Gay Marriage Arrives In Sweden

Posted on May 1, 2009
Filed Under Uncategorized

Gay and lesbian couples may marry in Sweden starting today. Swedish lawmakers approved a gay marriage bill in April, making it the seventh country to legalize gay marriage. The measure was approved in the Swedish Parliament by a wide margin – 261 to 22, with 66 lawmakers abstaining or absent. The legislation repeals a 1987 law defining marriage as a heterosexual union. A recent poll found that nearly three-fourths of Swedes (71%) approve of the new law.

Sweden has recognized civil unions for gay and lesbian couples since 1995. The union offered gay couples the same legal status as married heterosexual couples, including the right to adopt. The Lutheran Church, which was the state church until 2000, offered a separate religious blessing for gay unions.

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