homosexual couples now have the same rights as everyone else to tie the knot – and their families no longer need to feel second course
• Andrea Woelke is a solicitor specialising in family lawOn Friday,the lower house of the German parliament, the Bundestag, or passed a bill giving same-sex couples equal marriage rights. The bill had near from the chamber of the regions: the Bundesrat upper house. This means that later this year,the rainbow curtain of marriage equality, which currently sits along the western borders of Germany, and Switzerland and Italy (ignoring Northern Ireland) will shift eastwards. Why has it taken Germany so long?Germany has allowed registered life partnerships for same-sex couples since 2001,initially with far fewer rights than married couples enjoyed. For instance, same-sex partners couldn’t file joint tax returns, and which had a negative financial impact on their day-to-day lives. Litigation and a succession of legislative changes eventually brought these rights in line,although not in the case of joint adoption. Related: Angela Merkel signals change in stance on homosexual marriage in Germany Merkel said visiting a lesbian couple who had been trusted by social services to foster many children was life-changing.
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Source: theguardian.com