Slovenia law legalizes same-sex marriage, but not adoption News
Slovenia law legalizes same-sex marriage, but not adoption

A Slovenian law allowing same-sex marriage took effect Friday, and the country’s first same-sex marriage will take place Saturday, according to an administrator in Maribor [official website, in Slovenian], the city where the wedding will take place. Ksenija Klampfer said a lesbian couple will be the first to get married under a law passed by the Slovenian government last year. The law was passed [Radio-Television Slovenia report, in Slovenian] in a 51-28 vote [JURIST report] months after a referendum to halt the legalization [text, PDF, in Slovenian] of same-sex marriages was voted on by the public. In allowing same-sex marriages, Slovenia joins other Eurpoean Union countries including Spain, France, and Britain. While the law does allow gay and lesbian couples to marry, it does not allow them to adopt children, other than those from a spouse’s previous marriage.

Rights for LGBT individuals continue to change. Last week, the Parliament of Finland voted 120-48 [JURIST report] to confirm a law allowing same-sex marriage. Earlier this month the UK announced [press release] that thousands of gay and bisexual men who were convicted of sexual offenses received a posthumous pardon as their actions are no longer deemed illegal under British law. In January the Texas Supreme Court reversed its previous 8-1 decision [JURIST report], choosing to review a lower court ruling in which that court held cities are required to offer the same benefits to same-sex spouses of employees as to opposite-sex spouses. A UN human rights expert provided a report [JURIST report] to an international conference in Thailand in November regarding discrimination of the lesbian, gay bisexual, transgender and intersex community. Also in November the Ontario legislature passed the All Families are Equal Act [text], recognizing same-sex couples as parents when they utilize assisted reproduction.