Portugal Celebrates 221 Gay Weddings In 6 Months

Six months after a gay marriage law took effect in Portugal, 221 gay and lesbian couples have married, the AFP reported The figures were released Friday by the Ministry of Justice. One-hundred-fifty-six of the couples were male and sixty-five were female. An additional 202 marriages in which one of the spouses is a Portuguese citizen were performed outside the country. Nineteen gay couples married in Portuguese consulates around the world. Social... Read More

Pope Decries Gay Marriage in Portugal Visit

FÁTIMA, Portugal — Pope Benedict XVI used a famous Portuguese shrine to the Virgin Mary on Thursday as a stage to denounce abortion and gay marriage, just days before Portugal is expected to join five European countries that have legalized same-sex weddings. Enlarge This Image Pool photo by Paulo Cunha Pope Benedict XVI greeted Portugal’s President Anibal Cavaco Silva, left, at the end of a mass at the Catholic shrine of Fatima in central Portugal... Read More

Portugal Might Soon Allow Gay Marriage!

Mentioned earlier this year, it seems Portugal might soon become the sixth European country to allow same-sex marriage. Back in January, their Parliament passed a gay marriage bill with the support from their left-of-center parties. And in even better news, this past Thursday, Portugal’s highest court ruled that the proposed law should be enacted! This now leaves only their conservative President Anibal Cavaco Silva, who has the power to ratify... Read More

New Jersey Said No But Portugal Says A Big Yes To Gay Marriage

New Jersey may have said no to gay marriage yesterday, but today the Portuguese Parliament, as predicted, have passed draft legislation that should see gay marriage become legal in Portugal in the first quarter of 2010. Passing easily through Parliament thanks to the majority the governing Socialist party and left-of-centre parties have,  the billwill now go to a parliamentary commission before returning to the Parliament for final approval. // ... Read More

Gay Marriage Coming to Portugal?

Make it happen! From 365Gay.com: Portugal’s Socialist government has drawn up a proposal that would make Portugal the sixth European country to allow gay marriage. The law is almost certain to pass, as the center-left Socialist government has the support of all left-of-center parties, who together have a majority in Parliament. Right-of-center parties oppose the measure. The proposal changes Portuguese law to remove references to marriage being... Read More

Portugal Ready to Leagalize Gay Marriage

Portugal Ready to Leagalize Gay Marriage According to sources, José Sócrates, the Prime Minister of Portugal, has been busy developing a new government after the elections in September. Part of that new government is equality for the country’s LGBT citizens. On October 23, Sócrates stated that legalizing same-sex marriage will be one of the new leadership’s first changes. According to a post on PortugalGay.pt: The measure is part... Read More