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Swedish Church: Gay Marriage, Ja

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The Church of Sweden will perform marriages for same-sex couples beginning November 1, following an overwhelmingly favorable vote by church board members Thursday.

The board voted 176-62 to allow clergy to perform the ceremonies, with 11 members abstaining and two absent, the Associated Press reports.

Sweden, after having marriage-like partnerships to gay couples for several years, last spring adopted a law granting gays equal marriage rights. Church participation was optional.

The Lutheran-affiliated Church of Sweden had blessed gay partnerships since 1997 but until now had not endorsed marriage equality. It was the national church until 2000, when state support ceased.

Church archbishop Anders Wejryd praised Thursday's decision, and the Swedish Federation for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Rights called it "a big step in the right direction."

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Trudy Ring

Trudy Ring is The Advocate’s senior politics editor and copy chief. She has been a reporter and editor for daily newspapers and LGBTQ+ weeklies/monthlies, trade magazines, and reference books. She is a political junkie who thinks even the wonkiest details are fascinating, and she always loves to see political candidates who are groundbreaking in some way. She enjoys writing about other topics as well, including religion (she’s interested in what people believe and why), literature, theater, and film. Trudy is a proud “old movie weirdo” and loves the Hollywood films of the 1930s and ’40s above all others. Other interests include classic rock music (Bruce Springsteen rules!) and history. Oh, and she was a Jeopardy! contestant back in 1998 and won two games. Not up there with Amy Schneider, but Trudy still takes pride in this achievement.
Trudy Ring is The Advocate’s senior politics editor and copy chief. She has been a reporter and editor for daily newspapers and LGBTQ+ weeklies/monthlies, trade magazines, and reference books. She is a political junkie who thinks even the wonkiest details are fascinating, and she always loves to see political candidates who are groundbreaking in some way. She enjoys writing about other topics as well, including religion (she’s interested in what people believe and why), literature, theater, and film. Trudy is a proud “old movie weirdo” and loves the Hollywood films of the 1930s and ’40s above all others. Other interests include classic rock music (Bruce Springsteen rules!) and history. Oh, and she was a Jeopardy! contestant back in 1998 and won two games. Not up there with Amy Schneider, but Trudy still takes pride in this achievement.