Romania Eyeing Civil Unions For Same-Sex Couples

In the aftermath of an epic fail by conservative groups in Romania to change the country’s constitution to ban same-sex marriage this past weekend, Reuters is reporting that Romania’s ruling party now hopes to introduce legislation legalizing civil unions for same-sex couples.

European Affairs Minister Victor Negrescu told the state news agency, “This draft bill is finalized and…my fellow lawmakers will submit it in parliament next week.”

The anti-gay referendum, supported by the Romanian Orthodox Church, only drew 21% of voters.

To approve a constitutional change, at least 30% of eligible voters must participate in order for it to be valid.

The Romanian Constitutional Court ruled last month that gay couples should have the same rights as all families.

In June 2018, the European Union’s high court ruled that member nations must grant residency rights to LGBT couples legally married in other EU countries after a Romanian national sued to bring his American husband to Romania.

Same-sex marriage is currently legal in 14 of the 28 EU member nations. Six European Union countries, including Romania, offer no legal recognition for same-sex relationships.

According to ILGA-Europe, Romania ranks near the bottom of European Union countries (#25) when it comes to LGBTQ issues like equality, family issues and hate speech to legal gender recognition, freedom of expression and asylum rights.

Italy Celebrates First Same-Sex Civil Union

It's not exactly marriage, but it's a step forward for Italy.

This past weekend the mayor of Rome officiated the country's first-ever same-sex civil union between Francisco Raffaele Villarusso and Luca de Sario in front of of family and friends.

“We had already decided do it and we moved abroad, but when the bill was approved we packed up all our things and came back to Italy,” said Villarusso.

From NewNowNext:

Italy was the last country in the European Union to allow for same-sex civil unions, which happened last May after a bill was passed that would have forced Prime Minister Matteo Renzi to step down if the vote failed.

Despite the progress, however, there is still headway to be made.

In addition to the bill being criticized for containing a controversial adoption clause, reports are indicating that if the couple tries to combine their last names instead of just choosing one over the other, they may run into tax and identity problems that heterosexual couples don’t have to deal with.

Rome's Trevi Fountain Lit Up In Rainbow Celebration For Civil Unions

Ok, so while Italy's newly approved civil unions may be "marriage lite," it is a step forward. Especially when you consider Italy was the only remaining major Western country to not recognize same-sex couples.

To celebrate the occasion and show solidarity, Rome's Trevi Fountain was lit with the rainbow.

Congrats Italy! #Forward

Italy Approves Civil Unions

After a long, protracted battle between Prime Minister Matteo Renzi and the Catholic Church, the Italian government has finally approved civil unions for gays and lesbians by a vote of 369-193.

Italy was the last major Western country to not recognize same-sex couples.

Italian Senate Approves Civil Unions

The Italian Senate has just approved legislation which would legalize civil unions in Italy by a vote of 173-71.

The bill will head to the House of Deputies where the legislation is expected to pass easily.

Italy is the only major Western European country to not recognize same-sex couples.

The legislation is not perfect in that it comes stripped of adoption rights. And, of course, it's not full marriage.

But sometimes, you have to move forward with whatever you can and live to fight another day.

Good going, Italy!

Greece's Parliament Approves Civil Unions

By a vote of 194 to 55, the Greek Parliament approved legislation making civil unions legal in Greece.

JoeMyGod reminds us that out of the 28 European Union members:

• Same-sex marriage is legal in twelve of them: Belgium, Denmark, Finland (effective 2017), France, Ireland, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal, Slovenia (effective date pending), Spain, Sweden, and the United Kingdom (except Northern Ireland.)

• Civil unions are legal in eight EU nations: Austria, Croatia, Cyprus (effective date pending), the Czech Republic, Estonia (effective 2016), Germany, Greece (effective date pending0, Hungary, and Malta.

• No partnership recognitions exist in seven EU nations: Bulgaria, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, and Slovakia. Non-EU members Norway and Iceland legalized same-sex marriage in 2009 and 2010, respectively.

Non-EU member Switzerland legalized registered partnerships in 2007.

Greece & Italy Move Towards Legal Status For Same-Sex Couples

Two stories out today show positive steps for same-sex couples in Greece and Italy.

Almost 18 months after the European Court of Human Rights told Greece the same-sex couples needed some inclusion to legal protections, the Greek government looks intent on legalizing civil partnerships for all couples.

While encouraging, several months of work still lay ahead for the legislation. The bill is expected to go before the Greek Parliament later this summer.

Also, Italy's Lower House passed a motion to approve civil unions by a vote of 204-83.

The language of the legislation (similar to the civil unions law in Germany) states that the government will commit "to promote the adoption of a law on civil unions, particularly with regard to the condition of the people of same sex". It also says the government will "ensure equal treatment throughout the nation" of civil unions."

Chile: President Bachelet Signs Civil Unions Bill Into Law

After receiving final approval in January, Chilean President Michelle Bachelet signed into law today a bill that legalizes civil unions for gay and lesbian couples.

Bachelet — who publicly supports marriage rights for same-sex couples — signed the measure less than two weeks after the Chilean Constitutional Court upheld it. Her government earlier this year announced it would no longer oppose nuptials for gays and lesbians in a lawsuit before the Inter-American Court of Human Rights that three same-sex couples filed in 2012.

Chile joins Colombia and Ecuador in legalizing civil unions in South America, while same-sex marriage is legal in Argentina, Brazil, French Guiana, and Uruguay.

Chile Moves Closer To Legalizing Civil Unions

Chile is one step closer to joining South American countries that support same-sex unions as that country's House of Representatives has passed legislation to legalize civil unions by a vote of 86-23.

The bill has the backing of the Government, with President Michelle Bachelet saying that she believes civil unions are a stepping-stone towards full same-sex marriage rights.

When she became President of March 2014, Bachelet stated that the civil union bill was one of her priorities, but that marriage rights – which have proved a more divisive issue with the Chilean public according to polls – remained a long-term goal.

Some LGBT campaigners have expressed disappointment that the bill would not allow for same-sex marriage, while others have said that the bill is still welcome as a step in the right direction, reports TeleSUR.

The bill, which will now go to the Senate for expected approval, allows for the creation if the Pacto de Unión Civil (PUC), which couples who live together in a committed relationship can enter regardless of gender.

Poland Rejects Civil Unions For The Third Time

For the third consecutive year, Poland lawmakers have voted down putting civil unions on the agenda for this session of Parliament.

The bill was rejected by a vote of 235 ballots to 185, with 18 abstentations.

Last year's vote in 2013 saw the legislation go down by only 17 votes.

Poland currently does not offer any legal recognition of same-sex couples.

Insert your favorite Polish joke here...

(source)

Estonia Approves Civil Unions Bill For Same-Sex Couples

According to the AP, Estonia is now the first former Soviet republic to approve a civil unions bill. With 23 lawmakers absent or abstaining, the bill passed by a vote of 40-38.

Via the AP:

The new law comes into force in 2016. Estonia, which like Baltic neighbors Latvia and Lithuania was occupied by the Soviet Union for almost five decades, is deemed the most Western-oriented of the former republics ruled by Moscow.

The Estonian Human Rights Center hailed the law as "historic," saying it would send a strong message to neighboring Russia, which passed what it called "a draconian anti-gay law" last year.

(h/t JMG)

Malta seeks to legalize civil unions today

Malta is expected to legalize civil unions today, giving gay couples the same rights as heterosexual couples in the predominantly Catholic country.

The legislation has created controversy in recent weeks as Malta‘s Labour government is attempting to make good on campaign promises regarding the legal recognition of same-sex couples.

The opposition Nationalist Party is expected to abstain from the vote, primarily because the legislation gives gay couples the right to adopt.

Prime Minister Joseph Muscat described the change as a very important moment for Malta.

"This is the essence of equality, the apex of European values. It also shows that with political will, even a conservative society can boldly transform itself," Muscat told dpa.

The very conservative country - 90% Catholic - only legalized divorce in 2011.

(source)

Arizona: Sedona approves civil unions for same-sex couples

Sedona has become the fourth Arizona city to approve civil unions for same-sex couples, joining Tucson, Bisbee, and Jerome.

The Sedona City Council voted 5-2 Tuesday night to allow civil unions regardless of gender in the red-rock country community in north-central Arizona.

Sedona’s city attorney says the ordinance borrows from local civil union laws already approved by Tucson, Bisbee and Jerome.

Sedona Mayor Rob Adams says approval of the civil union ordinance sends a message that love is love, “regardless if its two people of the same sex or not.”

(source)

Civil unions are now officially NOT equal to marriage

The Washington Post reports that the Obama administration will not extend federal-worker benefits to domestic partners under the recent Supreme Court ruling that repealed part of the Defense of Marriage Act, meaning the government will treat civil unions differently than legal same-sex marriages.

And so, couples who are not legally married “will remain ineligible for most federal benefits programs.” However, any existing benefits provided to domestic partners will remain intact, OPM said.

That being said, same sex couples living anywhere in the U.S. will qualify for federal-employee benefits as long as they hold marriage licenses from any of the 13 states that recognize same-sex marriage, as well as from the District of Columbia, which has also legalized such unions.

Sounds like bad news for folks with civil unions, but there's a bright side.

Civil unions were created as the "separate but equal" answer to same-sex marriage after the passage of DOMA.  Since civil unions don't hold federal status, clearly they don't come close to "equal."  Such inequality could help four states (Hawaii, Colorado, Illinois and New Jersey which currently offer civil unions) move towards marriage equality.

For example, in New Jersey, the state Supreme Court ruled that same-sex couples deserve complete equality, so civil unions offered there are now a violation of the state’s constitution.

 (source)

Arizona: Civil unions law passes in Bisbee

The town of Bisbee, Arizona, has approved a new version of a civil union law for same-sex couples by a vote of 5-2.

In April, council members approved an earlier version of the measure that sought to give people in civil unions the same benefits as those in marriages.

But city officials decided to rewrite the measure after Arizona Attorney General Tom Horne threatened to sue over provisions that Horne said were in conflict with state law or went beyond the city's authority.

Horne's office said he approves of Bisbee's new version of the ordinance and won't sue to try to block it.

Other cities in Arizona, including Tempe, say they are considering similar civil union laws.

Tennessee: 51% support marriage equality/civil unions

In 2006, 81% of voters in Tennessee approved a state constitutional amendment defining marriage between one man and one woman as “the only legally recognized marital contract” in the state.

A new poll by Vanderbilt University shows a marked improvement in LGBT rights in the state.

51% of Tennesseans would support  some sort of relationship recognition (32% support marriage equality, 17% support civil unions).

That being said, the state's constitutional ban remains a big obstacle for LGBT rights advocates for years to come.

(source)

Video: Colorado celebrates first civil unions

What history looks like - over 100 couples joining together in civil unions at midnight on May 1, 2013, and a celebration to remember at One Colorado's Civil Soirée.

Video created by Digital Filmmaker Oaken Beeson.

Colorado: Civil unions signed into law

Civil unions for gay couples has been signed into law in Colorado in a dramatic turnaround for the state, where voters banned same-sex marriage in 2006 and restricted protections for gays 21 years ago.

Celebrate, kids!  More wine!

Forward!

Arizona: Bisbee poised to approve civil unions

From the LA Times:

Tuesday evening, Bisbee City Council members voted to allow the next best thing to gay marriage. In a first reading of an ordinance, adding a chapter to its city charter, they cleared the way for civil unions. The vote by the seven-member council was unanimous, making it likely to pass on a final vote scheduled in two weeks.

 “I think it’s time,” Mayor Adriana Zavala Badal said of the proposal. “We’ve been working on this as a country for a long time.”

The ordinance would only affect those living within the city limits of Bisbee which has a population of about 5,600.

The Arizona state constitution forbids same-sex marriage, but mentions nothing about civil unions.

It's uncertain if the state will challenge the ordinance or if Bisbee officials even have jurisdiction to pass the measure.

Stay tuned :)

Colorado: state House passes Civil Unions Act 39-26

Just tweeted by the openly gay Speaker of the Colorado House of Representatives, Mark Ferrandino!

Republican leaders in the House have spent years blocking the progress of the bill.  

And now it's on its way to the Governor's desk, who has already stated he will sign the bill into law.

Happy dance!

Forward!