Berger: Register same-sex couples

Pat Maadi

Would avoid discrimination.
Three EU states have same-sex civil marriages.

Vienna. Justice minister Maria Berger of the Social Democrats (SPÖ) has presented her proposals for registered partnerships of the same-sex. The so-called working paper, drawn up with the coalition partner, the People’s Party (ÖVP), foresees couples formally providing evidence of their relationship at a local registry office. Same-sex couples would be entitled to many of the rights and have the same obligations as heterosexual couples who are married. One of the aims of the proposed legislation is to avoid discrimination.

In other European countries, same-sex civil marriages currently are legally recognized in Belgium, Spain and the Netherlands. These three countries treat same-sex couples and opposite-sex married couples in the same way, also in respect of adoption.

In Germany same-sex couples are legally recognized. Registered life partnerships have been instituted since 2001, giving same-sex couples rights and obligations in areas such as inheritance and health insurance. Hungary is the first ex-communist country and the fifth in the world to legalize partnerships of the same-sex. Unregistered Cohabitation has been recognized since 1996 for any couple living together in an economic and sexual relationship (common law marriage), including same-sex couples.

Printausgabe vom 24.10.2007