Date: Tue, 4 Apr 1995 11:08:58 +0200
From: berts@xs4all.nl (Bert Schuur)


Amsterdam Urges Cabinet To settle "gay mariage issue"

Amsterdam city council wants the Dutch gouvernment to open up
marriage for gay couples. In a letter sent last week the Dutch
gouvernment is urgently requested to come up with legislation
on "long-term relationships between persons". By opening up the
institute of (straight) marriage differences in the area of
succession, alimony, parenthood, adoption and kinship between
(straight) married couples and gay couples should end. With
this action Amsterdam has joined the voices of (gay) organisa-
tions and several other town councils that have been growing
louder and louder over the past few years demanding an end to
discriminition against gay and other couples in this matter.
Holland has known the institute of "partnership registration"
at town level for several years, but this is just a ceremonial
possibility for people who for some reason or other can not
marry officially to register their relationship with no legal
consequences. This possibility now exists in some 90 towns com-
prising more than 50% of the Dutch population.
Amsterdam city council has always opposed the initiative on
principle, namely the fact that partnership registration in
this form creates unequality between gay and straight couples,
although the signal partnership registration has been sending
to the government has always been fervently supported.


Decision on Gays withdrawn by Dutch Reformed Church

Parishes of the Dutch Reformed Church that have scruples again-
st homosexuality may not ask gays to go elsewhere to celebrate
the Lord's Supper. This decision by the synod of the church
marks a sharp turn away from a much critised decision taken on
the matter late last year. The synod accepted a statement sta-
ting that the church should fully accept the gay person and his
or her lifestyle. "One person should not be victimised because
another has a problem with who they are and what life they
lead". The statement was issued partly as a result of over 400
reactions to the synodal decision of November 1994, stating
that individual congregations had a right to ask gays not to
celebrate the Lord's Supper in their church. This prompted many
protests, among others from the COC, where the matter was dis-
cussed at their november congress and which subsequently sent a
telegramme to the synod strongly condemning the decision and
asking for a revision stating that it was an attempt to legiti-
mize discrimination against gays and lesbians in church. Since
last week right-wing groups within the Dutch reformed Church
have been openly voicing their disapproval with the decision
now taken.

Love from Holland,

Bert