Civil unions in Germany
|
|
| Civil union |
| Recognised nationwide in: |
| Denmark (1989) |
| Norway (1993) |
| Sweden (1995) |
| Greenland (1996) |
| Hungary (1996) |
| Iceland (1996) |
| Netherlands1 (1998) |
| France (1999) |
| South Africa (1999) |
| Belgium1 (2000) |
| Canada (federal)2 (2000) |
| Germany (2001) |
| Portugal (2001) |
| Finland (2002) |
| Liechtenstein (2002) |
| Croatia (2003) |
| Israel (2004) |
| Switzerland (federal) (2004) |
| Luxembourg (2004) |
| New Zealand (2005) |
| United Kingdom (2005) |
| Andorra (2005) |
| Switzerland (Approved 2005; Expected implemented 2007) |
| Recognised in some regions in: |
| Argentina (Buenos Aires, Rio Negro) (2003) |
| Australia (Tasmania) (2004) |
| Spain (Catalonia and 10 other regions) (1998) |
| Italy (Toscania, Umbria, Emilia Romagna) (2004) |
| Brazil (Rio Grande de Sul) (2004) |
| United States: CA (1999), CT (2005), DC (2002), |
| Other countries: |
| Austria |
| Czech Republic |
| Greece |
| Ireland |
| Poland |
| Slovenia |
| Taiwan |
| Notes: |
| 1 - Country subsequently legalized same-sex marriage. |
| 2 - Explicitly referred to as "civil unions" in Quebec and Nova Scotia, common-law marriage extended to same-sex partners nationwide. |
| See also |
| Same-sex marriage |
| Domestic partnership |
| Edit this box (http://en.wikipedia.org/w/wiki.phtml?title=Template:Civil_union&action=edit) |
Since 1 August, 2001, the civil union of same-sex couples has been recognized in Germany, although outright same-sex marriage is not. This so-called Eingetragene Lebenspartnerschaft (literally "registered life partnership") grants same-sex couples who specifically apply for it a subset of the rights and obligations connected with heterosexual marriage.
On 12 October, 2004 the Lebenspartnerschaftsgesetzüberarbeitungsgesetz (life partnership law revision law) was passed by the Bundestag, increasing the rights of registered life partners to include the possibility of adoption, but excluding the same tax benefits as in a straight marriage.
On 17 July, 2002, the Federal Constitutional Court of Germany ruled that there are no legal obstacles to giving these civil unions the same status (with the same rights and obligations) as heterosexual marriages. The main issue ruled on that day was the constitutionality of these civil unions, which was affirmed — but the ruling did more than just settle the constitutional challenge, in that it actually clarified that (heterosexual) marriages and (homosexual) civil unions could be given entirely equal status in Germany. However, despite this possibility, the two unions do not currently have equal status (see above).
External links
- The position of German Christian denominations (http://huk.org/aktuell/segnung-uebersicht.htm) as regards blessings and marriage ceremonies for homosexual couples (in German)