Vatican: Children need heterosexual parents, says pope after gay pride march

Pope Francis stressed the importance of children having heterosexual parents, just a day after Rome’s gay pride march demonstrated the changing attitudes about same-sex couples outside the Vatican walls. Addressing around 25,000 followers from the Diocese of Rome, the pope said the differences between men and women are fundamental and “an integral part of being human.”

The pontiff likened a long-lasting marriage to a good wine, in which a husband and wife make the most of their gender differences.

“They’re not scared of the differences!” the pope said. “What great richness this diversity is, a diversity which becomes complementary, but also reciprocal. It binds them, one to the other.” Heterosexual marriages not only ensured couples’ happiness, the pontiff said, but were essential for good parenting. Read More 

Italy: LGBT pride to demand respect for human rights

Twenty floats, a procession and thousands of participants--the 21st annual Roma Pride was a parade full of color, music and fun. A party with a serious message: the recognition of the rights, as recently happened with the referendum in Ireland. Organizers said over 250,000 attended the event. Leading the march, the mayor of Rome, Ignazio Marino , who commented: "We are here to celebrate. Rome, the host city, the city that believes in love, has made romises and kept them all. In Rome love counts." Read More 

Iran: Bishop ​Leo Boccardi, the Holy See Ambassador to Iran seeks interfaith response to gay marriage

Bishop eo Boccardi, the Holy See Ambassador to Iran says that he would like to see an interfaith solution to  problems such as the legalization of gay marriage in Ireland. The Apostolic Nuncio to Ira made his comments during a meeting with Ayatollah Hosseini Boushehri, the President of Iran's Seminary Schools.  

Boccardi is quoted saying, "A referendum in Ireland took place that legalizes marriage between two men. Now what should we do and how can we respond to this?... My hope is that religions can start a dialogue among themselves and keep close contacts to address problems of this sort."

When asked by his host about the reason for the lack of a strong response from the Vatican against the spread of homosexuality, he said, "In today's societies, secularism is institutionalized and the separation of church and state has made religion a personal choice... Over the past 50 years, a trend has been growing that distinguishes between morality and faith, allowing the people of faith to commit immoral acts." Read More

Vatican says Ireland gay marriage vote is 'defeat for humanity'

A senior Vatican official has attacked the legalisation of gay marriage in Ireland.  “I was deeply saddened by the result,” said Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican’s secretary of state. “The church must take account of this reality, but in the sense that it must strengthen its commitment to evangelisation. I think that you cannot just talk of a defeat for Christian principles, but of a defeat for humanity.” 

The remarks by the Vatican’s top diplomat, who is seen as second only to the pope in the church’s hierarchy, represent the most damning assessment of the Irish vote by a senior church official to date.

It was a far more critical response than the circumspect reaction offered by archbishop Diarmuid Martin of Dublin, who said: “It is very clear that if this referendum is an affirmation of the views of young people … [then the church needs] a reality check.” 

While the results were celebrated by advocates of gay rights in Ireland and around the world, it was also seen as a stark symbol of how wide the chasm has grown between young people in what has traditionally been a staunchly Catholic country and the church itself, which says that homosexual acts are a sin and vehemently opposes gay marriage. Read More

US: North Carolina allows officials to refuse to perform gay marriages

North Carolina House of Representatives overrode Gov. Pat McCrory’s veto of a new bill that allows magistrates to refuse to marry any couple if they have a “sincerely held religious objection.” The Senate already overrode the veto, meaning the bill is now law. In addition to exempting magistrates, the measure permits registers of deeds to refuse to issue marriage licenses to any couple on religious grounds. From now on, a magistrate or register of deeds need only assert that serving a gay couple (or interracial couple, or interfaith couple) violates her religious beliefs. As soon as she does, she will be allowed to refuse to do her job.  Read More

Poland: Parliament drops civil partnership debate

The Sejm lower parliamentary house has voted against a debate on a bill which would regulate civil partnerships – both heterosexual and homosexual – in Poland. The proposed law – which was put forward by the Democratic Left Alliance – foresees the possibility of joint payment of income tax, the right to inheritance as well as social security benfits in the event of one of the partner’s deaths. However, the bill will likely now be shelved after MPs overwhelmingly voted against any discussion on the matter.

“We are lied to by politicians – mostly conservative – who say that Poland is not ready for civil partnerships, let alone [same-sex] marriage,” said head of the Campaign Against Homophobia, Agata Chaber. “That is a lie, Poland is ready,” she said. Read More 

US: Guam becomes first US territory to recognize gay marriage after judge strikes down ban

U.S. District Court Chief Judge Frances M. Tydingco-Gatewood issued the decision and gay couples can begin applying for marriage licenses, the Pacific Daily News reported. Attorneys representing the government of Guam said in a May 18 court document that "should a court strike current Guam law, they would respect and follow such a decision."

Loretta M. Pangelinan and Kathleen M. Aguero filed the lawsuit in April after the 28-year-old women were denied a marriage license. They based their lawsuit on a 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals decision last year in favor of same-sex marriage.

Attorneys for the Guam plaintiffs had argued the territory must fall in line with the 9th Circuit decision and accept marriage license applications unless the U.S. Supreme Court rules otherwise. Currently, gay couples can marry in 36 states, the District of Columbia and now, Guam. Read More

Greenland: Parliament unanimously passes same-sex marriage laws

The autonomous Arctic country of Greenland followed the lead of its former colonial master Denmark by legalizing same-sex marriage in a parliamentary vote that follows the Irish referendum on the same subject.

Greenland, which is three-quarters covered by sub-Arctic ice sheet and is the worlds most sparsely populated country, had gay marriage legalised by a 27-0 legislative vote yesterday. 
 
Greenland’s proposal to allow same-sex marriage was first brought up in 2010 but because the issue was seen as something to be decided by the Kingdom of Denmark, the plans were put on the back burner until Denmark passed its same-sex marriage legislation in June 2012. Read More 

Greece to grant gay couples right to civil union

Greece's radical-left government on Wednesday proposed a bill to grant same-sex couples the right to a civil union, two years after the European Court of Human Rights condemned the country's existing legislation as discriminatory.  Read More 

Italy: Gay civil unions measures passed

Italy's Lower House on Wednesday approved a motion on same-sex civil unions promoted by the Democratic Party. The motion commits the government "to promote the adoption of a law on civil unions, particularly with regard to the condition of the people of same sex". It also commits the government "to ensure equal treatment throughout the nation" of civil unions. Read More 

Germany: Cabinet okays more rights for same-sex couples

Germany's cabinet on Wednesday approved a raft of draft measures to extend the rights of same-sex couples but faced criticism for allowing only civil unions, not full gay marriage.

Three days after Ireland voted "Yes" to gay marriage in a referendum, German government spokesman Steffen Seibert defended the moves that aim to ensure equal treatment for gay couples without granting them the right to legally wed.

"We will, in Germany, have to find our way," he told reporters. "Non-discrimination against civil partnerships is the clear goal of government policy.  Read More 

Costa Rica: Grants first gay common-law marriage in Central America

A Costa Rican judge has granted the first openly gay common-law marriage in Central America, said Francisco Madrigal, political affairs director for the Center for Research and Promotion of Human Rights in Central America.

Gerald Castro and Cristian Zamora, a gay couple in the city of Goicoechea, north of San José, were granted a common-law marriage by the Family Court. Along with being the first legal recognition of a same-sex relationship in Central America, the decision could set an example for judges elsewhere in the country to recognize gay relationships and even adoption. But both supporters and opponents of the decision expect a forthcoming legal battle over the landmark ruling.

Common-law marriage grants all the same benefits of a traditional marriage in Costa Rica, but requires the approval of a judge after the couple has been together for at least 3 years. It guarantees partners the rights to inheritance, to social security and public insurance benefits and to visit the other person in the hospital. Costa Rica does not currently recognize gay marriage but a bill is pending in the Legislative Assembly that would approve civil unions here. Read More