Subject: Finland/ MPs Press release
From: Hannele Lehtikuusi <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 29 May 1996 13:07:02 +0300 (EET DST)

Press release by the MPs
28 May 1996

A BILL ON THE PARTNERSHIP OF SAME SEX COUPLES

The law bill suggests that two persons of the same sex could form a (legally 
binding) partnership. The regulations on 
the conditions of forming and dissolving such a partnership would be correspond 
to those regulating marriage with a 
few exceptions. However, such a partnership would not mean marriage in its 
traditional sense. The bill was submitted 
to  the Parliament on 28 May 1996

The bill does not suggest adoption or joint custody in a same sex
partnership. Church wedding would remain a  prerogative of the 
church enjoying autonomous decision-making. The same sex
partnerships would not be confirmed  in a church wedding. 
The judicial impact of a same sex partnership would
otherwise correspond to contracting a  marriage. According to the 
bill, in matters, such as family or inheritance the gay and lesbian 
couples in a partnership would be entitled to ensure a fair division 
of property at an end of a partnership.
 
The authors of the bill feel that the right of persons of the same sex to enter 
a (legally binding) partnership is a matter  of equality. 
The new regulations on basic right as written in the
Constitution stipulate that no one must be subject to 
different treatment on the basis of one's sex, age, origin, language,
religion, conviction, opinion, health, disability or  any other reason 
pertaining to the person without an acceptable ground. 
A person's sexual orientation is to the highest  extent such a 
personal ground on the basis of which discrimination is prohibited.

In 1995, there were in Finland over 2000 paragraphs in over 200 laws which 
determined rights and responsibilities of 
married or common law couples. This situation discriminates gay and lesbian 
citizens without acceptable grounds.

Three Nordic countries, viz. Sweden, Norway and Demark have already enacted laws
on (legally binding) same sex 
partnerships. The Parliament of the Republic of Iceland is presently
processing a corresponding law bill submitted by 
the Cabinet. A central issue in the Scandinavian legislation is that the laws 
concerning the same sex partnership are 
not included in the marriage legislation of these countries. The law bill we 
have now submitted corresponds to the 
Nordic models to a great extent.

The first signatory to the bill was Ms Outi Ojala, MP (Leftist Alliance) and the
bill has been signed by 45 MPs 
representing 7 fractions (Social Democrats 16, Left-Wing Alliance 11, Swedish 
People s Party 5, the Greens 8, the Young 
Finns 2, the National Coalition Party 2 and the Left Group 1).