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Same-sex marriage has been legal in Sweden since 1 May 2009 following the adoption of a gender-neutral marriage law by the Riksdag on 1 April 2009. [1] Polling indicates that an overwhelming majority of Swedes support the legal recognition of same-sex marriage. [2] Sweden was the second Scandinavian country, the fifth in Europe and the seventh in the world to open marriage to same-sex couples nationwide. Existing registered partnerships remain in force and can be converted to marriages if the partners so desire, either through a written application or through a formal ceremony. New registered partnerships are no longer able to be entered into and marriage is now the only legally recognized form of union for couples regardless of sex.
On 22 October 2009, the governing board of the Church of Sweden voted 176–62 in favour of allowing its priests to wed same-sex couples in new gender-neutral church ceremonies, [3] including the use of the term "marriage". [4] [5] Same-sex marriages have been performed by the Church since 1 November 2009. [6]
In 1987, Sweden established a statutory relationship protection scheme separate from marriage for all cohabiting couples, including same-sex couples. It was the first statutory protection for same-sex couples in Sweden. Unlike common-law marriage, this relationship status is legally recognized at the moment when two people enter a "marriage-like" relationship, which makes the couple eligible for some rights and benefits. [7] Specifically, the protections apply when two persons begin to reside together in a joint home and live together as a couple in a presumptively permanent, sexual and cohabiting relationship. [8] It ensures that the couples may legally contract for how their protected common property will be divided before any eventual separation and that an equal division of that property will be presumed in the absence of establishing different ownership shares. Each member of the couple is referred to in a gender-neutral manner as a sambo as shorthand for "persons who live together" (bor tillsammans). From 1988 to 2003, there were two different laws governing the rights of cohabiting couples, one for heterosexual couples and one for same-sex couples. These separate laws were unified into a single law in July 2003 known as the Sambolag (Cohabitees Act).
The legal status provides only limited rights primarily to economic protection for joint ownership of the common home and household goods, though other benefits and obligations now also extend to sambo relationships. Subsidized assisted reproduction, for example, is available to such couples and requires the partner's consent. [9] However, many of the limitations of this protection were stark for same-sex couples before the recognition of same-sex marriage and registered partnerships, as they did not have options for greater protection through a more robust, legally protected status. The couples' status of being in a sambo relationship, for example, does not entitle the surviving partner to inherit the property of the deceased partner; rather, the surviving partner must request the division of the common home and household goods against the deceased partner's heirs. [10] Consequently, the surviving sambo receives only half of the statutory sum that is granted to widows and widowers when their spouses will their estate to other persons, whereas the inheritance and the deceased sambo's estate instead pass to that person's children, parents or other blood relations when they do not provide for the surviving sambo though a will. [11] [12] While married couples have presumptive protections for the common home as well as all other property and income acquired during the marriage, same-sex sambor only receive the protection of the shared residence and household goods that were purposely intended and acquired for common use by the couple. This limitation remains today for such relationships regardless of the gender of the partners. The relationship status has evolved, however, as persons in such relationships formerly could not adopt their partner's children but can now do so under the current Children and Parents Code (Föräldrabalken). [13] The cohabitation relationship status is also open to non-Swedes, which means that one does not have to be married to move to Sweden to live with one's partner.
Registered partnerships (Swedish : registrerat partnerskap, pronounced [rɛ.jɪsˈtreːratˈpɑ̂ːʈnɛʂkɑːp] ) [a] were legalised in Sweden in 1995. A law to this effect was approved by the Swedish Parliament in June 1994 by a vote of 171–141, promulgated on 23 June, [b] and took effect on 1 January 1995. Sweden was the third country in the world to legally recognise same-sex unions, after Denmark and Norway.
Registered partnerships, only available to same-sex couples, gave the full range of protections, responsibilities and benefits as marriage, including adoption and arrangements for the breakdown of the relationship. Same-sex registered partners were granted the right to adopt jointly in 2003, and in vitro fertilisation for lesbian couples was allowed in 2005. Non-Swedes who were legally resident in Sweden had the right to enter into registered partnerships from 2000. The main distinction between registered partnership and marriage was that they were covered by separate laws, and that same-sex partnerships were a civil matter and could not be conducted through the church authority. LGBT groups advocated for a gender-neutral marriage law which would state that marriage can be conducted solely by the state, as is done in several other countries, rather than the current system in which churches have the authority to legally marry couples, because this would further the separation of church and state.
In 2004, Parliament established a committee to investigate the possibility of opening marriage to same-sex partners. The report, issued in March 2007, supported enacting a gender-neutral marriage law and abolishing the registered partnership law (registered partnerships would be automatically converted into marriages), while granting an "opt-out" to religious institutions, which would allow them to refuse to marry same-sex couples. [20] This last point was quite controversial and increased calls for a gender-neutral marriage law. The committee further suggested that the Swedish Government bring the changes into effect by 1 January 2008.
Six of the seven political parties in the Riksdag were in favour of such a reform. These were the Left Party, the Greens, the Social Democrats, the Liberal People's Party, the Moderate Party and the Centre Party. The Christian Democrats opposed the idea, while the liberal conservative Moderates signed on their support at their party congress in 2007. [21] [22] The majority of Swedes approved of same-sex marriage, but there was some strong opposition from religious organisations and other self-described "family-oriented" groups. Many complained about the slowly advancing governmental process of changing partnership into marriage, especially as the two types of unions were already essentially the same and many considered the change "inevitable and natural". Supporters said there was no validity in the argument that same-sex marriage would threaten opposite-sex marriage because a gender-neutral marriage law would have no greater impact on society than the partnership law and argued it was simply a matter of principle and equality. For the opposition, they saw it as a threat to the symbolic value of marriage.
On 12 May 2008, media sources reported that a married same-sex couple from Canada were challenging the Swedish Government in court because it refused to recognise their relationship as a marriage. [23] Although a lower court, including the Court of Appeals, refused to hear the case, Sweden's highest administrative court, the Supreme Administrative Court, agreed to hear the case. The couple argued that a same-sex marriage entered into in accordance with Canadian law should be recognised in Sweden, despite the fact that there was no legal basis for it under then Swedish law. On 18 December 2008, the court ruled that the Swedish Tax Authority did not break any rules as the definition of marriage under Swedish law was at the time the union of one man and one woman, and that same-sex relationships were to be recognised as a registered partnership. [24]
The Reinfeldt Cabinet consisted of the Moderate Party, the Centre Party, the Liberal People's Party and the Christian Democratic Party. Justice Minister Beatrice Ask reacted positively when the committee presented its report in March 2007. How the legalisation would end was not clear as one of the coalition partners—the Christian Democrats—was against it. The leader of the Social Democratic Party, Mona Sahlin, said that the party would put forward its own bill in the Parliament if the cabinet could not unite on the issue. In early October 2007, the Green Party, the Left Party and the Social Democratic Party said they would join forces to introduce an opposition motion in Parliament to legalize same-sex marriage.
On 27 October 2007, the Moderate Party formally backed same-sex marriages, meaning that the Christian Democrats would be the only party to oppose the law. Göran Hägglund, the leader of the Christian Democrats, said on Sveriges Radio, "my position is that I have been tasked by the party to argue that marriage is for men and women. ... When we discuss it between parties we are naturally open and sensitive to each other's arguments and we'll see if we can find a line that allows us to come together." [25] On 14 January 2008, two leading politicians from the Christian Democrats took a position against the party and started to support same-sex marriage. [26]
On 12 December 2007, the Church of Sweden voted to support the introduction of civil marriage for same-sex couples, but recommended that the term "marriage" be restricted to opposite-sex couples in the Church. It was asked by the cabinet for its opinion on the matter before the introduction of legislation in early 2008. "Marriage and (same-sex) partnerships are equivalent forms of unions. Therefore the Church of Sweden's central board says yes to the proposal to join the legislation for marriages and partnerships into a single law," the Church said in a statement. "According to the Church of Sweden's board the word 'marriage' should, however, only be used for the relationship between a woman and a man", it said. [27]
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Vote in the Riksdag on same-sex marriage, Riksdag, 1 April 2009 |
Reports suggested the cabinet would table its same-sex marriage bill in early 2008; however, it had yet to propose a bill. This was likely due to the Christian Democrats' opposition from within the four-party centre-right governing coalition despite being the only party opposing the move. After negotiations on a compromise broke down and facing a parliamentary ultimatum in late October 2008, [28] the cabinet prepared to present its bill to a free vote. On 21 January 2009, legislation to amend the Marriage Code (Swedish : Äktenskapsbalken) to define marriage as the union of "two spouses" was introduced to the Swedish Parliament. [29] The bill was passed on 1 April by a vote of 261–22 with 16 abstentions. It was promulgated and published on 16 April, [b] and took effect on 1 May. [30] The bill was supported by all parties except the Christian Democrats and one member of the Centre Party. [31] [32]
The first same-sex couple to marry in Sweden were Alf Karlsson and Johan Lundqvist at Stockholm City Hall on 1 May 2009. The marriage ceremony was officiated by Green Party politician Maria Wetterstrand. [34]
In 2019, all the major parties represented in the Riksdag were in favour of same-sex marriage. However, the Sweden Democrats and the Christian Democrats are in favour of state-recognized same-sex marriage, while believing that religious organisations or individuals working for them (such as priests in the Church of Sweden) should be able to refuse to perform them. [35] [36]
In October 2021, Marshal Fredrik Wersäll confirmed that members of the Swedish 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. A Swedish prince or princess must have the government's consent to marry, but a same-sex marriage would not be treated any differently to an opposite-sex marriage. This followed a similar announcement concerning the Dutch royal family. [37]
A study by the Danish Research Institute for Suicide Prevention, released in 2019, showed that the legalisation of same-sex marriage, as well as other supportive policies and legislation, had decreased the suicide rate among same-sex partners. The study, conducted in both Sweden and Denmark, found a 46% fall in suicides of people in same-sex unions between the periods 1989–2002 and 2003–2016, compared to 28% among heterosexual couples. [38] [39]
In July 2013, Statistics Sweden (SCB) released estimates on the number of people who had married a partner of the same sex since marriage legalisation in 2009. The group found that in all jurisdictions of Sweden bar one (Stockholm County) more lesbian marriages had occurred than male same-sex marriages. 4,521 women were married to another woman in Sweden, compared to 3,646 men in same-sex marriages. [40] The odd figure for female marriages is due to SCB not including foreigners in the statistics. [40] Most same-sex marriages took place in Stockholm County, Västra Götaland County, Skåne County and Uppsala County.
According to SCB, 12,158 people were in a same-sex marriage at the end of 2017; with 56% being women and 44% being men. SCB estimated that the average age of marriage for women in same-sex relationships was 34 years, while for men it was 41 years (compared to 34 and 36, respectively, for opposite-sex partners). Stockholm, Västra Götaland and Skåne counties registered the most same-sex marriages, while Gotland, Jämtland and Blekinge registered the fewest. [41]
In 2009, Eva Brunne was elected and consecrated as the Lutheran Bishop of Stockholm. She was the first lesbian bishop in the world and the first bishop of the Church of Sweden to be in a registered same-sex partnership. [42] On 22 October 2009, the Assembly of the Church of Sweden (which is no longer the state church) voted strongly in favour of giving its blessing to same-sex marriages, [5] including the use of the term "marriage". It was the first major church in Sweden to take this position on same-sex marriage. [43] Archbishop of Uppsala Anders Wejryd commented that he was pleased with the decision. [3] The second and third largest Christian denominations in the country, the Catholic Church and the Swedish Pentecostal Movement, commented that they were "disappointed" with the decision of the Church of Sweden. [44] Priests are under no obligation to solemnize same-sex marriages if this would violate their personal beliefs. Prime Minister Stefan Löfven said in June 2017 that he did not believe a priest working for the Church of Sweden should be allowed to refuse to marry same-sex couples. [45] [46] In 2023, bishops Sören Dalevi, Mikael Mogren and Andreas Holmberg told Expressen that "our common goal regarding weddings is that all priests happily and of their own free marry couples of different sexes and couples of the same sex. This target image is a guide in our work with the admission of priest candidates and in our work with promotion and supervision in our respective dioceses." [47]
Some smaller Christian denominations also allow their congregations to solemnize same-sex marriages, including the Uniting Church in Sweden, the Old Catholic Church in Sweden and Denmark, [48] Quakers, [49] and the Liberal Catholic Church. The first religious same-sex wedding in Sweden was performed in a Liberal Catholic church in Stora Essingen, Stockholm in July 2009 between Maj-Briht and Helle Bergström-Walan. [50] [51] Some Jewish groups also perform same-sex marriages. [52] Additionally, the Nordic Asa-Community and the Community of Forn Sed Sweden both solemnize and support same-sex marriages. [53] [54]
In 2008, the Muslim Association of Sweden stated that no imams would marry same-sex couples. [55] In 2014, French-Algerian Imam Ludovic-Mohamed Zahed officiated at the religious marriage of two Iranian women in Stockholm, which proved controversial in Muslim circles. [56]
A Eurobarometer poll conducted in autumn 2006 found that 71% of Swedes supported legalising same-sex marriage, with support highest at 87% in Stockholm County and lowest at 58% in Jönköping County. This public approval was the second highest in the European Union at the time, behind the Netherlands. [57]
A YouGov poll conducted between 27 December 2012 and 6 January 2013 found that 79% of Swedes supported same-sex marriage, 14% were opposed and 7% had no opinion. [58] A May 2013 Ipsos poll found that 81% of respondents were in favour of same-sex marriage and another 9% supported other forms of recognition for same-sex couples. [59]
The 2015 Eurobarometer found that 90% of Swedes thought same-sex marriage should be allowed throughout Europe, while 7% were opposed. [60] A Pew Research Center poll, conducted between April and August 2017 and published in May 2018, showed that 88% of Swedes supported same-sex marriage, 7% were opposed and 5% did not know or had refused to answer. [61] When divided by religion, 94% of religiously unaffiliated people, 90% of non-practicing Christians and 65% of church-attending Christians supported same-sex marriage. [62] Opposition was 5% among 18–34-year-olds. [63]
The 2019 Eurobarometer found that 92% of Swedes thought same-sex marriage should be allowed throughout Europe, while 6% were opposed. [64] A Pew Research Center poll conducted between February and May 2023 also showed that 92% of Swedes supported same-sex marriage, 6% were opposed and 2% did not know or had refused to answer. When divided by age, support was highest among 18–34-year-olds at 96% and lowest among those aged 35 and above at 90%. Women (96%) were also more likely to support same-sex marriage than men (87%). When divided by political affiliation, support was highest among those on the left of the political spectrum at 98%, followed by those at the center at 93% and those on the right at 90%. [65]
The 2023 Eurobarometer found that 94% of Swedes thought same-sex marriage should be allowed throughout Europe, while 5% were opposed. The survey also found that 95% of Swedes thought that "there is nothing wrong in a sexual relationship between two persons of the same sex", while 4% disagreed. [2]
A civil union is a legally recognized arrangement similar to marriage, created primarily as a means to provide recognition in law for same-sex couples. Civil unions grant some or all of the rights of marriage.
Same-sex marriage has been legal in the Netherlands since 1 April 2001. A bill for the legalisation of same-sex marriage was passed in the House of Representatives by 109 votes to 33 on 12 September 2000 and by the Senate by 49 votes to 26 on 19 December 2000. The law received royal assent by Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands on 21 December 2000 and took effect on 1 April 2001. The Netherlands was the first country in the world to legalize same-sex marriage. Polling suggests that a significant majority of Dutch people support the legal recognition of same-sex marriage.
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 Germany since 1 October 2017. A bill for the legalisation of same-sex marriage passed the Bundestag on 30 June 2017 and the Bundesrat on 7 July. It was signed into law on 20 July by President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and published in the Federal Law Gazette on 28 July 2017. Previously, the governing CDU/CSU had refused to legislate on the issue of same-sex marriage. In June 2017, Chancellor Angela Merkel unexpectedly said she hoped the matter would be put to a conscience vote. Consequently, other party leaders organised for a vote to be held in the last week of June during the final legislative session before summer recess. The Bundestag passed the legislation on 30 June by 393 votes to 226, and it went into force on 1 October. Polling suggests that a significant majority of Germans support the legal recognition of same-sex marriage. Germany was the first country in Central Europe, the fourteenth in Europe, and the 22nd in the world to allow same-sex couples to marry nationwide.
Same-sex marriage has been legal in Ireland since 16 November 2015. A referendum on 22 May 2015 amended the Constitution of Ireland to provide that marriage is recognised irrespective of the sex of the partners. The measure was signed into law by the President of Ireland, Michael D. Higgins, as the Thirty-fourth Amendment of the Constitution of Ireland on 29 August 2015. The Marriage Act 2015, passed by the Oireachtas on 22 October 2015 and signed into law by the Presidential Commission on 29 October 2015, gave legislative effect to the amendment. Same-sex marriages in Ireland began being recognised from 16 November 2015, and the first marriage ceremonies of same-sex couples in Ireland occurred the following day. Ireland was the eighteenth country in the world and the eleventh in Europe to allow same-sex couples to marry nationwide.
Same-sex marriage has been legal in Denmark since 15 June 2012. A bill for the legalization of same-sex marriages was introduced by the Thorning-Schmidt I Cabinet, and approved by the Folketing on 7 June 2012. It received royal assent by Queen Margrethe II on 12 June and took effect three days later. Polling indicates that a significant majority of Danes support the legal recognition of same-sex marriage. Denmark was the fourth Nordic country, after Norway, Sweden and Iceland, the eighth in Europe and the eleventh in the world to legalize same-sex marriage. It was the first country in the world to enact registered partnerships, which provided same-sex couples with almost all of the rights and benefits of marriage, in 1989.
Poland does not legally recognize same-sex marriages or civil unions. In 2012, the Supreme Court ruled that same-sex couples have limited legal rights with regard to the tenancy of a shared household. A few laws also guarantee certain limited rights to cohabiting couples, including same-sex couples. Same-sex spouses of European Union citizens also have access to residency rights under a June 2018 ruling from the European Court of Justice.
Croatia recognizes life partnerships for same-sex couples through the Life Partnership Act, making same-sex couples equal to married couples in almost all of its aspects. The Act also recognizes and defines unregistered same-sex relationships as informal life partners, thus making them equal to registered life partnerships after they have been cohabiting for a minimum of 3 years. Croatia first recognized same-sex couples in 2003 through a law on unregistered same-sex unions, which was later replaced by the Life Partnership Act. The Croatian Parliament passed the new law on 15 July 2014, taking effect in two stages. Following a 2013 referendum, the Constitution of Croatia has limited marriage to opposite-sex couples.
Same-sex marriage has been legal in Greece since 16 February 2024. In July 2023, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, head of the re-elected New Democracy party, announced his government's intention to legalise same-sex marriage. Its legalisation was part of an action plan for LGBT equality, which was drafted by a special committee appointed by Mitsotakis in 2021. Legislation was introduced to the Hellenic Parliament on 1 February 2024 and passed on 15 February by 176 votes to 76. The bill was signed into law by President Katerina Sakellaropoulou and took effect upon publication in the Government Gazette on 16 February. Polling suggests that a majority of Greeks support the legal recognition of same-sex marriage. Greece was the 16th member state of the European Union, the 21st country in Europe, and the 36th in the world to allow same-sex couples to marry.
Italy has recognised civil unions since 5 June 2016, providing same-sex couples with most of the legal protections, benefits and rights of marriage. A bill to this effect was approved by the Senate on 25 February 2016 and by the Chamber of Deputies on 11 May. It was signed into law by President Sergio Mattarella on 20 May, published in the Gazzetta Ufficiale the next day and took effect on 5 June 2016. The law does not grant same-sex couples joint adoption rights or access to in vitro fertilisation. Before this, several regions had supported a national law on civil unions and some municipalities passed laws providing for civil unions, though the rights conferred by these unions varied from place to place.
Lithuania does not recognise same-sex marriages or civil unions. A bill to legalise civil unions and grant same-sex couples some legal rights and benefits is pending in the Seimas. Lithuania is the only Baltic state to not recognise same-sex couples in any form. Additionally, the Constitution of Lithuania explicitly prohibits the recognition of same-sex marriages.
Same-sex marriage has been legal in Estonia since 1 January 2024. The government elected in the March 2023 election, led by Prime Minister Kaja Kallas and consisting of the Reform Party, the Social Democrats and Estonia 200, vowed to legalize same-sex marriage. Legislation to open marriage to same-sex couples was introduced to the Riigikogu in May 2023, and was approved in a final reading by 55 votes to 34 on 20 June. It was signed into law by President Alar Karis on 27 June, and took effect on 1 January 2024. Estonia was the first Baltic state, the first post-Soviet state, the twentieth country in Europe, and the 35th in the world to legalise same-sex marriage.
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) rights in Sweden are regarded as some of the most progressive in Europe and the world. Same-sex sexual activity was legalized in 1944 and the age of consent was equalized to that of heterosexual activity in 1972. Sweden also became the first country in the world to allow transgender people to change their legal gender post-sex reassignment surgery in 1972, whilst transvestism was declassified as an illness in 2009. Legislation allowing legal gender changes without hormone replacement therapy and sex reassignment surgery was passed in 2013.
Same-sex marriage has been legal in Austria since 1 January 2019. On 4 December 2017, the Constitutional Court ruled that the non-discrimination and equality provisions of the Constitution of Austria guarantee same-sex couples the right to marry. The decision took effect on 1 January 2019, making Austria the 24th country in the world and the fifteenth in Europe to allow same-sex couples to marry nationwide. Polling indicates that a majority of Austrians support the legal recognition of same-sex marriage.
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBTQ) rights in Latvia have expanded substantially in recent years, although LGBT people still face various challenges not experienced by non-LGBT residents. Both male and female types of same-sex sexual activity are legal in Latvia, but households headed by same-sex couples are ineligible for the same legal protections available to opposite-sex couples. Since May 2022, same-sex couples have been recognized as "family" by the Administrative District Court, which gives them some of the legal protections available to married (opposite-sex) couples; as of 2023 November, around 40 couples have been registered via this procedure. In November 2023 registered partnerships were codified into law. These partnerships are available to both same and different sex couples - since July 1, 2024 the implemented registered partnership law has the similar rights and obligations as married couples - with the exception of the title of marriage, and adoption or inheritance rights.
Hungary has recognized registered partnerships since 1 July 2009, offering same-sex couples nearly all the rights and benefits of marriage. Unregistered cohabitation for same-sex couples was recognised and placed on equal footing with the unregistered cohabitation of different-sex couples in 1996. However, same-sex marriage is prohibited by the 2011 Constitution of Hungary, which took effect in January 2012.
Same-sex marriage has been legal in Norway since 1 January 2009 when a gender-neutral marriage law came into force after being passed by the Storting in June 2008. Norway was the first Scandinavian country, the fourth in Europe, and the sixth in the world to legalize same-sex marriage, after the Netherlands, Belgium, Spain, Canada and South Africa. Polling suggests that a majority of Norwegians support the legal recognition of same-sex marriage, and in 2024 Norway was named the best marriage destination for same-sex couples by a British wedding planning website.
Debate has occurred throughout Europe over proposals to legalise same-sex marriage as well as same-sex civil unions. Currently 33 of the 50 countries and the 8 dependent territories in Europe recognise some type of same-sex union, among them most members of the European Union (24/27). Nearly 43% of the European population lives in jurisdictions where same-sex marriage is legal.
Slovakia does not recognise same-sex marriage or civil unions. However, there is some limited legal recognition for unregistered cohabiting same-sex couples, notably with regard to inheritance rights. The Constitution of Slovakia has limited marriage to opposite-sex couples since 2014, and bills to allow same-sex civil partnerships have been introduced several times, most recently in 2023, but all have been rejected.
Cyprus has recognised same-sex civil unions since 9 December 2015. Legislation to establish a form of partnership known as civil cohabitation was introduced by the ruling Democratic Rally party in July 2015, and approved by the Cypriot Parliament in a 39–12 vote on 26 November 2015. It was signed by President Nicos Anastasiades, and took effect on 9 December upon publication in the government gazette.
Kristdemokraterna förespråkar en civilrättslig registrering som är lika för hetero- och homosexuella par. Därmed skiljer man på den rättsliga ordning som staten ska reglera och kyrkornas ceremoni. Förslaget har sin grund i förhållandet att kyrka och stat numera är åtskilda och innebär att myndighetsutövningen i detta sammanhang förbehålls staten. Rent praktiskt innebär det att alla par som vill gifta sig går till en myndighet, exempelvis skattemyndigheten, och registrerar det juridiska förbundet. Därefter inramar varje par giftermålet på det sätt som de själva önskar.
[SD] har tidigare varit emot samkönade äktenskap, men säger sig nu acceptera den ordning som gäller i dag. Däremot vill SD att nya präster som inte vill viga homosexuella par ska få en plats i kyrkan.