One More Country Debates Same-sex Marriage

2024 Author: Steven Freeman | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 08:15

Malta's parliament, one of Europe's smallest and most conservative countries, is about to approve whether it will be one of the new nations to approve same-sex marriage.

In recent years, this tiny archipelago about 90 kms from Sicily, Italy, where 75 percent of the population is Catholic, has undergone a transformation in social legislation.

Thus, it was not until 2011 that divorce was legalized through a referendum. Three years later, civil unions were approved and last year it became the first European country to ban so-called therapies to "cure" homosexuality, CNN said.

Prime Minister Joseph Muscat said gay marriage would be one of his priorities after winning the election last month. Parliament approved a measure to that effect on Wednesday and will hold a final vote on July 12, which is expected to also be approved.

Among other things, the new legislation breaks references to wife, husband, father and mother in favor of gender neutral terms, such as parent and spouse.

While the measure is expected to pass this week, some lawmakers have said they would vote against. One of them is Congressman Edwin Vassallo, who expressed that he would oppose the bill because it was "morally unacceptable". He also accused the prime minister of "causing social destruction that goes against natural laws."

Malta's move joins that of Germany last month, which is also on track to approve same-sex marriages. The Netherlands was the first state to do so 16 years ago, and since then more than 20 others have followed suit.