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: JURIST - The Paper Chase

Portugal lawmakers give preliminary approval to same-sex marriage bill

By Bernard Hibbitts (editor) and University of Pittsburgh School of Law students.

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[JURIST] The Portuguese Parliament on Friday approved a bill to legalize same-sex marriage. The bill gives same-sex couples the same rights as heterosexual married couples, but stops short of allowing same-sex couples to adopt. The bill was supported by the ruling Socialist Part and other leftist parties and faced strong oppositions from conservatives as well as the Catholic Church. The bill will now be reviewed in committee before undergoing a final parliamentary vote. It will then go before President Anibal Cavaco Silva to be signed. In August, the Portuguese Constitutional Tribunal ruled that same-sex marriage is not a right guaranteed by the Portuguese Constitution, denying an appeal by a lesbian couple claiming sexual orientation discrimination. In October 2008, parliament voted overwhelmingly against two opposition proposals to legalize same-sex marriage. If the bill is given final approval, Portugal would become the sixth European country to recognize same-sex marriage, joining Belgium, the Netherlands, Spain, Norway, and Sweden.

Full post as published by JURIST - The Paper Chase on January 08, 2010 (boomark / email).