Same-sex marriages were allowed in Slovenia
Adoption of children by same-sex couples is also allowed
Slovenia’s parliament has passed an amendment allowing same-sex couples to marry and adopt children, following a ruling by the Constitutional Court. With this, Slovenia became the first country in Eastern Europe to adopt such legislation, reported AFP.
The amendment to the family law was approved by 48 deputies, with 29 against and one abstention.
Slovenia, which became a separate country after the breakup of Yugoslavia, is the first ex-communist country in Europe to approve the reform, as most of its neighbors do not allow civil unions or same-sex marriage.
In Hungary, from the summer of 2021, commenting on the topic of homosexuality in front of minors is even punishable by a fine.
In July, Slovenia’s highest court ruled that the law, which defines marriage as a union between a man and a woman only, discriminates against gay and lesbian couples. He revoked the contested texts of the law immediately and ordered the parliament to change the text within six months.
“With these changes, we are giving same-sex couples the recognition they should have had a long time ago,” said Simon Malevac, secretary of state at the Ministry of Labour, Family, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities.
The leading opposition party, the Slovenian Democratic Party, criticized the court’s decision and organized numerous rallies against it. “And the best father can never replace a mother, nor vice versa,” said the chairman of the party’s parliamentary group, Alenka Yerai, at the opening of the debates.
With this, Slovenia joins a total of 17 countries in Europe that have already legalized same-sex marriage, notes AFP, quoted by BTA.
