Sweden to allow Gay Marriage
Posted by Frank | Filed under Announcements, Government
Three of the parties in the four-party governing coalition have tabled a motion that is expected to pave the way for gay marriage in Sweden from May 1st this year.
The Alliance government has been split on the issue, with the junior partner Christian Democrats opposed to the use of the word “marriage” for homosexual unions.
However the three other parties, the conservative Moderates, the Liberals and the Centre Party, are in favour of a gender neutral law that eliminates the current reference to marriage as something between a man and a woman.
“Regardless of sexual orientation, people in stable couple relationships have a need to manifest their feelings and their desire to live together,” the motion reads.
While heterosexuals in Sweden can choose to marry in either a civil ceremony or a church ceremony, homosexuals are only allowed to register their partnerships in a civil ceremony. But this could all change, with parliament likely to pass new legislation on the matter.
The opposition Social Democrats, the country’s biggest party, also support such a law, and together the parties would garner enough support to adopt the legislation in parliament.
Civil unions granting gays and lesbians the same legal status as married couples have been allowed in Sweden since 1995.
If the new legislation is adopted, Sweden, already a pioneer in giving same-sex couples the right to adopt children, would become the first country in the world to allow gays to marry within a major church.
The Lutheran Church, which was separated from the state in 2000, has since January 2007 offered gays a religious blessing of their union. It has previously said it wants the word “marriage” reserved for heterosexual unions.
Pastors who do not want to perform a gay wedding ceremony may however have the right to refuse, something gay rights’ activists have criticized.
In 2007, 74 percent of Swedes were members of the Lutheran Church.
Tags: gay marriage, May 2009, Sweden
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January 22nd, 2009 |
Group Launches Ad Against Anti-Discrimination Ordinance
Posted by Rob | Filed under Government
In response to a revision passed in Gainesville, Florida of a city council anti-discrimination ordinance which, among other things, allows transgendered people to use whichever bathroom they feel most comfortable using, a group named Citizens for Good Public Policy released a television ad which can either be viewed as equating transgendered people to child predators or ignoring the existence and/or needs of transgendered individuals. The ad depicts a young girl around six years of age entering a women’s bathroom in a park, and then a man in his late twenties, wearing a baseball cap and acting suspicious, doing the same. The ad then states that the city council made the depicted situation legal and asks the audience if this is what they want for Gainesville. Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: ad, discrimination, Gainesville, law, ordinance, television, transgender
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January 14th, 2009 |
Meeting Announcement
Posted by Frank | Filed under Announcements, Front Page
Hello everyone,
I hope that everyone’s winter break was fun and safe! This is just a reminder that the first AGSA meeting of this semester will be this Wednesday, January 14, in the New Student Center at 7:00PM in Room 2310. All of the officers are excited to start the New Year off right and we hope to make this semester one of the best yet in AGSA. In case anyone is wondering, the discussion topic this week is: Coming Out Stories. We hope to see everyone there! Have a great day!
Frank
Director of Event Planning
Executive Communications Officer
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January 11th, 2009 |
Rick Warren’s Africa Problem?
Posted by Rob | Filed under AIDS, Government
The controversy over Rick Warren continues! The pastor from Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, California and author of the best-selling book The Purpose Driven Life ignited gay activist groups’ ire after he was chosen to perform the invocation at President-Elect Obama’s Inauguration. Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: Africa, AIDS, Inauguration, Obama, Rick Warren
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January 9th, 2009 |
Hello world!
Posted by Rob | Filed under Announcements, Front Page
Welcome to the newly designed home on the web for the Auburn Gay-Straight Alliance! AGSA is happy to open this updated site as a way for our members to get quick access to information, participate in online discussion, and alert our members to important topics. We hope you enjoy!
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January 8th, 2009 |