Marriage Equality: What’s happening around the world
Image: The White House was lit in rainbow colours when SCOTUS made marriage equality legal across the US. (Photo: Twitter)
THE past few weeks have been tumultuous for marriage equality around the world, with some great steps forward in China, but massive setbacks in other parts of the world.
This week in the southern US state of Alabama, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court Roy Moore ordered state judges to stop issuing marriage licences to same-sex couples.
[showads ad=MREC] His order came despite the US Supreme Court’s landmark decision last year that would allow same-sex marriage in all 50 states.
Moore wrote: “Until further decision by the Alabama Supreme Court, the existing orders of the Alabama Supreme Court that Alabama probate judges have a ministerial duty not to issue any marriage license contrary to the Alabama Sanctity of Marriage Amendment or the Alabama Marriage Protection Act remain in full force and effect.”
Alabama Judge Steven Reed took to Twitter to express his disgust at Moore’s order:
Judge Moore’s latest charade is just sad & pathetic. My office will ignore him & this. #alpolitics https://t.co/IAtLLoRwlX
— Steven L Reed (@stevenlouisreed) January 6, 2016
The news out of Europe was also not good with the results of a public referendum in Slovenia coming out against same sex marriage just a few days before Christmas.
A little more than 63 per cent of voters in last month’s referendum rejected a proposed bill redefining marriage as a union between two consenting adults, rather than expressly between a man and a woman.
Despite a low voter turn out of only 36 per cent of Slovenia’s population, the results were seen as a win for the country’s Catholic church who campaigned strongly against marriage equality.
At around the same time as Slovenia’s referendum, Greece took a step forward when its parliament approved a bill granting same-sex couples the right to a civil union and legal recognition after years of opposition from its influential Orthodox church.
Closer to home, Fiji’s Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama has said Fiji does not need same sex marriage and that it was “rubbish”.
The PM was speaking in response to a TV broadcast that called for same-sex marriage and said if two women wanted to get married, they should move to Iceland.
However, China could become the first in Asia to legislate marriage equality following a landmark court ruling to allow the court to hear a case of two men who wish to marry.
In December last year, 26-year-old Sun Wenlin filed a complaint against the Changsha Furong District Civil Affairs Bureau in the Hunan province after it wouldn’t allow him to register for a marriage licence.
Wenlin told Reuters he was confident the court would find in his favour.
“Our marriage law says there is the freedom to marry and gender equality. These words can be applied to same-sex marriage,” he said.
[showads ad=FOOT]
I am embarrassed to be Australian, because we are so far behind on so many things! Marriage equality is legal in 4/5 “five eyes” countries – that being Australia, Canada, United States, United Kingdom and New Zealand. Australia is the only one to still in 2016 to ban same-sex marriage. This election year will be very boring and the Liberal party will win. I like the Labor party, but they have no hope until 2019. Let’s be realistic! Marriage equality will be allowed in 2019.
Marriage equality for any 2 adults will be allowed within Australia, under a Labor government by a binding vote in 2019! The Liberal party will winge and wine until the cows come home, for the next 100 years saying marriage is between a man and a woman.
Forgot both Cyprus and Estonia did we? Both Cyprus and Estonia has civil unions now too! My guess SSO hates these countries, so that is why it was not included. It might not be SSM – but it is a start. Even right here in Australia remember, civil unions are not even available at a federal level too! As well as WA (my home state), NT and SA here in Australia! SSO must have forgotten that little fact!
Slovenia rejection (63% against SSM) of marriage equality at a referendum, was to be expected for a hard-line Eastern European nation Catholic ex-Communist country. But they do have step-child adoption and a registered partnership, which is more than what both Hungary and Switzerland have to offer!