In the past twenty years, many countries followed the example of the Netherlands. This can also be seen in the map of Europe below, which indicates per country whether same-sex marriage is allowed or not.
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In Eastern Europe, there are some countries where same-sex marriage is not yet recognized, such as Poland or Hungary. No surprise, because it is known that these countries think very conservatively on many issues. Apart from these Eastern European countries, it is striking that Greece, Italy and Switzerland are the laggards. There, same-sex couples are only allowed to enter into a registered partnership.
Referendum in Switzerland
But there is a good chance that this will change in Switzerland in the short term. Today the Swiss can go to the polls to give their opinion on same-sex marriage. And that already made a lot of sense this month, as you can see in the video below:
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But there was a lot of haggling before that. The Swiss government and parliament are in favor of and have already planned to introduce same-sex marriage. But opponents put a stop to that and forced a referendum. Now it is up to the people to decide whether the implementation will come or not.
Adoption
There is more at stake than just marriage. If same-sex marriage is recognized, same-sex couples can also adopt children. That is now almost impossible and such a process takes up to three years, according to Antonia Hauswirth of the Swiss organization ‘Marriage for All’.
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Opponents would rather not see that change. They believe that a child needs a father and a mother. But the chances are slim that they will win the referendum. The polls show that a majority of Swiss to vote for same-sex marriage. The first couples are expected to get married early next year.
Bill in Italy
In Italy too, the introduction of same-sex marriage is high on the agenda of gay rights organizations. But according to Italy correspondent Anouk Boone, the country is not yet ready for that discussion: “At the moment gay rights are a topical issue in Italy, but in the form of a bill that should better protect the LGBTI community against discrimination and violent crimes.” .”
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The implementation of the law is failing. A majority voted in favor of the law in parliament. But the bill just doesn’t make it past the Senate. Right-wing conservatives are holding back the vote on the bill, Boone says. “And what has mainly added fuel to the fire is the involvement of the conservative Vatican. They want the bill to be amended.”
‘Macho culture’
Correspondent Anouk Boone expects that before the introduction of same-sex marriage can become a theme, this law must first be passed. “That is now first the battle that is being fought in Italy.” And probably with success: “The Senate seems to want it and an increasing proportion of Italians are also positive about gay rights.”
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But why is it taking so long? According to Boone, this is because of the macho culture: “Masculine still gets a lot of attention. Italy is becoming more progressive when it comes to gay rights, but smaller communities are lagging behind, because the conservative culture still prevails there. You can join the social debate and the political haggling shows that the topic is still sensitive.”
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