Date: Fri, 28 Jun 1996 01:07:49 +0200 (MET DST) From: skolander@bahnhof.se (Bjoern Skolander) Subject: Icelandic News Paper Article NEW LAWS REGARDING THE RIGHTS OF HOMOSEXUALS AND LESBIANS TAKE EFFECT=20 TODAY Three weddings today - says Matthias Matthiasson vice president of Samtokin '78 "There will be a reception in the lobby of The Reykjavik's City Theater wich starts at six today. Guest of honour is the president of Iceland (Vigdis Finnbogadottir) and the special guests of the night are the freshly married couples of the day," sayd Matthias Matthiasson vice president of Samtokin '78 when he spoke to Althydubladid yesterday. Gay men and lesbians celebrate today that new laws have taken effect wich allows individuals of same sex to join a civil marriage. "The reseption will be short but celebrative wich ends with the event of cutting the weding-cake wich will serve 300 people," sayd Matthyas. "There is one gay couple and one lesbian but over all will three couples get married today. Two older ladys where the first to deside to get married, and desided to go straight to theire honeymoon after the ceremony, so they will not be present." When the ceremony at the City Theater is over, a painting show will be opened at the Resturant/BAR 22 wich is called "One of every ten". The name indicates that one of each ten is homosexual. "But its rather funny that there are nine gay artists in this show, but only one straight - Jon Oskar," sayd Matthias. "In continue there will be a ball at 22. After that will members of the Samtokin '78 go to a country ball the day after." Matthias has not himself a boyfriend but he sayd that he will find "the one" and a marrige is a well acceptable choice. He has heard of more than 13 couples that are thinking about marrige and that alot of spirit is in people these days. These rights matter alot for homosexuals in Iceland. Many people that have lived together will now get tax-benefits and married gays will get for example join tax rights. Then there is the enheretive right that is very inportant. "Homosexuals have been in a situation where there partners are in a hospital, they call in and dont get any answers about how there loveone is doing because of the strict rules that apply to patient informations, no matter if they have been living together over 20 years. Until now, only close relatives could get informations like that, but now all is changed." Responses from the international world have been remarkable... requests of informations, and congratulations from organasations all over the world. "Also the media has been interested in this event. BBC is going to be with a life coverage on BBC Radio 5", said Matthias. He dosn't think though that there will be a large number of people coming here to get married, because in the laws one of the married couples have to be a icelandic citizen and have registered address in Iceland. But on the other hand, could the new laws flame interest in people to come here to live permenantly, and=20 get married. Al=FE=FD=F0ubla=F0i=F0, Fimtudagurinn 27. j=FAn=ED 1995. No auther= encounted. Front page coverage. Lots of hugs... Agust Smari Beaumont ****************************************************************** Agust Smari Beaumont, (primear) gusti@centrum.is =20 P.O. Box 5170, gusti@dump.com = =20 125 Reykjavik, gusti@gcomm.com = =20 Iceland. gusti@ismennt.is My IRC nicknames are usually GuSTe or GuSTi, give me a message! Telephone: +354-562-0260 (Answering machine if no answer or busy) ******************************************************************* Thanks to Agust for making this article available to us. /Bjoern S.