News
2006-10-07
Slovenia sees
first same-sex civil partnership
The central
European nation of Slovenia witnessed its first same-sex
civil partnership on Tuesday when Mitja Blazic and Viki Kern
The central
European nation of Slovenia witnessed its first same-sex
civil partnership on Tuesday when Mitja Blazic and Viki Kern
registered their union in the capital, Ljubljana. The
current law, passed in July, allows gay men and
lesbians the right to register their unions and covers
property issues along with inheritance rights. The law does
not, however, grant any other rights associated with
marriage, including social security or adoption
rights. It also excludes guests from being present at
the signing of the documents.
“It looked
more like a car registration, not a wedding
ceremony,” Blazic told the Associated Press,
adding that the entire process was
“humiliating” and tantamount to
“discrimination” because opposite-sex
couples are permitted to have guests and openly celebrate
their unions. The couple plans to enter a
discrimination complaint with the Constitutional
Court, delaying their honeymoon until they prevail. An
earlier, more comprehensive version of the civil partnership
law was shot down after a second reading in the
parliament in 2005.
The bitter divide
over questions of same-sex marriage and more general
LGBT rights has been a crucial political point for
admitting the former Soviet republics to the
European Union. Antigay demonstrations and attacks in
Poland, Estonia, and Latvia suggest that the traditionally
conservative cultures of these countries are not always
aligned with the rapid democratization and social
liberalization that their governments have executed in
order to gain admission.
Despite these
cultural obstacles, LGBT groups are hopeful that Slovenia
will join their western European neighbors like Spain,
Belgium, and the Netherlands in granting full marriage
rights to same-sex couples. (The Advocate)
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