23 Mar 2010

Portugal To Get Gay Marriage By May?

Same sex marriages could be starting in the European country of  Portugal as early as May this year according to the latest reports.  

The Parliament finished up and passed the law legalising gay marriage  back on 11th February,   then the laws were sent to the countries president to be approved.  Then on 13 March, President  Cavaco Silva told reporters he sent it to the Constitutional Court for review, and the court must act on the review by 8 April.

It's all about going back and forth,  as the  bill is then sent back to the  president, who has another 20 days to think it over,  he'll then sign off on it, which means it becomes national law.

Should the Constitutional Court find some problem with the law, which is considered to be highly unlikely, Parliament would almost certainly just amend the law slightly  to get it passed the court.   There is a big positive movement both inside and out of Portugal's political system to have the law in force before the summer.    The countries  Prime Minister José Sócrates has publicly  said legalising same-sex marriage "rights a wrong" and increases freedom and equality.

"It is truly a fantastic start of 2010 for LGBT people in Portugal and Europe as a whole," said Martin K.I. Christensen. from the ILGA "It is clear that a European consensus is fast emerging on marriage equality."


Jason Shaw
GayAgenda.com's UK Correspondent!


Jason's own blog is The Seafront Diaries.






© 2010 Copyright Jason Shaw

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