Posts Tagged As: Spain

Spanish Prime Minister comes around

Timothy Kincaid

September 15th, 2015

RajoySpanish couples are now celebrating ten years of wedded bliss. But in 2005, they were fighting for their equality and their primary opponent was Mariano Rajoy, leader of the People’s Party (the conservative, Christian democratic party).

The People’s Party brought witnesses against equality and vetoed the bill in the Senate. But ultimately President Zapatero and the Socialist Worker’s Party were able to get the legislation passed, much to Rajoy’s ire.

But the sky didn’t fall.

And six years later when the PP gained power and Rajoy became Prime Minister, marriage equality was already a comfortable status quo. Rajoy inquired with the Constitutional Court as to whether the law was Constitutional. The court found it so, and that was as far as the matter went.

Now Rajoy may find himself even more comfortable with the concept. I don’t know whether he still opposes same sex marriage but, if so, it is a theoretical rather than personal opposition. (thelocal)

The Prime Minister’s words have come back to haunt him this week as he faces the prospect of attending the gay wedding of his colleague and close friend, Javier Maroto, an under-Secretary within the Popular Party and former mayor of the city of Vitoria.

Maroto, 43, will marry his long-term partner, Josema Rodríguez on Friday September 18th in Vitoria, the capital of the Basque Country.

But sources close to the Prime Minister have confirmed that it is “99 percent sure” he will attend the wedding:

“Javier is more than a colleague, he is a great friend,” the source told El Mundo.

(Also ElMundo in Spanish)

Spain’s high court upholds marriage

Timothy Kincaid

November 6th, 2012

From Fox News Latino (an oddly useful source for non-US gay related stories) :

The Spanish Constitutional Court defended same-sex marriage in rejecting a challenge filed by the conservative Popular Party against the law authorizing such unions, which was enacted by a Socialist administration.

Nearly 25,000 couples have been wed under the law since it was enacted in 2005 by Spain’s then-Socialist government.

According to court officials, the verdict was passed by a vote of 8-3.

El Pais covers the story in more detail. (google translation)

One conservative joined seven progressives to support marriage. One conservative abstained from the decision and three opposed the court’s finding.

The conservative Popular Party railed against the bill when it passed in 2005. But now that they have control of the government, they are finding that legislation to overturn the popular law is a very very low priority. They have decided that their real objection was to the word “marriage” and now that the court has ruled, the government will abide by its decision.

And just when you thought the Catholic Church couldn’t out-crazy itself

Timothy Kincaid

January 9th, 2012

Meeting in Spain under the motto “Christian Family: the hope of Europe”, Catholic leadership revealed some startling discoveries. Startlingly stupid, that is.

From El Pias (and no, this doesn’t appear to be a spoof)

The Spanish Catholic Church is also concerned about homosexuality. During his Boxing Day sermon, the Bishop of Córdoba, Demetrio Fernández, said there was a conspiracy by the United Nations. “The Minister for Family of the Papal Government, Cardinal Antonelli, told me a few days ago in Zaragoza that UNESCO has a program for the next 20 years to make half the world population homosexual. To do this they have distinct programs, and will continue to implant the ideology that is already present in our schools.”

Spain Apologizes To Man Imprisoned For Homosexuality

Jim Burroway

December 6th, 2009

From the BBC:

A man in eastern Spain has become the first to receive an official letter apologising for his imprisonment for being homosexual in the 1970s. Antoni Ruiz spent three months in prison under a law introduced during Gen Francisco Franco’s dictatorship. In addition to the letter, he has received 4,000 euros ($5,900; £3,600) in compensation. Mr Ruiz estimates around 5,000 homosexuals suffered a similar fate to him during Gen Franco’s dictatorship.

Ruiz came out to his parents when he was seventeen, just months after Franco’s death. His parents sought help from a monk, who reported Ruiz to authorities. He now heads a group of former gay prisoners. Spain overturned its law against homosexuality in 1979, and in 2007 instituted the Historical Memory Law which allows compensation for Franco-era injustices.

Beyond Ex-Gay Gathering in Barcelona

Jim Burroway

May 20th, 2008

Wherever there are ex-gay groups, there are ex-gay survivors recovering from the experience. Exodus Global Alliance has been trying to make inroads into Spain for quite some time. Beyond Ex-Gay, in conjunction with local LGBT groups, will be holding an ex-gay survivors gathering at the University of Barcelona on May 30.

Conference speakers include Jordi Petit, Honorary President of la Coordiandora Gai-Lesbiana de Catalunya (the Gay-Lesbian Network of Catalonia), Noemí Domínguez, Clinical psychologist and Master’s in sexual and couple therapy (University of Barcelona), and Peterson Toscano, ex-gay survivor and co-founder of Beyond Ex-Gay.

Marriage Rights Around the World

Timothy Kincaid

May 15th, 2008

The following countries offer some form of recognition to same-sex couples:

Marriage

Netherlands, Belgium, Spain, Canada, South Africa, United States (Massachusetts, California)

Civil Unions

New Zealand, Brazil (Rio Grande do Sul), Argentina (Buenos Aires, Rio Negro), Mexico (Coahuila), Uruguay, United States (Vermont, New Hampshire, Connecticut, New Jersey)

Registered Partnership or Domestic Partnership

Denmark, Greenland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, Portugal, Finland, Luxembourg, , Slovenia, United Kingdom, Czech Republic, Italy (City of Padua), Switzerland, Hungary, Australia (Tasmania), United States (Maine, Washington, Oregon)

Other Methods of Limited Recognition

France (PACS), Germany (Life Partnership), Croatia (Law of Same-Sex Relationships), Andorra (Stable Union of a Couple), Mexico (Mexico City – PACS), Colombia (Common-law marriage inheritance rights), Israel (Limited recognition of foreign legal arrangements), United States (Hawaii – Reciprocal Benefits; New York – recognition of out-of-state legal marriages)

Although recognition is in a rapid state of change, this is my best understanding of the current rights provided. Several nations are in the process of adding or revising recognition.

Marriage to Remain Legal in Spain

Timothy Kincaid

March 10th, 2008

One of the standard threats made against any politician that supports gay equality – especially marriage equality – is that the voters will get their revenge at the ballot box.

And after Spain legalized marriage between same-sex couples, the Catholic Church and the more conservative Popular Party vowed to change the law. And the Popular Party sought to make the decision by the Socialist Party’s Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero a campaign issue.

But Zapatero won, with his party picking up additional seats in parliament. The Washington Post credits his social policies:

But voters turned out in force to endorse the progressive social agenda that Zapatero championed in his first term — including new laws on women’s rights, divorce and gay marriage — and returned him to office for another four years.

As the economy in Spain has been crumbling, the Popular Party changed directions mid-stream and sought to reframe the debate as one about fiscal policy. It would appear that their anti-gay posturing had already poisoned their message.

Spanish Bull

Jim Burroway

December 30th, 2007

Do you recognize this?

“Padre abraza tu hijo ahora que puedes, porque si no mañana quizá lo abrazará otro hombre.”

A Protestant minister in Spain, Marcos Zapata, made that statement at at seminar “How to Raise Heterosexual Children.” In English, it’s “Father hug your son now while you can, because if not, tomorrow another man will.” — a paraphrase of Joseph Nicolosi’s standard stump speech. Not only is NARTH going international, but it looks like Exodus International is living up to its name as well. This article indicates that Zapata has been well inculcated in the language of Exodus. Spanish gay rights activists have asked the Galicia regional government to investigate.

    

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