Is gay marriage legal in your country/state?

[Fizzyfefe]

There is a huge issue over Proposition 8 in the US right now, and now I'm curious as to what the laws are all over the world. Is marriage between homosexual couples legal where you live? In what country do you live? And, how do you feel about it?

I live in Arizona, US, and gay marriage is not recognized here. I wish it was legal.

 

[davidjoemum]

I live In UK and here its legal its called civil partnership I do have nothing against it I have many gays friend they all lovely and they in civil partnership (marriage)
I think everyone deserved happiness and if homosexual couple want to be married why not?

 

[supertabby]

I'm in the UK and gay marriage has fairly recently been allowed. Weve had gay civil partnerships for longer, maybe 10 years? I'm happy with those laws.

I feel that your sexuality shouldnt affect your rights but I also respect the rights of a church to refuse to marry gay people - forcing it contravenes rights to religious belief as much as it contravenes rights of a gay person to forbid partnership.

 

[Fizzyfefe]

Is civil partnership the same thing as marriage? Meaning, can a heterosexual couple have a civil partnership, or can a homosexual couple have a marriage?

There are a few different relationship statuses here that are recognized by the government (marriage, civil union, domestic partnership, cohabitation). Each type is different.

 

[mummylove]

I live in uk and few months ago was finally legal

 

[tina3747]

Is civil partnership the same thing as marriage? Meaning, can a heterosexual couple have a civil partnership, or can a homosexual couple have a marriage?

There are a few different relationship statuses here that are recognized by the government (marriage, civil union, domestic partnership, cohabitation). Each type is different.

Civil partnership is the same rights wise as a civil marriage, you get married by a registrar rather than a religious ceremony.
It gives you legal rights to next of kin, inheritance , pensions ect. I think for most gay people that's all they wanted! Different if your religious, I guess that's another thread though!!

 

[Rainbow82]

I live in the uk and have a CP, it's NOT the same as marriage at all although as far as tax and pensions etc goes it's pretty equal but who actually gets married for those reasons?? If it was equal
It wouldn't need a special name!

Gay people can not get married and straight people can not have a CP.

There was recently a vote on allowing gay marriage in the house of commons which most MPs voted yes, a proposal will now be written and debated and go
through both houses of parliament
again and if they both pass it hopefully it will be legal in around 2015/2016.

I wish it was allowed already, I don't know any gay person who would not prefer a marriage to a CP although I suppose there will be some but not the majority.

I would like to be married in a church but this will not happen in
our life time I don't think and I support the right if the church to refuse to offer equal marriage even though this is something that some churches would like to offer (CofE)
and I think it should be down to the individual vicar/priest etc if they choose to perform these services.

I'm really surprised that people in the uk now think that equal marriage is allowed?!?!

Sorry for the long blurb it's obviously a subject close to my heart.

 

[dgirllamius]

As far as I know gay marriage isn't legal yet in Germany but there are civil partnerships (Eingetragene Lebenspartnerschaft) and you get the same rights as a married straight couple.

I have no idea if there is any intention to make it legal.

 

[Natsku]

Its not legal yet in Finland. We have registered partnerships which have the same rights and responsibilities (as far as I know) as marriages but still its not the same. I think it will be legal soon though, there was a bill put forward recently but it was voted down by 9-8 so very very close and now a citizens initiative is going through I think.

 

[Eleanor ace]

I'm in the UK, same sex marriage isn't legal here yet but civil partnership is. IMO CP is a step in the right direction but I'm hopeful that the bill for same sex marriage will be passed soon. I agree with religious bodies having the right to opt out of offering same sex marriages, I don't think you should be able to force a religious body to go against their beliefs, but I don't think there is any valid excuse for the state to disallow same sex marriage.
Basically I feel like any adult who is mentally and emotionally able to make the decision to marry should be allowed to, regardless of whether they are hetro/homosexual.

 

[zanDark]

I live in Greece and unfortunately it's not legal here.

It has more to do with our church than the law, and there was one priest that married two men a few years back...it caused a HUGE scandal and I think their marriage was annulled.

I just can't comprehend why two people can't get married! It doesn't matter if they're gay or straight...love is love!

Ridiculous!

 

[DianaB]

I live in Canada and it's legal here! It makes me happy to live where I live and for people I know who have been able to marry and wouldn't be able to in other places.

 

[Noelle610]

I'm in Maryland in the US and sadly gay marriage is not legal here. We've come close, but the state is quite divided on the issue.

I think people are way to hung up on the term "marriage". I'm in favor of abolishing marriage as a legal union and replacing it with civil unions for all couples - gay and straight. Then folks can get married in the religious institution of their choice if they choose to do so.

 

[Rhi_Rhi1]

Can't believe in the 21st century this is something that is still being decided upon or even discussed ( not here i mean in government)

 

[Fizzyfefe]

Thanks for all your responses, ladies. I'm learning a lot. I am very surprised that it's not legal in more countries. I thought the US was behind the times. Here's keeping my fingers crossed for a good outcome on Prop. 8.

 

[Mummy Bean]

there a post on FB that says
' Marriage is a human right, not a privilage for the hetrosexual' which i thought summed it up. it honestly shocks me that something like this still needs to be debated in government. However i do agree in not forcing relgious bodies to perform the ceromonies and each relgious leader should be given the option to perform it not.

 

[Sarahkka]

Canadian here and fiercely proud that we have marriage for all.
I find it astonishing (and incredibly arrogant) that various religions have given themselves the authority to define marriage for all of humanity. History (and by this I mean real history, not some re-written version of whatever holy book) has shown that marriage has taken on numerous forms throughout our cultural and natural evolution, and I have yet to see an argument against same sex marriage that is not simple bigotry.
I think all religions should be required to allow and uphold same-sex marriage, if they want to retain their status as religious bodies with all of the tax and social benefits those afford. Otherwise, how is this any different from saying, "I'm sorry, Catholics do not allow hispanics and caucasians to intermarry" or "Muslims forbid the marriage of blacks and asians"? Same difference in my books.
Religious institutions are not allowed to discriminate by race, so why should they be allowed to discriminate by sexual orientation?

 

[Moomette]

Here in New Zealand the parliament recently voted for changing the laws to allow gay marriage (77-44 if I remember correctly?), however it is not yet known when the actual change in the law will happen or even if it definitely will as there is still some opposition to it.

Personally I can't see how it is taking away from anyone to have the same rights for gay couples to marry as heterosexual couples already do, and I was actually surprised that it wasn't already allowed here as I think in general NZ views itself as a reasonably free and liberal country. I was also very disappointed to see my country of birth Finland vote against it, even if it was a close vote.

 

[Shadowy Lady]

Legal here in Canada. Many same sex Americans actually come here to get married.

Our current conservative government is trying to take a step back and make it harder unfortunately though. This and many other reasons why the conservatives will never get my vote. Thankfully the country would not allow it to be banned.

 

[hopeandpray]

Gay marriage is not legal where I live (Ireland). Civil partnership is legal but it is nowhere near equal to marriage. There are over 100 differences including the fact that there are no rights for a non-biological parent in a civil partnership.
I am disgusted to be living in a country that does not treat all of its citizens as equal. Both myself and my partner are bisexual, we happen to be a male and female so we would be able to get married. The fact that they only allow me to marry him because he happens to be male is madness.