European Court Denounces Italy, Says Partner Recognitions Are Overdue

Via the Daily Mail:

The European Court of Human Rights condemned Italy on Tuesday for failing to provide legal recognition to same-sex couples and said the country should introduce some form of civil union for homosexual couples. Italy is the only major western European country that does not recognise either civil partnerships or gay marriage. The country was taken to the Strasbourg-based European Court by three homosexual couples who all complained that Italy discriminated against them because of their sexual orientation. In their ruling, a panel of seven judges said same-sex couples in Italy needed greater legal rights. "The Court considered that the legal protection currently available in Italy to same-sex couples ... not only failed to provide for the core needs relevant to a couple in a stable committed relationship, but it was also not sufficiently reliable," it said. Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi said at the weekend his government would introduce a law on civil unions by the end of the year, convincing a junior minister to end a hunger strike he had started in early July to protest at the lack of legislation.

Bolding is mine. In its ruling the court cites Obergefell. See Section #4. (Tipped by JMG reader Andrea)

CHILE: Civil Union Signups Begin

Pink News reports:

Gay couples flocked to civil registry offices in Chile to schedule the first same-sex civil unions since they were approved in the country earlier this year. Thursday (July 9) was the first day that couples could apply for the licence, after a bill approving same-sex civil unions was signed by the country’s President Michelle Bachelet back in April. The first same-sex civil ceremonies will take place in October, and while the LGBT community in Chile still fights for the right to marry, many see this as the first step on the to gaining full equal rights for sam-sex couples. Many couples took to Twitter to share their joy and excitement, as well as to announce the date on which their ceremonies will take place.

RELATED: Elsewhere in South America same-sex marriage is legal in Argentina, Brazil, French Guiana, and Uruguay. Civil unions are legal in Colombia and Ecuador. A same-sex marriage lawsuit is pending before the Venezuelan Supreme Court. Homosexual acts remain illegal in Guyana, but nowhere else on the continent.

ISRAEL: Knesset Rejects Civil Unions

Via the Jerusalem Post:

The Knesset voted down two bills regarding civil unions and marriage on Wednesday with a majority vote of 50 to 39 for each bill. The first bill, proposed by Yesh Atid MK Aliza Lavie sought to create civil unions, an alternative for those who could not have their weddings officiated by the rabbinate or other religious authorities, such as gay couples, couples of different religions, a cohen and a divorcee, etc. “We have to allow a civil alternative for all of the couples who do not want to go through the rabbinate,” Lavie said upon her submission of the bill this past June. “I believe that the path of civil unions will do civil justice and will lead more people to want to get married through the religious system, because it will have to make itself more efficient and be managed properly.” The second bill, composed by Meretz leader Zehava Gal-On focused on the concept of civil marriages and divorces.

RELATED: Civil marriages are not available to any Israeli citizen. LGBT Israelis who marry abroad can register those weddings with the government "for statistical purposes." In 1994 Israel extended "unregistered cohabitation status" to same-sex couples in a form of common-law marriage that grants nearly all the benefits of religious marriages. Last year the Interior Minister announced that gay Israelis who marry non-Jews abroad may sponsor their spouses for citizenship.

COLORADO: Ballot Measure Seeks To Limit Same-Sex Marriages As Civil Unions

Via the Denver Post:

A proposed ballot initiative filed Thursday would redefine same-sex marriages in Colorado as civil unions. A second initiative would allow wedding-related businesses opposed to gay marriage to hire a contractor to serve the couples. Keeping gay marriage out of Colorado could be difficult, if not impossible, since the U.S. Supreme Court ruled on June 26 that same-sex couples have a right to marry nationwide. Both ballot questions were filed by Gene Straub and D'Arcy Straub, both of Littleton. D'Arcy Straub is a lawyer. He could not be reached Friday, and his voice message said he was on a mountain-climbing trip. Gene Straub did not immediately return a phone call. Each measure would need at least 98,492 verified signatures from registered voters to get on the ballot. State Rep. Dominick Moreno, D-Commerce City, said the point of the gay marriage amendment is moot.

The proposed amendment declares: "A marriage is recognized as a form of religious expression of the people of Colorado that shall not be abridged through the state prescribing or recognizing any law that implicitly or explicitly defines a marriage in opposition or agreement with any particular religious belief."

ITALY: Lower Chamber Approves Motion On Civil Unions In 204 - 83 Vote

ANSA Politics reports:

Italy's Lower House on Wednesday approved a motion on same-sex civil unions promoted by the Democratic Party. It was the first such motion from any party to gain the approval of MPs in the Lower House after several other motions were rejected. The motion commits the government "to promote the adoption of a law on civil unions, particularly with regard to the condition of the people of same sex". It also commits the government "to ensure equal treatment throughout the nation" of civil unions. Premier Matteo Renzi and Justice Minister Andrea Orlando have both said recently that Italy needs a civil unions law. The government rejects the notion that "extending rights to same-sex (couples) could undermine the traditional family", Orlando said. The proposed civil union is similar to one recognised in Germany.

An Italian-language report notes that there were 98 abstentions for the vote. (Tipped by JMG reader Andrea)

GREECE: Government Declares Plan To Enact Civil Partnerships Law

ILGA-Europe reports:

The Greek government has signaled its intention to legislate for civil partnership rights for all couples, almost 18 months after the European Court of Human Rights ruled that Greece must widen its civil partnership law to include same sex couples. This announcement is very encouraging and ILGA-Europe are pleased to see that Greece is finally taking steps to implement the ECtHR’s decision, handed down in November 2013. It is also indicative of the equality progress being made in the region as the Cypriot government approved a long-awaited civil partnership bill in early May 2015. Malta has also blazed a trail for equality measures in recent months, legalising civil unions for all couples in addition to its advances on legal gender recognition and constitutional protection from discrimination.

RELATED: The European Union currently has 28 members. Same-sex marriage is legal in twelve of them: Belgium, Denmark, Finland (effective 2017), France, Ireland (effective September 2015) Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal, Slovenia (effective date pending), Spain, Sweden, and the United Kingdom (except Northern Ireland.)  Civil unions are legal in seven EU nations: Austria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Estonia (effective 2016), Germany, Hungary, and Malta. No partnership recognitions exist in nine EU nations: Bulgaria, Cyprus*, Greece, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, and Slovakia. [*A civil unions bill advanced in Cyprus in late April.]

Poland Again Rejects Civil Unions

By a vote of 215-146, Polish lawmakers have rejected placing a civil unions bill on the agenda for the coming legislative session.  Nearly 100 legislators reportedly abstained or refused to vote. This is the fourth consecutive year that such an action was rejected. The 2013 attempt to pass a civil partnerships bill failed to advance by 17 votes. The head of the Campaign Against Homophobia today said, "We are lied to by politicians – mostly conservative – who say that Poland is not ready for civil partnerships, let alone same-sex marriage."

RELATED: The European Union currently has 28 members. Same-sex marriage is legal in twelve of them: Belgium, Denmark, Finland (effective 2017), France, Ireland (effective later this year) Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal, Slovenia (effective date pending), Spain, Sweden, and the United Kingdom (except Northern Ireland.)  Civil unions are legal in seven EU nations: Austria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Estonia (effective 2016), Germany, Hungary, and Malta. No partnership recognitions exist in nine EU nations: Bulgaria, Cyprus*, Greece, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, and Slovakia.  (*A civil unions bill advanced in Cyprus early this month.)

CYPRUS: Civil Unions Bill Advances

Gay Star News reports:

The Cypriot Cabinet Wednesday approved a long-awaited civil partnership bill that would allow gay couples to register their relationships and grant them all marriage rights except joint adoption. The legislation will now be sent to parliament, where it will be discussed and put to a vote. Interior Minister Socrates Hasikos, who helped prepare the bill, said Cyprus was ready for same-sex unions. 'I am certain that society is mature enough to accept it. Besides, this is what people are asking for through various groups and organisations, political parties, and society at large,' he said. ILGA-Europe said they expected that Cypriot parliamentarians would proceed with the bill without delay and support it.

RELATED: Cyprus is part of the European Union, which currently has 28 members. Same-sex marriage is legal in eleven of them: Belgium, Denmark, Finland (effective 2017), France, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal, Slovenia (effective date pending), Spain, Sweden, and the United Kingdom (except Northern Ireland). Civil unions are legal in nine EU nations: Austria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Estonia (effective 2016), Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Luxembourg, and Malta. No partnership recognitions exist in eight EU nations: Bulgaria, Greece, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, and Slovakia.

How About A Nice Civil Union?

Graphic by Scott Wooledge.

CHILE: President Signs Civil Unions Bill

Via the Washington Blade:

Chilean President Michelle Bachelet on Monday signed a bill into law that will allow gays and lesbians in the South American country to enter into civil unions. “The civil union law is a vindication in the struggle for sexual diversity rights,” said Bachelet during the signing ceremony that took place at the Presidential Palace in Santiago, the Chilean capital. The measure received final approval from Chilean lawmakers in January. 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.

(Tipped by JMG reader Lulu)

RELATED: Elsewhere in South America same-sex marriage is legal in Argentina, Brazil, French Guiana, and Uruguay. Civil unions are legal in Colombia and Ecuador. A same-sex marriage lawsuit is pending before the Venezuelan Supreme Court. Homosexual acts remain illegal in Guyana, but nowhere else on the continent.

ITALY: Civil Unions Bill Advances

By a vote of 14-8 Italy's Senate Judiciary Committee today advanced a civil unions bill that would also allow gay couples to adopt each others' children and visit each other in the hospital. Outside adoptions by same-sex couples would remain banned. Same-sex marriages conducted legally in foreign countries would be recognized domestically as civil unions. The bill is opposed by Forza Italia, the party headed by former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, who is currently banned from holding public office following his conviction on corruption charges. Forza Italia holds 66 out of 315 seats in the full Senate. (Tipped by JMG reader Andrea)

PERU: Thousands Rally For Civil Unions

Thousands of Peruvians rallied in Lima's Plaza San Martin on Saturday following last week's rejection of a civil unions bill by the national legislature.

(Via Andres Duque)

PERU: Congress Rejects Civil Unions

Translation: "Civil unions: rejected. It's a shame to see how homophobia takes power in Congress. Let's show our outrage on the streets! Everyone to Plaza San Martin now!"

PERU: Monsignor Calls Gay Politician A "Faggot" As Civil Unions Vote Nears

The Peruvian Congress is about to vote on civil unions, prompting Monsignor Luis Barbaren to call the bill's sponsor, Rep. Carlos Bruce, a "faggot." Barbaren: "He said he's gay, but gay is not a Peruvian word. The word is maricon (faggot)." Barbaren's words came at a ceremony held today to honor the Catholic victims of the terrorist group Shining Path.

UPDATE: Follow Rep. Carlos Bruce on Twitter. The vote should take place sometime within the next couple of hours. The hashtag for the civil unions vote is #UnionCivilYA.

CORRECTION: Google Translate identified Barbaren as an "archbishop" but it appears that he is merely a bishop. I've changed the headline and text of this post to use the title in the original text.

GREECE: New Government To Extend Civil Unions Recognition To Gay Couples

Via the Associated Press:

Greece's new left-wing government has promised to grant same-sex couples legal status, in response to a 2013 international court decision condemning the country for discrimination. Justice Minister Nikolaos Paraskevopoulos told parliament Monday that civil partnerships, first legislated in 2008, would be extended to gay couples but did not say when the changes were planned. The pledge was made two weeks after the left-wing Syriza party ousted conservatives in a general election and formed a coalition government with a right-wing, anti-bailout party, one which in the past has opposed awarding gay partners legal status. In 2013, the Council of Europe's Court of Human Rights awarded plaintiffs damages after they successfully challenged the Greek state over its civil partnerships law.

RELATED: Last month Greece's newly-elected atheist prime minister "politely" declined to be sworn-in by the Archbishop of Athens.

CHILE: Civil Unions Are Now Law

Via the Washington Blade:

A bill that would allow same-sex couples to enter into civil unions in Chile on Wednesday received final approval in the South American country’s Congress. The Chilean Senate approved the measure by a 25-6 vote margin with three abstentions. The bill passed in the country’s House of Representatives by a 78-9 vote margin. “A historic step against discrimination and for the advancement of human rights has taken place today with the passage of the civil unions bill,” said the Movement for Homosexual Integration and Liberation, a Chilean LGBT advocacy group, in a statement. President Michelle Bachelet has said she will sign the bill — under which unmarried heterosexual couples would also receive legal recognition — into law. Bachelet’s spokesperson, Álvaro Elizalde, on his Twitter page described Tuesday as a “historic day” in Chile.

(Tipped by JMG reader Eduardo)

ITALY: Rome Approves Civil Unions

"At last Rome has adopted a register of civil unions. It is a long-awaited result which puts our city more and more in the forefront of the rights of individuals and the recognition of emotional ties, stable and durable. Today the capital of Italy gives the signal that, in this city, love is the same for everyone. So I want to express my satisfaction with this important step, which is not only an act of civility and respect for people, but aligns us to the rest of the Western world, in line with the main European countries with whom we share our history and cultural politics. The important discussion conducted by the Capitoline, which involved both the majority and the opposition, gave the city a measure that recognizes the rights of all its citizens, without exception.

"So I thank all the councilors and the councilors who voted for the registry, but also all those who have worked to make this historic milestone. I can not overemphasize also the symbolic value of the measure. Many Italian administrations, today, expect a national law that finally enshrines equal rights for all. Rome, by this example, hopes to help unlock the hesitations of legislators who, for too many years now, evading a full recognition of the legal and civil rights of all couples, regardless of their sexual orientation." - Rome Mayor Ignazio Marino, announcing the passage of civil unions today. [Via Google Translate] (Tipped by JMG reader Andrea)

Jeopardy! Mocks Civil Unions

Via Slate:

You might not typically think of Jeopardy! as a source of opinion on the hot-button political issues of the day, but on the Jan. 21 edition of the game show, a saucy clue challenged that perception. Under a category called “Civil” the $800 clue read as follows: “Some opponents of same-sex marriage say, hey gay folks, how about these? Wouldn't these be good enough?” The correct answer, of course, is “What are civil unions?” The clue writers’ flippant tone in the rhetoric attributed to gay marriage opponents is clear evidence of how they—like most gay people—feel about civil unions as an alternative to full marriage equality: They are a weak attempt at placation that suggests second-class citizenship, if not a kind of segregation.

CHILE: Civil Unions Near Final Hurdle

Last night Chile's Chamber of Deputies overwhelmingly approved a civil unions bill with a vote of 86-23.  Two weeks ago the Chilean Senate approved the bill with a 28-6 vote after which anti-gay protesters had to be forcibly ejected from the gallery. The bill must now return to the Senate for another vote as the Deputies last night approved an amendment regarding parental rights. The bill also appears to legalize the recognition of foreign same-sex marriages, unless Google Translate is deceiving me. Readers?

UPDATE: JMG reader Douglas clarifies: "The bill does appear to recognize foreign marriages, but it is not clear at what level they will be recognized; it sounds like such marriages will only be given the same status as Civil Unions in Chile (with whatever restrictions might apply)."

Poland Rejects Civil Unions

By a vote of 235-185, Polish lawmakers have rejected placing a civil unions bill on the agenda for the coming legislative session. This is the third consecutive year that such an action was rejected. The 2013 attempt to pass a civil partnerships bill failed to advance by 17 votes.