Vatican says Ireland gay marriage vote is 'defeat for humanity'

A senior Vatican official has attacked the legalisation of gay marriage in Ireland.  “I was deeply saddened by the result,” said Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican’s secretary of state. “The church must take account of this reality, but in the sense that it must strengthen its commitment to evangelisation. I think that you cannot just talk of a defeat for Christian principles, but of a defeat for humanity.” 

The remarks by the Vatican’s top diplomat, who is seen as second only to the pope in the church’s hierarchy, represent the most damning assessment of the Irish vote by a senior church official to date.

It was a far more critical response than the circumspect reaction offered by archbishop Diarmuid Martin of Dublin, who said: “It is very clear that if this referendum is an affirmation of the views of young people … [then the church needs] a reality check.” 

While the results were celebrated by advocates of gay rights in Ireland and around the world, it was also seen as a stark symbol of how wide the chasm has grown between young people in what has traditionally been a staunchly Catholic country and the church itself, which says that homosexual acts are a sin and vehemently opposes gay marriage. Read More

US: North Carolina allows officials to refuse to perform gay marriages

North Carolina House of Representatives overrode Gov. Pat McCrory’s veto of a new bill that allows magistrates to refuse to marry any couple if they have a “sincerely held religious objection.” The Senate already overrode the veto, meaning the bill is now law. In addition to exempting magistrates, the measure permits registers of deeds to refuse to issue marriage licenses to any couple on religious grounds. From now on, a magistrate or register of deeds need only assert that serving a gay couple (or interracial couple, or interfaith couple) violates her religious beliefs. As soon as she does, she will be allowed to refuse to do her job.  Read More

Poland: Parliament drops civil partnership debate

The Sejm lower parliamentary house has voted against a debate on a bill which would regulate civil partnerships – both heterosexual and homosexual – in Poland. The proposed law – which was put forward by the Democratic Left Alliance – foresees the possibility of joint payment of income tax, the right to inheritance as well as social security benfits in the event of one of the partner’s deaths. However, the bill will likely now be shelved after MPs overwhelmingly voted against any discussion on the matter.

“We are lied to by politicians – mostly conservative – who say that Poland is not ready for civil partnerships, let alone [same-sex] marriage,” said head of the Campaign Against Homophobia, Agata Chaber. “That is a lie, Poland is ready,” she said. Read More 

US: Guam becomes first US territory to recognize gay marriage after judge strikes down ban

U.S. District Court Chief Judge Frances M. Tydingco-Gatewood issued the decision and gay couples can begin applying for marriage licenses, the Pacific Daily News reported. Attorneys representing the government of Guam said in a May 18 court document that "should a court strike current Guam law, they would respect and follow such a decision."

Loretta M. Pangelinan and Kathleen M. Aguero filed the lawsuit in April after the 28-year-old women were denied a marriage license. They based their lawsuit on a 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals decision last year in favor of same-sex marriage.

Attorneys for the Guam plaintiffs had argued the territory must fall in line with the 9th Circuit decision and accept marriage license applications unless the U.S. Supreme Court rules otherwise. Currently, gay couples can marry in 36 states, the District of Columbia and now, Guam. Read More

Greenland: Parliament unanimously passes same-sex marriage laws

The autonomous Arctic country of Greenland followed the lead of its former colonial master Denmark by legalizing same-sex marriage in a parliamentary vote that follows the Irish referendum on the same subject.

Greenland, which is three-quarters covered by sub-Arctic ice sheet and is the worlds most sparsely populated country, had gay marriage legalised by a 27-0 legislative vote yesterday. 
 
Greenland’s proposal to allow same-sex marriage was first brought up in 2010 but because the issue was seen as something to be decided by the Kingdom of Denmark, the plans were put on the back burner until Denmark passed its same-sex marriage legislation in June 2012. Read More 

Greece to grant gay couples right to civil union

Greece's radical-left government on Wednesday proposed a bill to grant same-sex couples the right to a civil union, two years after the European Court of Human Rights condemned the country's existing legislation as discriminatory.  Read More 

Italy: Gay civil unions measures passed

Italy's Lower House on Wednesday approved a motion on same-sex civil unions promoted by the Democratic Party. The motion commits the government "to promote the adoption of a law on civil unions, particularly with regard to the condition of the people of same sex". It also commits the government "to ensure equal treatment throughout the nation" of civil unions. Read More 

Germany: Cabinet okays more rights for same-sex couples

Germany's cabinet on Wednesday approved a raft of draft measures to extend the rights of same-sex couples but faced criticism for allowing only civil unions, not full gay marriage.

Three days after Ireland voted "Yes" to gay marriage in a referendum, German government spokesman Steffen Seibert defended the moves that aim to ensure equal treatment for gay couples without granting them the right to legally wed.

"We will, in Germany, have to find our way," he told reporters. "Non-discrimination against civil partnerships is the clear goal of government policy.  Read More 

Costa Rica: Grants first gay common-law marriage in Central America

A Costa Rican judge has granted the first openly gay common-law marriage in Central America, said Francisco Madrigal, political affairs director for the Center for Research and Promotion of Human Rights in Central America.

Gerald Castro and Cristian Zamora, a gay couple in the city of Goicoechea, north of San José, were granted a common-law marriage by the Family Court. Along with being the first legal recognition of a same-sex relationship in Central America, the decision could set an example for judges elsewhere in the country to recognize gay relationships and even adoption. But both supporters and opponents of the decision expect a forthcoming legal battle over the landmark ruling.

Common-law marriage grants all the same benefits of a traditional marriage in Costa Rica, but requires the approval of a judge after the couple has been together for at least 3 years. It guarantees partners the rights to inheritance, to social security and public insurance benefits and to visit the other person in the hospital. Costa Rica does not currently recognize gay marriage but a bill is pending in the Legislative Assembly that would approve civil unions here. Read More 

How Ireland's gay marriage referendum created a wave of hope for LGBT people

The Irish referendum on same-sex marriage has created a wave of hope for lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans equality across Europe and indeed the rest of the world. Last weekend, 62% of Irish voters chose to back gay marriage in what the archbishop of Dublin described as "a social revolution."

The passing of the law in Ireland, a predominantly Catholic country, is already having a knock on effect all over the world, even in Italy, which has long been considered the home of the Catholic Church. Politicians in several countries are making renewed attempts to advance marriage equality legislation. German, Italian, and Australian lawmakers have all launched new efforts to allow same-sex couples to wed after an historic vote for marriage equality in Ireland.  Read More

Russia: Lawmakers Propose Banning Marriages For Trans People

Lawmakers in Russia introduced draft legislation today that would ban marriage between two people of the same sex, including cases where a trans person has transitioned or is in the process of transitioning. Same-sex marriage is already illegal in Russia, but the measure aims to close a bureaucratic loophole that allowed Irina Shumilova and Alyona Fursova to marry in St. Petersburg last November. Shumilova, who identifies as a transsexual woman, is still male according to her passport. Their wedding made headlines around the world and angered conservative politicians. Read More

Luxembourg: Prime Minister is first serving EU leader to wed same-sex partner

Luxembourg's Prime Minister has become the first serving leader in the EU to wed someone of the same sex after marrying his partner in a ceremony on Friday.

Xavier Bettel and Belgian architect Gauthier Destenay were among the first men to marry under the country’s new law on same-sex marriage, which came into force on 1 January. They have been civil partners since 2010.  Read More