Lawmakers in Slovenia have approved a
bill that grants marriage and adoption rights to gay and lesbian
couples.
According to Euronews,
the Slovenian parliament approved the bill last week with the support
of 48 MPs. Twenty-nine lawmakers voted against the measure, while one
abstained.
The move comes after the Constitutional
Court of Slovenia ruled it unconstitutional to deny such rights to
same-sex couples and gave lawmakers six months to amend the nation's
marriage laws. The court's ruling took effect immediately.
Slovenia is the first country of the
former Eastern Bloc to legalize same-sex marriage. (A reunited
Germany legalized such unions in 2017.)
Gay couples could marry briefly after
lawmakers approved a same-sex marriage bill in 2015. However,
opponents defeated the law with a popular vote on December 20, 2015.
Since 2017, Slovenia has recognized gay
couples with civil partnerships, which provide all the rights of
marriage except for joint adoption and in vitro fertilization. A more
limited form of partnership for same-sex couples was approved in
2005.
The Slovenian Democratic Party remains
vocally opposed to marriage equality and held several rallies against
the new law.