Postmodern Critic
Morgan Bell
Jeff MusallNorway Becomes the 6th Country to Legalise Same Sex Marriage!
August 13th 2008 12:11
So here I was, thinking how long it would take for Australia and USA (all of it, not just Cali and Mass) to give gays and lesbians the right to get married to their same sex partner of choice, when I got notice that Norway has now legalised same sex marriage!
How fabulous is that?
I've reproduced my source below:
Same sex marriage law passed by wide majority
Same sex partners will now be able marry as the Norwegian parliament passed a new marriage law on Wednesday. Adoption will be easier and lesbian couples will qualify for state funded fertility treatment.
Conservative religious groups have tried to mobilize opposition against the new law. They worry about the status of marriage in Norway. Progress Party members are concerned about how children will cope with same sex marriages.
Despite efforts from these opponents, the law passed by a two thirds majority.
After the vote Wednesday evening, opponents from the Christian Democrats and Progress Party were among the first to leave. Supporters of the legislation stayed behind to celebrate.
"I am extremely pleased that we managed to get this last stage passed. Now we have to tackle the prejudice which still exists in society," Finance Minister Kristin Halvorsen, also leads the Socialist Left Party, told news bureau NTB.
Norway is the sixth country to adopt same sex marriage laws. Holland was first in 2001. Norway has had a Registered Partner law since 1993.
The most controversial aspect of the new law is offering state funded fertility treatment to lesbian couples. Denmark, Sweden, Finland and Great Britain already provides this service. Up to now, Norwegian lesbian couples have gone to Denmark for this procedure.
The Northern European country has joined trend-setters Holland, Belgium, South Africa, Canada and Spain, as well as the aforementioned California and Massachusetts. This news comes hot on the heels of California's brand new legislation permitting anyone of any gender to marry anyone of any gender. Perhaps the saying 'As California goes, so goes the world' is topical here? I can only hope that Norway is the first of a large chain reaction felt on all of the continents! Technically, it's 6 countries down, and 199 to go...
Norway's law comes into effect on the 1st of January, 2009, backed up by amendment to the discourse surrounding civil marriage, making it gender-neutral.
Family Issues minister Anniken Huitfeldt had this to say:
"[This is] an historic step towards equality," and "The new law won't weaken marriage as an institution. Rather, it will strengthen it. Marriage won't be worth less because more can take part in it."
As I keep saying, heterosexuals are a little more disadvantaged when they are not encouraged to treat serious gay and lesbian relationships with the same amount of gravity, concern and respect as heterosexual ones. There's much to be learnt from every successful relationship, no matter the gender involved, and the gay and lesbian tendency to be playful with the conventions, discarding old and irrelevant social traditions in favour of innovative, egalitarian practices could definitely be taken a page from by your slowly stagnating, not-so-experimental heterosexual couple with terrific results.
How fabulous is that?
I've reproduced my source below:
Same sex marriage law passed by wide majority
Same sex partners will now be able marry as the Norwegian parliament passed a new marriage law on Wednesday. Adoption will be easier and lesbian couples will qualify for state funded fertility treatment.
Conservative religious groups have tried to mobilize opposition against the new law. They worry about the status of marriage in Norway. Progress Party members are concerned about how children will cope with same sex marriages.
Despite efforts from these opponents, the law passed by a two thirds majority.
After the vote Wednesday evening, opponents from the Christian Democrats and Progress Party were among the first to leave. Supporters of the legislation stayed behind to celebrate.
"I am extremely pleased that we managed to get this last stage passed. Now we have to tackle the prejudice which still exists in society," Finance Minister Kristin Halvorsen, also leads the Socialist Left Party, told news bureau NTB.
Norway is the sixth country to adopt same sex marriage laws. Holland was first in 2001. Norway has had a Registered Partner law since 1993.
The most controversial aspect of the new law is offering state funded fertility treatment to lesbian couples. Denmark, Sweden, Finland and Great Britain already provides this service. Up to now, Norwegian lesbian couples have gone to Denmark for this procedure.
The Northern European country has joined trend-setters Holland, Belgium, South Africa, Canada and Spain, as well as the aforementioned California and Massachusetts. This news comes hot on the heels of California's brand new legislation permitting anyone of any gender to marry anyone of any gender. Perhaps the saying 'As California goes, so goes the world' is topical here? I can only hope that Norway is the first of a large chain reaction felt on all of the continents! Technically, it's 6 countries down, and 199 to go...
Norway's law comes into effect on the 1st of January, 2009, backed up by amendment to the discourse surrounding civil marriage, making it gender-neutral.
Family Issues minister Anniken Huitfeldt had this to say:
"[This is] an historic step towards equality," and "The new law won't weaken marriage as an institution. Rather, it will strengthen it. Marriage won't be worth less because more can take part in it."
As I keep saying, heterosexuals are a little more disadvantaged when they are not encouraged to treat serious gay and lesbian relationships with the same amount of gravity, concern and respect as heterosexual ones. There's much to be learnt from every successful relationship, no matter the gender involved, and the gay and lesbian tendency to be playful with the conventions, discarding old and irrelevant social traditions in favour of innovative, egalitarian practices could definitely be taken a page from by your slowly stagnating, not-so-experimental heterosexual couple with terrific results.
These two could get married in Norway next year, if they so chose
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Comment by Morgan Bell
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always nice to hear about social progress!
Comment by postmoderncritic
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Great to hear from you, how cool is Norway? It makes me wonder when the rest of the Scandinavian countries will follow suit... People (myself included) are always bagging out Europe for being 'old world', but this is just another example of how there are many progressive currents within the continent as well.
Comment by Wilson Pon
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Well, I personally think that the gays and lesbian couples also deserve the marriage, as they do love each other as we are...
By the way, I didn't mean to be harsh but it's now 205 countries instead of 195...
Wilson.
Comment by postmoderncritic
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Comment by Jeff Musall
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Comment by RubySoho
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Thanks for counteracting the increasing (and increasingly), backward rubbish I have been reading on the homepage lately PoMo.
Comment by Cibbuano
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Comment by postmoderncritic
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Thanks for stopping by, I agree with you!
Hey Ruby,
Yeah, that was heartening to read... I'm happy to make your Orble experience a bit more uplifting today!
Heya Cibby,
I've been thinking about moving to its neighbour, Sweden, for a while, but, like you, I fear I couldn't handle the winters!