The march toward freedom and full equality continues - but not in the USA, the self advertised land of freedom and equality. As 365gay.com reports today (http://www.365gay.com/Newscon07/10/100607colombia.htm), Colombia's highest court has ordered the government to provide same-sex couples with the same rights as married opposite-sex couples:The Constitutional Court did not go so far as ordering the government to legalize gay marriage, or offer pension or inheritance rights, but it must provide the same health benefits as married couples have the court ruled on Friday. LGBT rights groups said they will file another lawsuit to gain pension and inheritance rights. Last year the court ruled that partners in same-sex relationships must have property rights.
In June Colombia's Congress passed a law that would create domestic partnerships, but opposition senators at the last minute scuttled the bill. Under the legislation same-sex couples would have been able to register as partners. They would have to have lived together for more than two years and be of legal age. In return they would have will received the same social security and inheritance rights as married couples. President Alvaro Uribe has said he will sign the bill into law.
Supporters of the bill had tried four times since 1999 to pass the legislation, but each time it failed after opposition from the Roman Catholic Church.
What a surprise, the Roman Catholic Church - always the opponent of fairness and equality. You would think that an institution that has been wrong historically on so many issues over the years - claiming the world was flat, supporting slavery, subjugating women, etc. - would have learned by now to stay out of civil legal matters.
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