The Spanish parliament decided to reach around prevailing morality and struck a blow for gay rights when they became only the third country in the world to sanction gay marriage. The Vatican isn’t pleased.
The Congress of Deputies voted 187 to 147 with four abstentions in favor of the bill granting homosexual couples the rights and privileges allowed heterosexual couples, including marriage and adopting children.
“With the approval of this law, our country takes a further step on the road of freedom and tolerance,” said Socialist Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero
The gay rights activists got so excited upon the passage of the legislation, they broke out in celebration right their in the chamber and were blowing kisses to the legislators.
The Catholic Church staunchly opposed the legislation had waged a campaign against it. Back on June 18th, hundreds of thousands of people and 20 bishops took part in a massive rally in Madrid, the Spanish capital. A petition was presented to the Congress with 600,000 signatures.
The Spanish Bishops Conference issued a statement after the landmark legislation passed. “Marriage, understood as the union of a man and a woman, is no longer provided for in our laws.”
The Advocate mentioned in their article on the subject:
Late last year the spokesman for the Spanish Bishops Conference, Antonio Martinez Camino, said that allowing same-sex marriage was like “imposing a virus on society-something false that will have negative consequences for social life.”
Further protests and political fighting are assured as the Catholic Church has held much power in Spain for centuries. It would though that their influence may be waning as polls indicate the solid majority of Spaniards supported marriage equality legislation.
Spain makes the third country to approve gay marriage. Canada’s lower house approved gay marriage earlier in the week and their senate is expected to approve the legislation later in the summer. Many Americans will flock to these countries to get married, knowing full well it won’t be recognized in the U.S.
John Stith is a staff writer for webproworld covering technology and business.