Tim za socijalno uključivanje i smanjenje siromaštva

At the referendum held on December 20, the Slovenians by vast majority voted against legalisation of same-sex marriages. Even though the number of voters was very low, the right to same-sex marriage will be taken out of the legislation. More than the fifth of the total number of voters voted against it thus fulfilling the required minimum. Opponents of same-sex marriages in Slovenia, first and foremost, dispute the right to the adoption of children which has been granted to same-sex couples by this law from March. In Slovenia, there is such a thing as registered partnership which gives certain legal rights to same-sex couples.

Slovenia is one of the most liberal ex-communist countries since it is the first to allow same-sex couples to marry. However, gay rights are still a sensitive topic in this country in which the majority is Catholic. Just before the referendum, the Head of the Roman Catholic Church, Pope Francis encouraged Slovenians to vote “no” and give support to the family as the foundation of society.

Same-sex marriages are allowed or soon will be recognized in 18 countries of which 13 are in Europe. All the countries have decided to pass this law through the parliament, except Ireland where it was approved through a referendum in May. In the European Union, ten countries allow same-sex marriages while registered partnerships are recognized in 19 countries, including the ones where same-sex marriage is possible.

Source: Beta, AFP, taken from www.euractiv.rs