Slovenia legalises same-sex marriage & adoption

The Slovenian Parliament has voted to give full marriage equality to same-sex couples, making the country the 21st in the world to do so.

On Tuesday, 51 lawmakers voted in favour and 28 against amending the country’s family law, to not only legalise same-sex marriage but also to allow adoption by gay and lesbian couples.

This amendment removed any reference to a person’s sex or gender from the definition of marriage.

Registered partnerships for same-sex couples have been legal since 2006, with limited inheritance, social security and next-of-kin rights.

While the latest move was hailed by human rights group, around 2,000 protesters demonstrated outside parliament.

Evelyne Paradis, ILGA-Europe’s Executive Director, said that the amendment will treat “all couples with dignity and respect” and shows that “Slovenia values its same-sex couples just as much as its heterosexual citizens; based on basic equality principles and common sense.”

Critics have vowed to launch a petition that, if signed by 40,000 voters, would lead to a referendum on the issue.

In 2012, a new family code that extended rights and protections enjoyed by married heterosexual couples to same-sex unions was overturned by a narrow margin in a referendum.