Spanish parliament legaliz gay marriage

Contents:

• SPANISH PARLIAMENT LEGALIZ GAY MARRIAGE
• SPA LEGALIS GAY MARRIAGE
• GAY MARRIAGE

SPANISH PARLIAMENT LEGALIZ GAY MARRIAGE

Spa beme the third untry to legalize gay marriage Thursday a parliament vote that left gay activists blowg kiss to lawmakers and the powerful Catholic Church issug veiled lls for new law creas the chanc of happs for "our neighbors, our work lleagu, our iends, our relativ, " said Prime Mister Jose Luis Rodriguez 350-seat Congrs of Deputi, by a vote of 187-147 wh four abstentns, approved the measure to give homosexual upl the same rights as heterosexual on, cludg the right to adopt the tally was announced, activists watchg om the spectator sectn of the ornate chamber cried, cheered, hugged each other, waved to lawmakers and blew them kiss. ‘Historic day’Outsi the stately 19th-century chamber where other chapters of Spanish history have been wrten, activists jumped for joy and waved rabow flags symbolizg the ternatnal gay rights movement.

SPA LEGALIS GAY MARRIAGE

"It is a historic day for the world's homosexuals. We have been fightg for many years, " said Beatriz Gimeno, a longtime lear of the gay rights movement Spa.

" She blked back tears as she hugged her partner, Boti Spanish film director Pedro Almodovar, who is gay, said 21st century fai don't have to reflect the tradnal Catholic mol. "Marriage, unrstood as the unn of a man and a woman, is no longer provid for our laws, " the Spanish Bishops Conference said after the vote, referrg both to the gay marriage law and a bill passed Wednday makg easier for Spaniards to divorce.

"It is necsary to oppose the unfair laws through all legimate means, " a nference statement said, alludg to s ht last month that town hall officials who oppose gay marriage should refe to pri over such 80 percent of Spaniards nsir themselv Catholic. "Gay upl n get married as soon as the law is published the official ernment registry — as early as Friday or wh two weeks at the latt, parliament's prs office Netherlands and Belgium are the only other two untri that regnize gay marriage natnwi.

GAY MARRIAGE

The Netherlands lets gays adopt children. Belgium is nsirg the adoptn 's Hoe of Commons passed legislatn Tuday that would legalize gay marriage by the end of July as long as the Senate also pass the bill, which is expected to the Uned Stat, Massachetts is the only state to regnize gay marriage. Rajoy said if the vast majory of untri don't accept gay marriage, there mt be a reason.

"I thk the prime mister has mted a grave act of irrponsibily, " Rajoy said, addg that his party is nsirg challengg the law before the Constutnal Court, Spa's hight gay marriage bill was the bolst and most divisive iative of the liberal social agenda Zapatero has embarked on sce takg office April the divorce law reform, upl n end their marriage whout a mandatory separatn perd or havg to state a reason for the spl-up, as required unr the old legislatn. Zapatero also phed through legislatn allowg stem-cell rearch and wants to loosen Spa's rtrictive abortn s first display of anti-ernment activism 20 years, the Catholic Church endorsed a June 18 rally which hundreds of thoands of people marched through Madrid to oppose the same-sex marriage, polls suggt Spaniards support gay marriage.

A May survey by pollster Instuto Opa said 62 percent of Spaniards support the ernment's actn on gay marriage, and 30 percent oppose . But surveys also show Spaniards about evenly spl over whether gay upl should be allowed to adopt children.