United Kingdom, 2 Nov 2011 - The Home Office has confirmed its decision to allow religious buildings to host civil partnerships by the end of 2011. When civil partnerships were introduced in 2005, the law stated that they could not be held in religious buildings, nor contain any religious language.

The report details the regulations needed to enforce the Equality Act 2010, which removed the prohibition on holding the ceremonies at churches, synagogues and other religious buildings.

Denmark, Oct 24 2011 - The Danish government has announced that it will introduce same-sex marriage by 2012. Same-sex couples will also be allowed to marry on Church of Denmark premises. Manu Sareen, the Danish coalition government’s church minister, informed the local newspaper Jyllands-Posten that lesbians and gays will be able to marry after legislation is introduced next year.

 

Brazilia Brazil, 25 October 2011 - On Tuesday, Brazil's Supreme Appeals Court overturned the rulings of two lower courts and held that two women can be legally married.

 

ABOUT THE BOOK

Equality and Justice. Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity in the XXI Century

Edited by Alexander Schuster – With an introduction by Stefano Rodotà

Editor: Forum – Place: Udine (Italy)

Pages: 328 – ISBN: 978-88-8420-702-9

Berlin, 23 Sept 2011 – The Bundesrat, Germany's Federal Chamber, definitely approved today a bill  [full text on Bundestag wesbite, in German], that grants equal rights to registered partners working as civil servants, including military forces, for the federal administration.

Switzerland, 30 Sept 2011 – The Swiss Nationl Council has voted today 97-83 against a bill introduced by citizens that aimed at allowing same-gender couples to adopt [ZOL reports, in German]. Consensus seems to grow and it may not be that bad after all.

Germany, 28 Sept 2011 – The Administrative Court of Kassel - Hessen [official website] ruled that civil servants living in a German civil partnership (Lebenspartnerschaft) should be equated with spouse for the purpose of pay only from 2009, not from 2003 as requested by the applicant.

Brussels, 8 September 2011 - The European Commission has affirmed that a blanket ban on blood donations from gay men and MSM (men who have sex with men) would be contrary to European Union law. Answering a written question from members of the European Parliament the European Commissioner for Health and Consumer Policy indicated that EU law warranted the deferral of those “at high risk of acquiring severe infectious diseases” due to their “sexual behaviour”. Mr Dalli underlined that “‘sexual behaviour’ is not identical with ‘sexual orientation’”.

Nancy, France, 5 Jun 2011 - Stephanie Nicot married her partner Elise in town hall ceremony in the city of Nancy in eastern France. Stephanie a transwoman declined to lodge the documents required by French law to have her gender changed on the population register after gender reassignment surgery. 

Switzerland, 5 May 2011 - The Supreme Court rejected an application  by a lesbian woman for second parent adoption of her partner's child. One hurdle for the women was the fact that stepchild adoption is only available to married couples after five years' of marriage. The applicant's had only been in a registered partnership for three years.

It must be noted in this connexion that registered partnerships have only been available to same sex couples since 2007.