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Same-sex marriage has been legal in Luxembourg since 1 January 2015. A bill for the legalisation of same-sex marriages was enacted by the Chamber of Deputies on 18 June 2014 and signed into law by Grand Duke Henri on 4 July. Polling suggests that a majority of Luxembourgers support the legal recognition of same-sex marriage. Luxembourg was the last Benelux country, the tenth in Europe and the sixteenth in the world to allow same-sex couples to marry nationwide.
Partnerships have also been available in Luxembourg since November 2004.
On 7 December 1995, Deputy Lydie Err introduced a private member's bill to create free unions (Luxembourgish : fräi Unioun, pronounced [fʀæːɪuniˈəʊn] ; French : union libre, pronounced [ynjɔ̃libʁ] ; German : eheähnliche Gemeinschaft, pronounced [ˈeːəˌɛːnlɪçəgəˈmaɪ̯nʃaft] ) granting same-sex couples some of the rights and benefits of marriage. [1] [2] Her party, the Luxembourg Socialist Workers' Party (LSAP), was part of the Juncker–Poos Government together with the Christian Social People's Party (CSV). A bill to legalise same-sex marriage was introduced as early as 9 May 1996 by Deputy Renée Wagener of the opposition Greens. [3] [4] [5] Both proposals would not get a Council of State opinion until 13 June 2000.
The Juncker–Polfer Government consisting of the CSV and the Democratic Party drafted a bill establishing partnerships (Luxembourgish : Partnerschaft, pronounced [ˈpɑʀtnɐʃɑft] ; French : partenariat, pronounced [paʁtənaʁja] ; German : Partnerschaft, pronounced [ˈpaʁtnɐʃaft] ) approving it in cabinet on 26 April 2002. On 13 January 2004, the Council of State criticised taking the French civil solidarity pact as basis rather than the Belgian statutory cohabitation, which was of superior legal quality. The Council also recommended considering the legalisation of same-sex marriage, again taking neighbouring Belgium, which had then recently taken that step, as example. [6]
The government bill, along with the two earlier proposals, were debated and voted on together on 12 May 2004. The Chamber of Deputies approved the partnership bill by 33 votes to 7 with 20 abstentions. The bill was supported by the two governing parties and opposed by the Alternative Democratic Reform Party (ADR), with those abstaining being members of the LSAP, the Greens, and The Left. The Chamber rejected the bill creating free unions and the same-sex marriage bill, with the two governing parties voting against and the opposition parties voting in favour (except for the ADR voting against the same-sex marriage bill). The partnership law was signed by Grand Duke Henri on 9 July 2004 and took effect on 1 November 2004. [7] The partnerships, which are based on the French civil solidarity pact, are available to same-sex and opposite-sex couples. These partnerships provide many of the rights of marriage including welfare benefits and fiscal advantages, but exclude adoption rights. [8] [9]
In 2011, 88.1% of Luxembourg couples were married, 2.7% were in a partnership and 9.1% were cohabiting. [10]
The ruling Christian Social People's Party until 2009 was opposed to same-sex marriage, even though Prime Minister Jean-Claude Juncker, originating from the same party, had expressed his personal support. [11] In July 2007, a motion calling for the legalisation of same-sex marriage was rejected by Parliament, on a 38–22 vote. [12]
In July 2009, the newly formed Juncker–Asselborn Government announced its intention to legalise same-sex marriage. [13] [14] During a debate on 19 January 2010, the Minister of Justice, François Biltgen, announced that a law to legalise same-sex marriage (with the exception of certain adoption rights) would be finalized before the summer vacation break of Parliament. [15] [16] On 9 July 2010, the government approved the bill, [17] [18] [19] [20] and on 10 August 2010 it was submitted to Parliament. [21] In May 2012, the bill was re-drafted and a vote was not expected at least until 2013. [21] [22] [23] On 27 November 2012, the Council of State delivered a negative response to the bill, but asked Parliament to open a debate on the topic if it moved to vote on the bill. Some members of the Council submitted separate opinions supporting the bill. [24]
On 6 February 2013, the Parliament's Legal Affairs Committee agreed to approve the measure opening marriage to same-sex couples. [25] On 20 February, the committee backed the right to simple adoption for same-sex couples, but restricting plenary adoption to opposite-sex couples. [26] [27] On 6 March 2013, the committee confirmed that position. [28] [29] However, on 4 June, the Council of State issued a second review, rejecting the compromise to allow simple adoption for all couples while restricting plenary adoption to opposite-sex couples only. [30] [31] [32] On 19 June 2013, the Legal Affairs Committee decided to back full adoption rights for same-sex couples. The bill was expected to be voted on by Parliament in the autumn of 2013, [33] [34] however, a further delay was caused by elections in October 2013 following the resignation of the Juncker–Asselborn Government. [35]
The coalition agreement of the new Bettel–Schneider Government, sworn in on 4 December 2013 and led by gay Prime Minister Xavier Bettel, included marriage and adoption rights for same-sex couples, scheduled for the first trimester of 2014. [a] [36] On 8 January 2014, the Minister of Justice, Félix Braz, stated that Parliament would vote on the bill in the summer of 2014 and, if approved, it would take effect before the end of 2014. [37] [38]
On 19 March 2014, the Legal Affairs Committee completed its work on the marriage bill, and sent it to the Council of State, which released its opinion on 20 May 2014. [39] [40] [41] On 28 May, the committee voted to send the bill to the Chamber of Deputies, with every political party except the Alternative Democratic Reform Party (ADR) being in favour. [42] [43] The legislation was approved by the Chamber of Deputies in a 56–4 vote on 18 June 2014. [44] [45] On 24 June, the Council of State gave its consent to skip the second vote. [46] [47] The law was promulgated by Grand Duke Henri on 4 July and published in the official gazette on 17 July 2014. It took effect the first day of the sixth month after publication (i.e. 1 January 2015). [48] [49] [50] In addition to providing full adoption rights to same-sex couples, the law allows lesbian couples to access artificial insemination in a relatively similar manner to opposite-sex couples. A notable distinction is that lesbian couples require approval from a psychologist. Although opposite-sex couples are also generally directed to a psychologist, the consultation is not mandatory. [51]
Party | Voted for | Voted against | Abstained |
---|---|---|---|
Christian Social People's Party | 22
| 1 | – |
G Democratic Party | – | – | |
G Luxembourg Socialist Workers' Party | – | – | |
G The Greens | – | – | |
Alternative Democratic Reform Party | – | – | |
The Left | – | – | |
Total | 56 | 4 | 0 |
93.3% | 6.7% | 0.0% |
The first same-sex couple to marry in Luxembourg was Henri Lorenzo Huber and Jean-Paul Olinger in Differdange on 1 January 2015. The marriage ceremony was performed by Mayor Roberto Traversini. [53] On 15 May 2015, Prime Minister Xavier Bettel married his partner Gauthier Destenay in a private ceremony at Luxembourg City Hall. Bettel became the first EU member state leader and just the second serving head of government worldwide (after Iceland's Jóhanna Sigurðardóttir) to marry a person of the same sex. [54] In November 2016, Vice Prime Minister Etienne Schneider confirmed that he and his partner Jérôme Domange had married in a private ceremony sometime in 2016. [55]
In June 2014, the Chamber of Deputies invalidated a petition that sought to repeal the new marriage law. [56] However, a court declared the petition valid on 16 November 2015. [57] The petition, called Schutz fir d'Kand in Luxembourgish ("Protection of the Child"), accompanied with about 4,500 signatures, was then re-presented to the Chamber of Deputies, which rejected it again in November 2016. [58] [59] On 7 July 2015, a proposal by an ADR deputy to organize a referendum on opening marriage and adoption to same-sex couples was rejected by every other political party in the Chamber of Deputies. [60]
On 19 November 2015, a bill was introduced to Parliament to ensure recognition of same-sex marriages performed abroad before 1 January 2015. It was approved by the Chamber of Deputies on 19 April 2016 in a 50–3 vote, [61] [62] [63] and on 3 May, the Council of State gave its consent to skip the second vote in the Chamber. [64] [65] The law was promulgated on 23 May, published in the official journal on 1 June, and took effect on 5 June 2016. [66]
Contacted by the newspaper L'essentiel , the Grand Ducal Court of Luxembourg confirmed in October 2021 that members of the royal family may enter into a same-sex marriage without having to forfeit the crown or lose their royal titles and privileges or their place in the line of succession, though the marriage—like opposite-sex marriages—would require the approval of the Grand Duke or Grand Duchess. This followed similar announcements concerning other European royal families. [67]
In 2015, approximately 120 same-sex marriages took place in Luxembourg; 49 and 11 of which occurred in Luxembourg City and Esch-sur-Alzette, the two largest cities in the country. This represented about 7% of all marriages. [68] [69] About 69% of same-sex partners who married that year were aged above 40 (74% for male couples and 61% for female couples). [70]
In May 2015, the Protestant Church of Luxembourg voted 94–3 to allow its pastors to bless same-sex marriages. Pastors are under no obligation to bless same-sex marriages if this would violate their personal beliefs. The first blessing occurred a few weeks later. [71]
The Catholic Church opposes same-sex marriage and does not allow its priests to officiate at such marriages. In December 2023, the Holy See published Fiducia supplicans , a declaration allowing Catholic priests to bless couples who are not considered to be married according to church teaching, including the blessing of same-sex couples. [72] [73]
A 2006 Angus Reid Global Monitor poll found that 58% of Luxembourgers supported same-sex marriage. [74] An April 2013 PoliMonitor survey commissioned by the Luxemburger Wort and RTL Télé Lëtzebuerg placed support for same-sex marriage in Luxembourg at 83% and for adoption by same-sex couples at 55%. [75]
The 2015 Eurobarometer found that 75% of Luxembourgers thought same-sex marriage should be allowed throughout Europe, while 20% were opposed. [76] In 2019, the Eurobarometer showed that support had increased to 85%, with 9% opposed. [77]
The 2023 Eurobarometer found that 84% of Luxembourgers thought same-sex marriage should be allowed throughout Europe, while 13% were opposed. The survey also found that 86% of Luxembourgers thought that "there is nothing wrong in a sexual relationship between two persons of the same sex", while 13% disagreed. [78]
The national flag of Luxembourg consists of three horizontal stripes, watermelon red, white and light blue, and can be in 1:2 or 3:5 ratio. It was first used between 1845 and 1848 and officially adopted in 1993. It is informally called in the country, «rout, wäiß, blo».
Same-sex marriage has been legal in Belgium since 1 June 2003. A bill for the legalization of same-sex marriages was passed by the Senate on 28 November 2002, and by the Chamber of Representatives on 30 January 2003. King Albert II granted his assent, and the bill entered into force on 1 June. Polling indicates that a significant majority of Belgians support the legal recognition of same-sex marriage. Belgium was the second country in the world to legalise same-sex marriage, after the Netherlands.
Same-sex marriage has been legal in France since 18 May 2013, making France the thirteenth country in the world and the ninth in Europe to allow same-sex couples to marry. The legislation applies to metropolitan France as well as to all French overseas departments and territories. Polling suggests that a significant majority of French people support the legal recognition of same-sex marriage.
Remich is a commune with town status in south-eastern Luxembourg with a population of 3,645 inhabitants as of 2018. It is situated in the canton of the same name. Remich lies on the left bank of the river Moselle, which forms part of the border between Luxembourg and Germany. The commune is the smallest in Luxembourg by surface area.
Same-sex marriage has been legal in Switzerland since 1 July 2022. Legislation to open marriage to same-sex couples passed the Swiss Parliament in December 2020. The law was challenged in a referendum on 26 September 2021 by opponents of same-sex marriage and was approved with the support of 64% of voters and a majority in all 26 cantons. The law went into force on 1 July 2022. A provision of the law permitting same-sex marriages performed abroad to be recognised in Switzerland took effect on 1 January 2022. Switzerland was the seventeenth country in Europe and the 30th in the world to allow same-sex couples to marry.
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) rights in France are some of the most progressive by world standards. Although same-sex sexual activity was a capital crime that often resulted in the death penalty during the Ancien Régime, all sodomy laws were repealed in 1791 during the French Revolution. However, a lesser-known indecent exposure law that often targeted LGBTQ people was introduced in 1960, before being repealed in 1980.
East is one of the four multi-member constituencies of the Chamber of Deputies, the national legislature of Luxembourg. The constituency was established in 1919 following the introduction of proportional representation for elections to the Chamber of Deputies. It consists of the cantons of Echternach, Grevenmacher and Remich. The constituency currently elects seven of the 60 members of the Chamber of Deputies using the open party-list proportional representation electoral system. At the 2023 general election it had 40,246 registered electors.
North is one of the four multi-member constituencies of the Chamber of Deputies, the national legislature of Luxembourg. The constituency was established in 1919 following the introduction of proportional representation for elections to the Chamber of Deputies. It consists of the cantons of Clervaux, Diekirch, Redange, Vianden and Wiltz. The constituency currently elects nine of the 60 members of the Chamber of Deputies using the open party-list proportional representation electoral system. At the 2023 general election it had 52,922 registered electors.
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) people in Luxembourg have the same legal rights as non-LGBTQ people. Partnerships, which grant many of the benefits of marriage, have been recognised since 2004. In June 2014, the Luxembourgish Parliament passed a law enabling same-sex marriage and adoption rights, which took effect on 1 January 2015. Additionally, discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and "change of sex" in employment, healthcare and the provision of goods and services is outlawed, and transgender people are allowed to change their legal gender on the basis of self-determination.
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) rights in Switzerland are some of the most progressive by world standards. Social attitudes and the legal situation have liberalised at an increasing pace since the 1940s, in parallel to the situation in Europe and the Western world more generally. Legislation providing for same-sex marriage, same-sex adoption, and IVF access was accepted by 64% of voters in a referendum on 26 September 2021, and entered into force on 1 July 2022.
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) rights are widely diverse in Europe per country. 22 of the 38 countries that have legalised same-sex marriage worldwide are situated in Europe. A further 11 European countries have legalised civil unions or other forms of recognition for same-sex couples.
Same-sex marriage is legal in the following countries: Andorra, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Denmark, Ecuador, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Luxembourg, Malta, Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Uruguay.
The law opening marriage to same-sex couples, no. 2013-404 is a French law which, since 18 May 2013, grants same-sex couples the right to marry and jointly adopt children.
The Assembly of Estates was the legislature of Luxembourg from 1841 to 1848, and again from 1856 to 1868.
Adoption by LGBT people in Europe differs in legal recognition from country to country. Full joint adoption or step-child adoption or both is legal in 23 of the 56 European countries, and in all dependent territories.
Constantin-Joseph-Antoine Pescatore, known as Antoine Pescatore, was born on 16 December 1787 in Luxembourg City, and died on 31 October 1858 in Sandweiler. He was a businessman and politician.
Lex Delles is a Luxembourgish politician. He was mayor of Mondorf-les-Bains, Member of the Chamber of Deputies, he served as Minister for Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises and Minister for Tourism in the second Bettel Government and, from 17 November 2023 on, serves as Minister of Economy, SMEs and Engery and Tourism in the Frieden-Bettel Government.
De Roude Léiw is the common name used for the civil ensign of Luxembourg. It can also refer more specifically to the heraldic animal of Luxembourg, which is often used as an emblem or mascot for various institutions and symbols related to Luxembourg.
Barbara Agostino is a Luxembourgish politician from the DP. She is a member of the Chamber of Deputies and the Benelux Parliament.
Martine Hansen is a Luxembourgish agricultural economist and politician of the Christian Social People's Party who serves as Minister of Agriculture, Food and Viticulture and Minister for Consumer Protection in the Frieden-Bettel Government. She was a member of the Chamber of Deputies (2013–2023) and served as Minister for Higher Education and Research from April to December 2013 in the Juncker–Asselborn II Government.