Category — Europe

What the fuck?  For real?  And America can’t even have a federal civil union?  Oookay.  From the BBC:

Albanian Prime Minister Sali Berisha has announced his party will propose a law legalising same-sex marriage.

It is an unexpected move in a country that is still one of the most conservative in Europe and where homosexuality was illegal until 1995.

Mr Berisha acknowledged the proposed law might provoke debate but maintained that discrimination in modern Albania had to end.

Well this is good news.   Many people feel this is a way for Albania to be accepted into the European Union.   If it is, so what?   Futher, Albania is one of two European countries that is predominantly Muslim.  That could add some additional friction when gays start tongue twistin’ at the courthouse to display their love.

Some groups in Albania are already flipping their wigs:

The reaction by Islamic and Catholic leaders has been vehement.

Under the isolationist rule of Enver Hoxha, Albania was officially an atheist state.

But since the fall of Communism almost two decades ago, religion has once again grown and its leaders’ voices are influential.

This should be an interesting story.   All these religious people always flipping their wigs!!  From Alabama to Albania.  BULLSHIT!

Anyways, interesting flag.  Looks like it should be in the dungeon of a group of rabid fisting nationalist nazis.

        

Ireland looks geared to get civil partnerships.  It’s about time.  Ireland is the only country in northwestern Europe not to have a same sex marriage or civil partnership.  For the record, civil partnerships in the UK are IDENTICAL to marriage.  Perhaps the Irish partnership will be the same.  From Pink News:

The new civil partnership bill proposed in Ireland gives same-sex couples the same financial and maintenance protection as married couples, a breakthrough for the lesbian and gay community.

Justice Minister Dermot Ahern said: “As well as providing for Civil Partnership Registration for same-sex couples, it will also provide certainty as to the status of cohabitation agreements, and a legal safety-net to people living in long term relationships who may otherwise be very vulnerable at the end of a relationship, whether through break-up or through bereavement.”

The new bill, expected to take effect by this time next year, creates a legal relationship for same-sex couples, covering registration of civil partnerships, property and financial matters and dissolution of the partnership

My love was born in Dublin and still has EU citizenship(for life) even though he’s lived in Oz for 10 years.  As I’ve wrote before, my time in Australia may or may not be coming to an end.   If it does, and I run out of visa options, the two of us are off to live in Europe.  This is one more door opening for us and it feels very nice.