Austria Legalizes Marriage Equality

[LoveNDino]

Austria Legalizes Same-Sex Marriage

The country's top court ruled that the existing marriage laws are discriminatory.

 

by Adam Salandra

 

Austria’s Constitutional Court announced this week that same-sex marriage will be legal starting in 2019.

 

The country has allowed same-sex couples to enter into legal partnerships since 2010, but the court has now ruled that the existing law is discriminatory and needs to be updated.

 

 

Officials looked into the current law following a complaint from two women who were upset over being denied a formal marriage by authorities in Vienna.

 

http://imageslogotv-a.akamaihd.net//uri/mgid:file:http:shared:s3.amazonaws.com/articles.newnownext.com-production/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/GettyImages-874303810-1512497492-1512497494.jpg?quality=0.8&format=jpg&width=1200

 

The ruling brings Austria up to speed with other European nations including Germany, Spain, France and the UK, all of which have legalized same-sex marriage in the past several years.

 

The restrictions on same-sex marriage are currently set to be lifted on the final day of 2018, unless the government decides to do it earlier, and the new law will go into effect on January 1, 2019.

 

Civil partnerships will still remain an option for same-sex couples, but will now be made available to heterosexual couples as well, in an attempt to provide equality across the board.

[+ Avalon]

2019 seems like a long time to wait.

[TruthBTold]

Another very Catholic Country coming into the fold.

[+ Avalon]

Another very Catholic Country coming into the fold.

 

Vatican II really did the Church in!

[+ quoththeraven]

Vatican II really did the Church in!

In what way that is relevant to same-sex marriage?

[+ Avalon]

In what way that is relevant to same-sex marriage?

 

Times are changing. The Church itself is not changing its teachings but people are thinking for themselves.

[Stormy]

A European Court of Justice is currently considering whether to mandate that all countries in the European Union recognize same sex marriage. A gay couple wed in Belgium and are currently living in the United States. These men are Romanian citizens who were denied recognition from the Romanian government. It will be very interesting to see what transpires in the much more conservative Eastern bloc if the court rules in the couples favor

[+ quoththeraven]

Times are changing. The Church itself is not changing its teachings but people are thinking for themselves.

That would have happened with or without Vatican II.

 

It can be argued that as a reform effort, Vatican II delayed this reckoning, but I'm not sure there is conclusive evidence either way.