Thursday, June 30, 2005

Spain Edges Canada

In a sudden move, the parliament voted same-sex marriage as law yesterday, 187 to 147. This makes it the third country to legalize such unions.

While Canada's House of Commons passed its version earlier, the arcane formalities of Senate approval and the Queen's signature means its law won't be final until later this year.

Spain's Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero concluded, "We were not the first, but I am sure we will not be the last. After us will come many other countries, driven, ladies and gentlemen, by two unstoppable forces: freedom and equality."

1 comment:

massmarrier said...

The coverage from Spain reads that the law becomes effective immediately. I guess Canadians take their royalty and tradition more seriously.

That's a good point from your officemate. While the Spanish church sorts seemed sad and mad, the people, gay and straight, partied and cheered. There must be pride in joining this century. I can only wonder when we'll do it in the United States.