December 10th, 2009
OK, that was a colossal blunder. The story is not about Australia but about Austria.
The Associated Press is reporting:
Austria’s parliament passed legislation Thursday allowing same-sex couples to enter into civil unions, a move hailed by proponents as a historic win for gay rights in the country.
The bill, slated to become law Jan. 1, will give same-sex couples many of the rights enjoyed by their heterosexual counterparts, including access to a pension if one partner dies and alimony in the event of a split.
Calling them Civil Unions seems to be a bit of an inaccurate nomenclature. If I understand correctly, the relationships cannot include a celebration or be solemnized. Rather they are to be recorded in a national registry and, as such, are better understood as Registered Partnerships.
I’m unable as yet to find this story from an Australian new source, so more accurate clarification may be coming.
Prior to this action, Registered Partnerships were recorded in Victoria and Tasmania, and Civil Unions were legal in the Australian Capital Territory.
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Baron Scarpia
December 10th, 2009
Er, this is about AUSTRIAN partnerships. Not AUSTRALIAN partnerships.
Hey, everyone makes mistakes. Well done to Austria, by the way.
Dotty Daphon
December 10th, 2009
Rodney Croome, a gay activist from Tasmania, explains it here.
http://www.rodneycroome.id.au/comments?id=3113_0_1_0_C
(This is also an excellent blog for keeping up on changes to s-s laws in Australia.)
grantdale
December 10th, 2009
I was going to send through a carefully crafted photoshop of kangaroos bounding across Stephansplatz… but I couldn’t stop laughing long enough.
“colossal blunder”. Indeed. That’s one for the memory banks Timothy :)
Q: Can you send me the Vienna Boys’ Choir schedule? (USA)
A: Aus-tri-a is that quaint little country bordering Ger-man-y, which is…oh forget it. Sure, the Vienna Boys Choir plays every Tuesday night in Kings Cross, straight after the hippo races. Come naked.
Timothy Kincaid
December 10th, 2009
grantdale,
I would love to see the image of those international kangaroos.
You would have loved just how perplexed I was that not a single Australian paper seemed to be carrying the story. How could that be?!?
Oh well, if that’s the worst I do, I’ll be happy.
David
December 11th, 2009
Errors like this ARE usually done by USA:ians :-)
Never mind, keep up the (otherwise) good work….
Désirée
December 11th, 2009
even after 2 years together with my Swedish partner, when we decided to move to her home country from the U.S., my mom sang us a “good luck in Switzerland” song. It happens to the best of them.
AdrianT
December 11th, 2009
This made my day!!
I do appreciate the sporting way BTB editors are happy to hold their hands up and admit mistakes. On occasions it certainly makes for entertaining reading :-) (many Irish soccer fans would wish Thierry Henry took inspiration from you guys for that matter http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7lqhJe88fME&feature=related )
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