Finnish Parliament Rejects Marriage

A marriage equality bill failed to get out of its committee in Finland's Parliament today. Pink News reports:

The bill, proposed by the National Coalition Party (NCP) minister Alexander Stubb proposed the bill, which would have made marriage gender-neutral, therefore allowing same-sex couples to marry. It was rejected 9 votes to 8, and so it will not go before the full legislature for consideration. The bill would have made regulations relating to marriage equal for all, irrespective of the gender of the partners. In Finland, gay and lesbian couples can currently register their partnerships, but do not automatically take each others’ surnames, or adopt children, reports YLE.

Next month LGBT rights groups will launch a petition campaign to force another vote. Fifty thousand signatures are required. Finland is the sole Scandinavian Nordic nation without marriage equality.