Posts Tagged: Spain gay marriage


11
Jul 11

SPAIN’S CREDIT RATING GOES UP

creditratingimage

That’s not a headline you are likely to read anywhere else in 2011. But in the case of access to equality, the fresh statistics for marriage in Spain show the country’s credit rating is very high indeed.

Rex Wockner reports that 18,634 same-sex marriages have been registered in Spain, while the State Federation of Lesbians, Gays, Transsexuals and Bisexuals (FELGBT) believes that not all the marriages have been recorded, and that the actual number is 23,000.

In any case, 2.1 percent of marriages in 2010 were between people of the same sex - nearly 4,000 last year.

To the 8,000 happy people – my hearty congratulations.


18
Jan 11

MALAS NOTICIAS! THE PAIN FROM SPAIN

mariano rajoy

Conservative Spanish opposition leader Mariano Rajoy sounds like a real pain. More to the point he is going to become a major difficulty for Spain’s gay and lesbian community if things stay on their current track.

Spain is currently suffering unemployment rates over 20% – the economy is a disaster zone in other words. Never mind what Goldman Sachs and co might do to them next on global bond markets, there is a lot of ongoing pain and frustration.

And that makes it very easy for Spanish people to forget the beautiful words of their current Prime Minister – Zapatero (see video below) - when he introduced marriage equality five years ago.  The Opposition stands a very strong chance of winning the next election, in one year, and that could mean the end of marriage equality.   Rajoy is being vague but tough right now.  The “change” he speaks of is probably only downgrading marriage to civil unions, but he could get rid of much more than that and send the gays back to second class.

Watch out for this one!

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29
Aug 10

UNDER FIRE IN SPAIN

Alberto Sánchez Fernández and Alberto Linero Marchena, Reuters

Alberto Sánchez Fernández and Alberto Linero Marchena, Reuters

I’ve beeing sunning  myself in Spain these last days, thinking how lovely it is be holding hands in little villages with boyfriend, and marvelling at how local gay restauranteurs seem to be welcomed in leading roles in their local churches.

But all is not perfect in Mediterranean paradise … as this story of a sacked Spanish soldier shows.  The full facts will be revealed in litigation, of course – but it doesn’t take a genius to see that Alberto Linero’s  gay marriage might be part of the military’s problem with himContinue reading →


8
Jul 10

THE GAY MARRIAGE WORLD CUP

flags: pride, south africa, netherlands, spain

No matter who wins the World Cup final on Sunday, gays and lesbians are all winners.

Not only did huge stars like Cristiano Ronaldo announce their support for marriage equality during the championships, the final will be contested by two countries with marriage equality (Spain and the Netherlands) and will be played in a country with marriage equality (South Africa) … it doesn’t get better than that.

Well, maybe it does – in 2014 maybe there will be out gay players too. Think about it, there is at least a whole football team of gays in a 32-team World Cup. And yet we don’t get the trurth from any of them…


6
Jul 10

AMAZING ZAPATERO SPEECH

 

Some selections from the best speech I know – by the Spanish Prime Minister no less – about the importance and value of gay marriage, or marriage equality. The video is also subtitled in English.

“We are not legislating for people far away and not known by us. We are enlarging the opportunity for happiness to our neighbors, our co-workers, our friends and our families: at the same time we are making a more decent society, because a decent society is one that does not humiliate its members.

“Today, the Spanish society answers to a group of people who, during many years have, been humiliated, whose rights have been ignored, whose dignity has been offended, their identity denied, and their liberty oppressed. Today the Spanish society grants them the respect they deserve, recognizes their rights, restores their dignity, affirms their identity, and restores their liberty.

“It is true that they are only a minority, but their triumph is everyone’s triumph. It is also the triumph of those who oppose this law, even though they do not know this yet: because it is the triumph of Liberty. Their victory makes all of us better people, it makes our society better.

Continue reading →


6
Jul 10

5 YEARS OF EQUALITY IN SPAIN

Emilio Menendez and Carlos Baturin

Emilio Menendez and Carlos Baturin the first couple to marry

Happy Birthday to the equality movement in Spain. More than 15,000 couples strong. And a largely Catholic country that has not been ripped apart at all – in fact the biggest worry is their economy, not who is walking down the aisle.