Marriage Equality Comes to Sweden's Shore

We’ve just been informed that the Swedish Parliament passed a reformed marriage bill that includes same sex marriage. The measure passed 261-22, with 18 abstentions. The change will go in effect in one month.

People currently in registered partnerships will have the option to retain their partnership, marry anew, or sending in their partnership paperwork to have them converted into legal marriages. Sweden first enacted registered partnerships in 1995, making it the third country in the world to formally recognize same-sex relationships.

Crossposted Via Box Turtle Bulletin.

Marriage Equality Comes to Sweden!

"The coalition government of Sweden has been dancing around a way to bring about a change in marriage law to allow for same-sex couples without offending one part of their coalition, the Christian Democrats. Now a solution appears to have been found.

Sweden’s four-party centre-right government has been split on the issue, with the junior partner Christian Democrats also opposed to the use of the word “marriage” for homosexual unions.

However the three other parties, the conservative Moderates, the Liberals and the Centre Party, are in favour of a gender neutral law that eliminates the current reference to marriage as something between a man and a woman.

The opposition Social Democrats, the country’s biggest party, also support such a law, and together the parties would garner enough support to adopt the legislation in parliament.

The process will be for the coalition government to propose a marriage bill that does not have gender-neutrality and for the parties that support marriage equality to amend that bill. The Prime Minister predicts passage and implementation by next year:

“The coalition government has agreed that we will present a basic marriage bill to parliament. The three parties in favour of a gender neutral marriage law will then present an accompanying motion seeking to have such a law in place by May 1, 2009,” Reinfeldt said.

Sweden was one of the first countries to allow for Registered Partnerships in 1995. They will be the seventh nation to offer same-sex marriage rights."

Crossposted via Box Turtle Bulletin.