Another positive step towards marriage equality in Sweden
 

English

 
Earlier this month, the Swedish Parliament passed a bill amending the Swedish Marriage Code, making it gender neutral. The amended legislation was passed by an overwhelming majority: 261 votes in favour, 22 against, 16 abstentions and 50 MPs absent. The only party to vote against this amendment was the Christian Democratic Party. The new gender neutral Marriage Code will enter into force on Friday 1st May 2009.

Sweden, one of the very first countries to bestow legal partnership rights to same-sex couples in the mid-1990s, is now the seventh country to legislate in favour of marriage equality. The other six countries are the Netherlands (in 2000), Belgium (in 2003), Spain and Canada (in 2005), South Africa (in 2006) and Norway (in 2008).

To access the Swedish gay rights movement’s website, visit www.rfsl.se. Most of the site is in Swedish but some parts can be accessed in English too.

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Malti

 
Iktar kmieni dan ix-xahar, il-Parlament Svediz ghadda mozzjoni li biha emenda l-Kodici li jirregola z-zwigijiet b’mod li dan issa ma jillimitax iz-zwieg biss ghal koppji eterosesswali. L-emenda fil-ligi ghaddiet b’maggoranza kbira hafna: 261 vot favur, 22 kontra, 16-il astensjoni u 50 MPs li kienu assenti meta saret il-votazzjoni. L-unika partit li vvota kontra din il-bidla fil-ligi kien il-partit Demokristjan. Il-ligi l-gdida tidhol fis-sehh nhar il-Gimgha l-1 ta’ Mejju 2009.

L-iSvezja, wiehed mill-ewwel pajjizi li beda jirrikonixxi d-drittijiet ghal shubija legali ta’ koppji tal-istess sess f’nofs is-snin disghin, issa sar is-seba’ pajjiz li llegalizza z-zwigijiet ta’ koppji ta’ l-istess sess. Is-sitt pajjizi l-ohra huma l-Olanda (fis-sena 2000), il-Belgju (fl-2003), Spanja u l-Kanada (fl-2005), is-Sud Afrika (fl-2006) u n-Norvegja (fl-2008).

Ghall-website tal-moviment gay Svediz, zur www.rfsl.se. Il-maggorparti tal-website hija bl-iSvediz izda xi partijiet ghandhom traduzzjoni bl-Ingliz.