Luxembourg: Parliament to vote on same-sex marriage bill ‘before summer’

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Luxembourg’s same-sex marriage bill has been passed by Parliament’s legal affairs committee, clearing the way for a vote before the summer.

The bill, which also grants adoption rights to same-sex couples, was first introduced in the country in 2012, and has taken over two years to progress to a vote due to extensive changes.

A previous version of the bill had maintained that only ‘open’ adoptions – where the birth parents retain access rights – should be permitted for same-sex couples, but the Luxembourg State Council ruled the measure discriminatory.

The bill passed committee on Wednesday, and early indicators suggest it will have a swift progression through Parliament, as it attracted support from all three government parties and opposition party CSV.

Conservative party ADR spoke out against the bill, but have just 3 representatives in the Chamber.

According to Luxemburger Wort, a vote on the bill is cleared to take place at some point before the summer.

If the bill passes, Luxembourg will be the eighth EU country to recognise same-sex marriage – following the Netherlands, Belgium, Spain, Sweden, Portugal, Denmark, France and the UK.

Last year, Luxembourg became the first country in the world to have an openly gay Prime Minister and an openly gay Deputy Prime Minister at the same time.

Prime Minister Xavier Bettel previously set a target of 2014 for same-sex marriage to be introduced.

He said: “Gay weddings with be done forthly.

“At the moment in Luxembourg, we have to go through the situation of weddings, religion and divorce laws. But I don’t think it’ll be in the next five years – it’ll be next year.”

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