Marriage Equality has become a point of contention for the LGBT community across the globe. As we attempt to attain the dignity, equality, and protections under the law still denied to us in most places in the world it is nice to see that work starting to pay off. In the knowledge of watching our rights being under assault in the United States it certainly places things in perspective. No one can stop the tide of history because we will be making history by moving forward.
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According to Huffington Post author Barry Hatton, he stated in an article titled, Portugal's Parliament Approves Gay Marriage:
LISBON, Portugal — Portugal's Parliament passed a bill Friday allowing gay marriage in the mostly Roman Catholic country.
The Socialist government's bill won the support of all left-of-center parties. Right-of-center parties opposed the change and sought a national referendum on the issue, but their proposal was rejected.
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The proposed law goes to Portugal's conservative President Anibal Cavaco Silva who can ratify or veto. The veto can be overturned by the parliament.
Let us hope that the President does sign this into law. This would mean that Portugal would join the ranks of Sweden, South Africa, Belgium, Spain, Norway, Canada, and the Netherlands as nations who formally provide full equality to Heterosexual as well as Gay and Lesbian couples. As time moves forward the world is becoming more and more cognizant of its own shameful history of mistreating its Gay and Lesbian citizens. Civil unions and domestic partnerships are both separate and unequal.
Thank you to the Portugese members of Parliament with the courage to stand up for a people who so often have not seen that by their fellow citizens. Sadly, Gay and Lesbian citizens of New Jersey faced this basic truth yesterday. According to an article by Neal Broverman in the Advocate, he states:
In a vote held Thursday afternoon, the New Jersey senate failed to gather enough votes to advance a same-sex marriage bill, effectively killing chances for gay nuptials in the state for the next few years. The measure failed 14 to 20.
Now, for another marriage equality bill to advance legislatively, New Jersey's senate and assembly need enough votes to override Christie's veto, which seems highly unlikely. But officials with Garden State Equality, the state's gay rights organization, said they with Lambda Legal will likely return to court in an effort to bring marriage equality to New Jersey.
Our fourteen friends in the New Jersey state Senate must be commended and praised for their votes in favor of civil rights and equality in this nation. It is a travesty to, once again however, be told that Gay and Lesbian couples are not worthy of the same recognition and rights as Heterosexual couples. Who are they to deem us less than them on such shallow and prejudiced attitudes?
We continue to move forward, and keep our hopes alive for a better day in which Gay and Lesbian couples are afforded the same rights, responsibilities, and privelages as Heterosexual couples. Portugal is a beacon of light for us in what truly is a global struggle for human and civil rights. All of the nations on earth have had a history of not treating their LGBT citizens with the full respect and equality under the law we deserve, but that is changing. Let's keep this momentum for fairness, justice, and equality going.