Appeals has handed down a ruling to amend the country's Marriage Act to recognize gay marriage. A panel of five judges ruled unanimously that South Africa's 'common law' definition of marriage should be altered to be inclusive of same sex couples.

The new wording of the definition would state "marriage is the union of two persons to the exclusion of all others for life."

The ruling came in response to an appeal by a lesbian couple who wanted to marry. In its ruling, the court concluded that "the intended marriage" between Marie Adriaana Fourie and Cecelia Johanna Bonthuys "is capable of lawful recognition as a legally valid marriage".

However, the two women will not be allowed to legally marry yet. The ruling only pertains to common-law marriage and does not legalize same-sex marriage outright. While the ruling does move the country further toward the goal of full gay marri age rights, there are still other legal hurdles to overcome.

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Freedom is on the march!...everywhere but in the US. :(:)