Same-sex marriage has been a reality in Norway since June 11th.
The Oslo Parliament approved with a very large majority (84 votes in favor and 41 against) the law that allows homosexuals to marry, adopt children, and lesbians to resort to artificial insemination to have children.
Norway thus becomes the sixth country to allow same-sex marriage, After Netherlands, Belgium, Spain, Canada and the Republic of South Africa. To these must be added the US state of Massachusetts.
Furthermore, it should be remembered that several European countries, while not extending marriage law to same-sex couples, recognize equal rights for all relationships with equivalent legislation; this occurs, for example, in Sweden, Finland, Denmark, and the United Kingdom.
The vote in the Oslo Parliament was greeted with applause from the public gallery. "This is a historic day," Labour MP Gunn Karin Gjul said in the chamber., comparing the new law "to universal suffrage and the law on gender equality"".
The opposition Christian Democratic Party and the populist Progress Party opposed the law. During the debate, both parties expressed their particular opposition to the possibility of lesbian couples using artificial insemination. Christian Democrat leader Dagfinn Hoybraten stressed in the chamber that he was in favor of gay rights but wanted to protect children. and warned against "experiments" in this field. A peaceful demonstration against the new marriage law was held outside parliament.
The law expands adoption opportunities for same-sex couples and authorizes, but does not oblige, the Church of Norway and other religious denominations to perform gay marriages.
The new marriage law was approved by the governing coalition – the Labour Party, the Centre Party and the Socialist Left Party – but even from the Conservatives and Liberals in opposition.
