Portugal to legalize gay marriage

Monday, January 11, 2010

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Portugal, traditionally considered Europe’s most conservative nation, is expected to legalize gay marriage before Pope Benedict XVI visits the Catholic country May this year.

Media reports say the passing of the bill is going to be a smooth in Portugal, which is governed by Socialists and other left-wing parties enjoying a strong majority. The bill was approved on Jan. 8.

The Church people have strongly, but unsuccessfully, opposed such legislations in some other nations such as Spain. But in Portugal it provoked only muted opposition even from the right, said French news agency AFP.

It quoted Cardinal Patriarch Jose Policarpo of Lisbon saying that it “parliament’s responsibility” to make people aware on the issues of marriage and the family in society.

Politicians claim majority support gay marriage. “I think the Portuguese people have learnt one of the fundamental tenets of democracy: respect for the rights of the individual,” Miguel Vale de Almeida, Portugal’s first openly-gay lawmaker who was elected in September, told AFP.

While opposed to the concept of same-sex “marriages”, the centre-right opposition Social Democrat party says it favors a civil partnership that would give gays and lesbians the same rights as heterosexual couples minus adoptions.

Deputies are also expected on Friday to vote two other bills submitted by the Green party, the Left Bloc and others which would grant gay and lesbian couples the right to adopt children.

If the gay marriage proposals do pass through parliament, they will the have to go through a parliamentary commission before coming back for the final approval.

According to media reports, both the government and the Catholic Church want the gay marriage issue to be resolved before the visit of the pope, scheduled for May 11-14.

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Filed under homosexuality, catholic, religion, portugal, eu, marriage

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