Date: Wed, 12 Jun 1996 14:37:05 +0200 (MET DST)
From: skolander@bahnhof.se (Bjoern Skolander)
Subject: Fax from Samtoekin '78

SAMTOEKIN '78
ICELAND
FAX: +354 - 5527 525

The new Icelandic partnership law (Lo"g um stadfesta samvist) is similar in
most ways to the Danish, Swedish and Norwegian law. It is based on the usual
Icelandic matrimonial law, and is in fact a marriage, except for three things:
1) a couple in this partnership cannot adopt children
2) women in the partnership cannot have artificial insemination
3) and the couple cannot marry in church (that is, can only have a civil
marriage)

What makes this law different from the scandinavian ones, is that a
"registered" couple can have joint custody for the children that one partner
has (as long as the parent has the custody in the first place, of course).
This means for example, that if X is married to Y who has a child, X can
share custody for the child with Y and thus represent it legally in school,
at the doctor's and so on, and be responsible for its upbringing, costs etc.
And if Y dies, X can keep the child and the other biological parent (if it
exists) has second right.

Icelandic gay people are of course very happy about this new law, since it
is the first official acceptance of gay love and our forms of families. But
we also know very well what is missing, but we are not going to let that
spoil our happiness.

Another thing we are very happy about is that the law passed Althingi (the
parliament) with only one vote aginst it, and one congressman sat by. All
others voted for the law, and some spoke very eagerly about making the law
go even further! So we see future very brightly as you can imagine! But this
is of course the result of twelve years of work by many people, and we have
to thank Gudni Baldusson especially for his part as he was the one
responsible for making the first discussion on gay rights happen on Althingi
in 1985 (the matter then was sent to a committee and "put to sleep").

Best regards from Iceland,

Lilja S. Sigurdardottir
Spokeswoman at the Samtoekin '78 office
Iceland