TORONTO- British lawmakers have voted overwhelmingly in favour of a bill to legalize same-sex marriages in both civil and religious ceremonies on Tuesday.
If the bill becomes law-after more debates and a favourable vote in the House of Lords-Britain will become the 13th country where same-sex marriage is legal (though civil partnerships have been legal there since 2005).
In chronological order, the other countries that have federally legalized same-sex marriage are:
Netherlands – 2001
Belgium – 2003
Canada – 2005
Spain – 2005
South Africa – 2006
Norway – 2008
Sweden – 2009
Argentina – 2010
Portugal – 2010
Iceland – 2010
Brazil – 2011
Denmark – 2012
France could be joining that list soon, as its National Assembly approved a key article of a measure that would legalize gay marriage on Saturday. France’s Senate must still approve the measure for same-sex marriage to become legal, which is expected to happen as President Francois Hollande favours the change. The debate is scheduled to be completed by Feb. 12.
Despite these laws, same-sex marriage can still incite controversy, even in Canada. In January 2012, a federal lawyer argued in court that an American lesbian couple who came to Canada to get married could not get divorced because their same-sex marriage is not recognized in the U.S. – therefore, they were never legally married.
It seemed as if the federal government was backtracking on the issue, but the government later came out with a statement that it would plug the loophole in the law and ensure that anyone who gets married in Canada is legally married.
- Life in the forest: How Stanley Park’s longest resident survived a changing landscape
- Bird flu risk to humans an ‘enormous concern,’ WHO says. Here’s what to know
- Roll Up To Win? Tim Hortons says $55K boat win email was ‘human error’
- Mental health support still lacking 4 years after mass shooting: Nova Scotia mayor
On the issue of same-sex marriage, Prime Minister Stephen Harper said, “We have no intention of further opening or reopening this issue.”
In May 2012, U.S. President Barack Obama became the first American president to publicly support gay marriage. Though gay couples can marry in several U.S. states, there’s no federal law sanctioning same-sex marriages.
Julia Gillard, prime minister of Australia, is one prominent leader who does not offer support for gay marriage. A bill calling for its legalization received little support from parliament after its submission, and was rejected by lawmakers in September.
CNN cites a May 2011 report released by the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association, that says same-sex relations are still criminalized in 76 countries. In Iran, Mauritania, Saudi Arabia, Sudan and Yemen, the report suggests the death penalty can be applied.
Despite the polarized positions held by different nations, nearly 20 countries other than those listed above offer some rights to same-sex couples, and several sub-national jurisdictions have also legalized gay marriage.
In a letter published Tuesday in the Daily Telegraph, senior British Conservatives including Foreign Secretary William Hague and Home Secretary Theresa May urged fellow party members to support the proposal.
“Marriage has evolved over time. We believe that opening it up to same-sex couples will strengthen, not weaken, the institution,” they wrote. “This is the right thing to do at the right time.”
With files from The Associated Press
Comments