Excellent news on Portugal's marriage equality bill that passed in January. President Anibal Cavaco Silva says he will sign the same-sex marriage bill, reports the Associated Press.
"President Anibal Cavaco Silva said in a nationally televised address...vetoing
the bill would only send it back to Parliament where lawmakers would
overturn his decision, he said, adding that the country needed to focus
on overcoming an economic crisis that has increased unemployment and
deepened poverty. The Socialist government's bill was backed by
all of Portugal's left-of-center parties, who together have a majority
in Parliament. Right-of-center parties opposed the measure and demanded a
national referendum. 'Given that fact, I feel I should not
contribute to a pointless extension of this debate, which would only
serve to deepen the divisions between the Portuguese and divert the
attention of politicians away from the grave problems affecting us,'
Cavaco Silva said. He said that, in ratifying the law, he was
setting aside 'personal convictions.'"
Portugal's Constitutional Court overwhelmingly approved the marriage bill in April.
The conservative and overwhelmingly Catholic nation becomes the sixth European country allowing same-sex couples to wed. Belgium, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden and Norway also allow marriage equality. Five U.S. states and the District of Columbia have legalized same-sex marriage, as have Canada, South Africa and Mexico City.
Cavaco Silva's announcement comes on the International Day Against Homophobia. Bravo and congratulations Portugal.
Every where but the, "land of the free and the home of the brave."
Posted by: FREELEO | 17 May 2010 at 18:36
Hopefully the bug that bit Silva and the Portuguese Parliament will make its' way over here to America and bite a couple people.
Posted by: Observeur | 17 May 2010 at 19:37
That bug will have to hit more than a couple of people.
Posted by: Ravenback | 17 May 2010 at 22:19
Dateline 2025: Uganda today became the 187th member of the United Nations to legalize marriage equality for gay couples. This leaves Saudi Arabia, Iran, Mauritania, Jamaica, and the United States as the only countries where gay couples are ineligible to be wed. (Saudi Arabia, however, has legalized male concubinage.)
Posted by: Jim | 17 May 2010 at 23:32
I hope more leaders take his stance of whether for it or against, it's gonna happen, it's not that big a deal, and there are more pressing issues needed to be dealt with.
The sanctity opponents are so hypocritical, marriage is in such shambles in the US, heck gays might just save it!
Posted by: Procrastination_Xtravaganza | 18 May 2010 at 13:38