German Gays Allowed to Exchange Vows
By Stephen Graham, Associated Press Writer
Originally published by The Associated Press, August 1, 2001
BERLIN (AP) — German gays exchanged vows at partnership ceremonies Wednesday, gaining rights previously reserved for married couples as a new law went into effect despite fierce opposition from some conservatives.
Dozens of ceremonies across the country marked a victory in a decade-old fight by gay rights groups to bring Germany in line with other European countries that have passed similar legislation. In Berlin, Germany's unofficial gay capital, vows were exchanged by two members of the Greens party, which campaigned hard for the legislation.
"We exchanged rings symbolically five years ago, but this is the real thing," said Gudrun Pannier, 36, beaming in a dark suit inside the wood-paneled registry office in Berlin's Schoeneberg district.
"We are all equal, so we should be treated equally," said her identically dressed partner, Angelika Baldow, also 36. The couple exchanged rings at a brief ceremony in front of about 30 guests.
The law allows gay couples to register their unions at government offices and requires a court decision for divorce. Same-sex couples also will receive inheritance and health insurance rights given to married spouses.
The law was passed by the lower house of parliament last year, but the upper house—where Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder's coalition of the Social Democrats and Greens lacks a majority—voted to withhold some tax privileges granted to married couples.
Berlin's mayor sent congratulations to couples registering in Berlin.
"You have taken the first step into new territory," wrote Klaus Wowereit, who became Germany's most prominent openly gay politician when he took power in June.
Couples in three states—Bavaria, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania and Hesse—will have to wait before they can officially seal their partnerships, as authorities there have delayed implementing the new law.
Germany's highest court is considering an application to force conservative-led Bavaria to put the new law into effect immediately, but didn't rule in time. About 20 people protested Wednesday in front of city hall in Munich, the state capital. They held up banners accusing the state of discrimination.
Bavaria, along with the eastern state of Saxony, unsuccessfully sought an injunction in Federal Constitutional Court to prevent the law from taking effect Aug. 1—arguing that the law violates constitutional provisions protecting marriage and the family. That complaint still awaits a decision by the court.
Countries that have granted legal status to same-sex couples include France, Sweden, Denmark, Norway and Iceland. The Netherlands legalized same-sex marriages in April.
In the United States, Vermont became the first state to grant marriage-like rights to same-sex couples when it approved a civil union law last year. Another 34 states have adopted so-called "defense of marriage" laws, defining marriage as a union between a man and a woman.
German gays said they would continue their campaign until they gained all the rights accorded married couples.
"It doesn't fulfill everyone's wishes and dreams, but it's a great step forward," Wowereit said. "It should cause something that was never abnormal to be recognized as normal everywhere in Germany."
