Registered partnership in Iceland
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Registered partnerships (staðfest samvist) for gay and lesbian couples were introduced in Iceland in 1996.
The legislation grants the full range of protections, responsibilities and benefits as marriage, and is only available to same-sex couples. A registered partner can adopt the other partner’s child, unless the child is adopted from a foreign country. All parties in Alþingi, the Icelandic parliament, were in favour of the law; only one member of the conservative Independence Party (Sjálfstæðisflokkurinn) voted against it.
On June 2 2006 the Parliament voted for legislation granting the same-sex couples the same rights as heterosexuals in adoption, parenting and assisted insemination treatment. No member of the parliament voted against the proposal. The law came into effect on June 27 2006. [1]
A law amendment which took force on June 27, 2008 allows the Church of Iceland and other religious groups to bless same-sex registered partnerships.[2]
It seems that the Government of Iceland intends to introduce a gender-neutral Marriage Act at some point in the future. The 'Government Coalition Platform of the Social Democratic Alliance and Left-Green Movement', published on the 19th May 2009 states, "A single marriage act will be adopted." Though it is not explicitly stated, it certainly implies that this act will be gender-neutral. No indication of when such an act will be introduced has yet been given. [3]
Notable Icelandic individuals joined in civil union include the current Prime Minister, Jóhanna Sigurðardóttir, and her partner, Jónína Leósdóttir. [4][5]
[edit] References
- ^ Samtökin
- ^ First Lesbian Couple in Iceland “Marries” in Church
- ^ http://eng.forsaetisraduneyti.is/news-and-articles/nr/3730
- ^ Prime Minister of Iceland Jóhanna Sigurðardóttir, Prime Minister's Office, http://eng.forsaetisraduneyti.is/minister/cv, retrieved on 2 February 2009
- ^ Peter Popham (29 January 2009), World gets its first gay leader, The Independent, http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/world-gets-its-first-gay-leader-1519068.html
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