Stockholm, November 16.

PARLIAMENTARY COMMITTEE SUPPORTS SAME-SEX MARRIAGE/PARTNERSHIP

This morning Sweden went one step further towards a law, which
will enable same-sex couples to marry or register their
partnership.

A parliamentary committee has investigated the question of
gays and lesbians equal rights to marriage/partnership for
several years. The Swedish GLG movement (RFSL) has not been
impressed by the committee's pace of progress, and has
therefore named it the partnership detain committee.

But today the committee handed over its report, in which it
advocates a new law, giving same-sex couples the right to
marry. Such a law has to be discussed in Parliament first, and
is likely to be a reality during 1994. The law will give queer
couples the same legal rights as straight marriages, apart
from the right to adoption and artificial insemination.

When the law passes, Sweden will be the third Scandinavian
country to give gays and lesbians the legal right to marry.
Denmark got such a law in 1989 and Norway in April this year.

Bjorn Skolander
University of Uppsala
Sweden
bjorn.skolander@nordiska.uu.se