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To digress, read the story in the Euro Weekly News about the British couple who were refused a marriage ceremony in Spain but are now going to get one. What a sad commentary that they had to leave their own country to go to Spain to get married.

‘Homophobic’ judge to marry gay British couple
A JUDGE who has repeatedly refused to marry same-sex couples has been forced to wed two British men.

Laura Alabau has been away from her post in the court of Dénia for some months and a temporary judge has been handling her cases, say court sources.

They have not revealed whether she has been suspended from duties or is off work for personal reasons.

Alabau first caused hackles to rise in the Marina Alta in early 2006 when she refused to marry two women, who later called off their wedding altogether due to the emotional trauma of the situation.

She tried to claim their wedding was ‘unconstitutional’, despite Spanish law having allowed such unions since Spring 2005. Next, she has denied the rights of at least two gay British couples to wed, claiming their country of origin does not recognise such unions. Despite being fined 305 euros by the Ministry of Justice – a sum that the gay community considered to be ‘insulting’ and ‘a token figure’ – Laura Alabau continued to refuse to perform same-sex weddings. The British community in the Marina Alta accused her of ‘double discrimination’ and a leading gay association, branded her ‘homophobic’ and called for her to resign for ‘allowing her personal prejudices to affect her work’. Alabau claims she is a victim of persecution and is being used as a ‘vehicle for propaganda’. But a disciplinary ruling this week means that she will shortly be forced to carry out a marriage ceremony for a British couple in Dénia court, for the first time since the law was passed.

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