Homosexual marriage act

Just read in the news: an act to legalise same-sex marriage will be sent to Taiwan's parliament to be read and most likely passed!

The act will amend the civil law and do away with the mention of gender in the context of any union between two people. It will change the idea of what is a family. The idea of "partnership" means that any two people willing to enter a union and form a family can apply for legal recognition.

If passed, Taiwan will be the first Asian nation to recognise same sex marriage! Only recently, the government published a guidebook on arranging funeral affairs which informs family and funeral homes to take into account same sex couples and those who are not legally married but are cohabiting.

Proud of my birth-country!

Gay marriage in South Africa~

South Africa became the first country in Africa to legalise same-sex marriage a couple of days ago. The first (legal) gay wedding was held on World AIDS Day, momentously marking the fifth country in the world where same-sex unions are recognised in law.

This comes after a groundbreaking South African case in December last year, where the Constitutional Court said:

“The common law definition of marriage is […] inconsistent with the Constitution and invalid to the extent that it does not permit same-sex couples to enjoy the status and the benefits coupled with responsibilities it accords to heterosexual couples.”

The court asked Parliament to change adapt a law within one year to realise same-sex couples rights to marriage. And here we are.

Gay marriage

How much can a law change social attitudes? How much is a law a reflection of the public’s acceptance of homosexuality?

Technically, there is no law governing the marriage of gays; the law on civil marriage was just changed so that it did not discriminate between the sex of those concerned. Here in the Netherlands, even after five years of ‘opening’ Civil Marriage to same-sex couples, there are civil servants who refuse to register the civil marriage. And in recent years, the high level officials have been outspokenly critical of homosexuality—or at least not done anything to promote understanding and acceptance of homosexuals. While being a homosexual (lesbian, bi or transsexual) may not seem like a big problem in general, many still face difficulties in the workplace or at home.

Article on the same-sex unions in Canada, one year after it was legalised.

“The law, which is often said to be behind new social realities, remains a more rapid process than consciousness-raising and education.”