Portugal likely to approve gay marriages

[clandestino]

Portugal's Socialist government has drawn up a proposal that would make Portugal the sixth European country to allow gay marriage.
The law is almost certain to pass, as the center-left Socialist government has the support of all left-of-center parties, who together have a majority in Parliament. Right-of-center parties oppose the measure.

The proposal changes Portuguese law to remove references to marriage being between two people of different sexes, Cabinet Minister Pedro Silva Pereira told a news conference Thursday, adding the government will send its proposal to lawmakers for a debate, probably in January.

If approved by Parliament, the proposed law goes to Portugal's conservative President Anibal Cavaco Silva, who can ratify or veto it. A veto can be overturned by Parliament.

If there is no presidential veto, the first gay marriage ceremonies could take place in April _ a month before Pope Benedict XVI is due on a four-day official visit.

Gay marriage is currently permitted in five European countries _ Belgium, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden and Norway.

In Portugal, an overwhelmingly Roman Catholic country, previous efforts to introduce gay marriage have run into strong resistance from religious groups and conservative lawmakers.

Pedro Corte-Real, head of the Portuguese delegation of ILGA, the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association, said the proposal was a vindication of his group's battle to end sexual discrimination.

"We have been fighting for this for years," he told The AP.

In July, the Constitutional Court upheld the country's ban on gay marriage, rejecting an appeal by two lesbians seeking to wed. It said the constitution, while granting equal rights, did not state that same-sex marriages must be permitted.

http://www.etaiwannews.com/etn/news_content.php?id=1135487&lang=eng_news&cate_img=83.jpg&cate_rss=news_Politics

Unfortunatelly for many it seems that the debate over same-sex marriages in Portugal will have to start and a position will have to be taken by many.

Following last election results (minority government from the center-left socialists) the PM is coming forward with a proposal to end the need of marriage to be between people of different sexs as was said in the campaign.

To some, it might have been seen has another promise that wouldn't be fulfilled since the country had more important "things to worry about" (literal translation of an awful type of argument).

Although the final result isn't clear it seems it will be aproved at the current parliament, even if the left-wing party(es) also demand for a right to adopt to be given to homosexual couples, they will certainly approve this in a "better than nothing" kind of deal.

As the article points out there is a last word comming from our conservative president, and some forces are trying to arrange for a referendum.

Anyway, just trying to give some good news to our gay community after the BBC debacle.

[garbon]

Yay! Another place to get my EU passport, although Portuguese...

[clandestino]

Yay! Another place to get my EU passport, although Portuguese...

Nowadays you get an EU-Portugal kind of passport, so if the EU doesn't colapse in the following years you can have all the benefits of belonging to an important diplomatic center without the problems connected with that like people disliking you or avoid your entance since noone cares about us anyway.

[Caliga]

Yay! Another place to get my EU passport, although Portuguese...

Portuguese is no problemo dude.  For any word ending in 'n', replace it with 'ao'.  Got it, garbao?

[clandestino]

Yay! Another place to get my EU passport, although Portuguese...

Portuguese is no problemo dude.  For any word ending in 'n', replace it with 'ao'.  Got it, garbao?

Unfortunatelly that wouldn't work that easily: asião? americão? etc.

And if you want to really nerd it next time, use "ão" instead.

[Caliga]

My keyboard doesn't easily allow me to put the tildes above a letter, and while I know how to do it via Windows Character Map, I'm too lazy. 

[Eddie Teach]

Yay! Another place to get my EU passport, although Portuguese...

Portuguese is no problemo dude.  For any word ending in 'n', replace it with 'ao'.  Got it, garbao?

I'm thinking his problem was having to marry a Portuguese dude.

[Caliga]

I know he wasn't talking about the language itself

[Martinus]

Garbon could pass for a Portuguese.

[HVC]

Garbon could pass for a Portuguese.

You saying all dark people look alike to you? Raciss!

[I Killed Kenny]

Garbon could pass for a Portuguese.

no, sorry

[HVC]

Garbon could pass for a Portuguese.

no, sorry

He could be from Goa :p

[garbon]

Garbon could pass for a Portuguese.

no, sorry

I've been asked that before.

[Duque de Bragança]

Garbon could pass for a Portuguese.

no, sorry

He could be from Goa :p

or south Portugal 

[I Killed Kenny]

Garbon could pass for a Portuguese.

no, sorry

I've been asked that before.

LOL. BY: AMERICANS?