Same-sex marriage in Norway

Legal status of same-sex unions
Marriage
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Same-sex marriage became legal in Norway on 1 January 2009, when a gender-neutral marriage bill was enacted after being passed by the Norwegian Parliament in June 2008.[1][2] Norway became the first Scandinavian country and the sixth country in the world to legalize same-sex marriage.

Previously, from 1993 to 2008, Norway allowed same-sex couples to enter registered partnerships. Norway was the second country in the world to provide some form of recognition to same-sex couples, behind Denmark.

Registered partnership

Laws regarding same-sex partnerships in Europe
  Marriage¹
  Foreign marriages recognized¹
  Other type of partnership¹
  Unregistered cohabitation¹
  Unrecognized
  Constitution limits marriage to opposite-sex couples

¹ May include recent laws or court decisions which have created legal recognition of same-sex relationships, but which have not entered into effect yet.

Norway has allowed same-sex registered partnerships since 1 August 1993, when a law regulating such partnerships came into force.[3][4] Norway became the second country to do so, after Denmark, which implemented a registered partnership law in 1989.

Registered partnerships were granted virtually all the protections, responsibilities and benefits of marriage, including arrangements for the breakdown of the relationship.[3][4]

The act stated that the articles in the Adoption Act relating to married couples shall not apply for registered partners. It also stated that artificial insemination can only be given to a married couple or cohabitants of opposite sexes. In June 2001, however, the Norwegian Parliament approved a bill allowing registered partners to adopt their partner's children.[5] The law took effect on 1 January 2002.[3][4]

One of the more notable people to register a relationship was former Finance Minister Per-Kristian Foss.[6][7]

Since 2009, couples who have registered their relationships may retain their status as registered partners or "upgrade" to a marriage since the new marriage law has taken effect. However, no new registered partnerships may be created.

Same-sex marriage

A bill was proposed on 18 November 2004 by two MPs from the Socialist Left Party to abolish the existing registered partnership laws, and make marriage laws gender-neutral. The move was withdrawn and replaced by a request that the Cabinet further investigate the issue. The Conservative Cabinet of that time did not look into the issue. However, the Stoltenberg's Second Cabinet announced a common, unified marriage act as part of its foundation document, the First Declaration of Soria Moria. A public hearing was opened on 16 May 2007.[8]

On 29 May 2008, the Associated Press reported that two Norwegian opposition parties (The Liberal Party and The Conservative Party) came out in favour of the new bill, assuring its passage at the vote on 11 June 2008. Prior to this, there were some disagreements with members of the three-party governing Coalition on whether the bill had enough votes to pass.[9]

The first parliamentary hearing, including the vote, was held on 11 June 2008, with the lower house approving by 84 votes to 41 a bill that allowed same-sex couples to marry.[10][11] This came after the Norwegian Government proposed a marriage law on 14 March 2008, that would give lesbian and gay couples the same rights as heterosexuals, including church weddings (although the law does not oblige any religious community to marry same-sex couples), full joint adoption and assisted pregnancies. The new legislation amended the definition of civil marriage to make it gender-neutral.[12][13][14] Norway's upper house passed the bill with a 23–17 vote on 17 June. The King of Norway, Harald V, granted royal assent thereafter. The law took effect on 1 January 2009.[15][16] In addition to providing a gender-neutral definition of marriage, the law states that when a woman who is married to another woman becomes pregnant through artificial insemination, the other partner will have all the rights of parenthood "from the moment of conception".

Statistics

From 2009 to 2015, an average of 270 same-sex marriages took place per year, compared to an average of 127 registered partnerships from 1993 to 2008. 754 partnerships were converted to marriages in the first three years of same-sex marriage being legal. Female couples were more likely to adopt children than male couples, as about 30% of all married female couples had children, compared to 72% of straight couples and 3% of male couples.[17]

300 same-sex marriages were performed in 2015, accounting for about 1.3% of all marriages celebrated that year. In 2016, the 278 same-sex marriages accounted for 1.2% of all marriages.[18] Only 0.7% and 0.8% of divorces were between same-sex couples those two years. 333 same-sex couples got married in 2017.[19]

Same-sex marriage statistics in Norway
Year Number of marriages
2009
283
2010
264
2011
259
2012
269
2013
252
2014
269
2015
300
2016
278
2017
333

Marriages in the Church of Norway

In 2014, the Church of Norway's National Council voted down a proposal to perform same-sex marriages in the church.[20]

In 2015, the Church of Norway voted to allow same-sex marriages to take place in its churches.[21] The decision was ratified at the annual conference on 11 April 2016.[22][23][24] The church formally amended its marriage liturgy on 30 January 2017, replacing references to "bride and groom" with gender-neutral text.[25] A male same-sex couple was immediately married in the church the moment the changes came into effect, on 1 February 2017.[26]

Public opinion

Five different polls conducted by Gallup Europe, Sentio, Synovate MMI, Norstat and YouGov in 2003, 2005, 2007, 2008, 2012 and 2013 concluded that 61%, 63%, 66%, 58%, 70% and 78%, respectively, of the Norwegian population supported gender-neutral marriage laws.[27][28][29][30]

A Pew Research Center poll, conducted between April and August 2017 and published in May 2018, showed that 72% of Norwegians supported same-sex marriage, 19% were opposed and 9% didn't know or refused to answer.[31] When divided by religion, 83% of religiously unaffiliated people, 72% of non-practicing Christians and 42% of church-attending Christians supported same-sex marriage.[32]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Norway adopts gay marriage law". Agence France-Presse. 11 June 2008. Archived from the original on 29 May 2013.
  2. ↑ "New law in Norway grants gay couples marriage rights". USA Today. Associated Press. 17 June 2008. Archived from the original on 23 April 2016. Retrieved 23 April 2016.
  3. 1 2 3 Asland, John; Waaldijk, Kees. "Major legal consequences of marriage, cohabitation and registered partnership for different-sex and same-sex partners in Norway" (PDF). INED. Archived from the original (PDF) on 29 November 2014. Retrieved 12 December 2015.
  4. 1 2 3 "Registered partnership". Government of Norway. 12 December 2001. Archived from the original on 28 January 2016. Retrieved 12 December 2015.
  5. ↑ "The Adoption Act". Archived from the original on 28 January 2016. Retrieved 18 February 2016.
  6. ↑ "Norwegian minister 'marries' gay partner". BBC News. 15 January 2002. Archived from the original on 5 April 2017. Retrieved 5 April 2017.
  7. ↑ Mellgren, Doug (16 January 2002). "Norwegian is first gay minister to marry partner". The Independent. Archived from the original on 5 April 2017. Retrieved 5 April 2017.
  8. ↑ "Norway Moves To Legalize Gay Marriage". 365gay News. 16 May 2007. Archived from the original on 17 April 2008.
  9. ↑ "Majority in Norwegian parliament agrees on new law allowing gay weddings, adoptions". PR-inside.com. 29 May 2008. Archived from the original on 12 June 2008.
  10. ↑ Goll, Sven (12 June 2008). "Same sex marriage law passed by wide majority". Aftenposten. Archived from the original on 13 June 2008.
  11. ↑ Grew, Tony (11 June 2008). "Norway legalises gay marriage". PinkNews. Archived from the original on 28 January 2016. Retrieved 12 June 2008.
  12. ↑ Lambert, Gavin (17 March 2008). "Norway moves to legalise gay marriage". PinkNews. Archived from the original on 23 January 2016. Retrieved 18 February 2016.
  13. ↑ Berglund, Nina (14 March 2008). "Gays to win marriage rights". Aftenposten. Archived from the original on 18 June 2008.
  14. ↑ Ravndal, Dennis; Gjermund Glesnes; Øystein Eian (11 June 2008). "Tårer da ekteskapsloven ble vedtatt" (in Norwegian). Verdens Gang. Archived from the original on February 20, 2014. Retrieved 11 June 2008.
  15. ↑ "Norway passes law approving gay marriage". Los Angeles Times. Associated Press. 17 June 2008. Archived from the original on 6 February 2016. Retrieved 6 February 2016.
  16. ↑ "Norway approves same-sex marriage". San Francisco Chronicle. Associated Press. 18 June 2008. Archived from the original on 6 February 2016. Retrieved 6 February 2016.
  17. ↑ Same-sex marriages are on the rise in Norway
  18. ↑ Marriages and divorces
  19. ↑ Number of same sex marriages in Norway from 2009 to 2017
  20. ↑ "Question of same-sex marriages unresolved". NRK/Vårt Land. Norway Post. 9 April 2014. Archived from the original on 5 April 2017. Retrieved 5 April 2017.
  21. ↑ Wee, Darren (2 November 2015). "Norway bishops open doors to gay church weddings". Gay Star News. Archived from the original on 23 January 2016. Retrieved 18 February 2016.
  22. ↑ Pettersen, Jørgen; Edvardsen, Ingvild; Skjærseth, Lars Erik (11 April 2016). "Nå kan homofile gifte seg i kirka". NRK. Archived from the original on 23 April 2016. Retrieved 23 April 2016.
  23. ↑ Oesterud, Tor Ingar (11 April 2016). "Large majority want gay marriage in church". Norway Today. Archived from the original on 12 April 2016. Retrieved 23 April 2016.
  24. ↑ Fouche, Gwladys (11 April 2016). "Norway's Lutheran church votes in favor of same-sex marriage". Reuters. Archived from the original on 15 April 2016. Retrieved 23 April 2016.
  25. ↑ Fouche, Gwladys (30 January 2017). "Norway's Lutheran Church embraces same-sex marriage". Reuters. Archived from the original on 3 February 2017. Retrieved 5 April 2017.
  26. ↑ Hadland, Lisa S. (1 February 2017). "First gay couple wed". Norway Today. Archived from the original on 3 February 2017. Retrieved 5 April 2017.
  27. ↑ "Partners Task Force - Norway Offers Legal Marriage". Buddybuddy.com. 3 June 2009. Archived from the original on 6 February 2016. Retrieved 6 February 2016.
  28. ↑ Tisdall, Jonathan (25 April 2008). "Support for gay marriage". Aftenposten. Archived from the original on 29 June 2011.
  29. ↑ "Same-Sex Marriage in Europe Poll 2013". YouGov. Archived from the original on 23 January 2016. Retrieved 21 February 2013.
  30. ↑ "Same-Sex Marriage". Ipsos-na.com. 7–21 May 2013. Archived from the original on 23 January 2016. Retrieved 18 February 2016.
  31. ↑ Religion and society, Pew Research Center, 29 May 2018
  32. ↑ Being Christian in Western Europe, Pew Research Center, 29 May 2018
  • "Lov om endringer i ekteskapsloven, barnelova, adopsjonsloven, bioteknologiloven mv. (felles ekteskapslov for heterofile og homofile par)". Storting (in Norwegian). Archived from the original on 23 January 2016. Retrieved 18 February 2016.
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