Received from atropos@aol.net Sun May 8 22:06:17 1994 Subject: Sweden: Proposed partnership in danger Sweden: Proposed Partnership in Danger Sweden can become the third Scandinavian country to introduce a law enabeling homosexual couples to "marry". Denmark and Norway aldready have such laws. A paralamentary majority in the Swedish legislature is expected to support a proposed law due to be voted on in the Swedish parliament, the "riksdag", June 7th. The new law will introduce a "legal partnership" for homosexuals that in most legal respects equalizes homosexual so called partnerships to heterosexual marriages. The major restriction to the proposed partnership will remain the denied right for gay couples to adopt children. However, political complications in parliament threatens to block the new legislation. It is to be noted that the new law is not a proposition from the government, but from the parliament floor, signed by a cross-section of the parliament, representing many political parties. The Swedish government is a conservative-liberal-Christian democrat coalition goverment. Christian fundamentalists in the Christian democratic party has made resistance to the new law a matter of principle. The Conservative party is split in the matter, consisting as it is of a liberal wing and a traditionally conservative fraction with a Fundamentalist leaning. Swedish gays now appeal to the world gay community in Internet to send their appeal to Swedish Premier Minister Carl Bildt (Cons) not to yield to his Christian democratic coalition partners in the government, but to stand up for a humantitarian legislation that is long overdue. It is to be noted that Sweden always used to be a leading country on civil rights issues and equalitarian legislation. Her legislation on women's, children's and ethnical minority rights belong to the most advanced in the world. Civil rights for gays, though, constitutes a notable exception in this appealing record: Sweden is so far lagging behind a number of other states still upholding their reputation for an enlightened stand on civil rights for minorities. Now, striking lack of legal protection for gays can be ammended. Every step forward for gay rights in any country in the world, makes such steps more likely elsewhere. We all need your support! Write directly to our Premier Minister Carl Bildt (e-mail): statsministern@sb.gov.se or write an ordinary letter to Mr Carl Bildt 103 33 STOCKHOLM SWEDEN or fax to his office: (countrycode) + 8 723 11 71 You can also write to the leader for the Christian democratic party, Mr Alf Svensson: Mr Alf Svensson Riksdagen 100 12 STOCKHOLM SWEDEN or fax him: (countrycode) + 8 791 75 60 You can also write to one of the "hawks" in the conservative party, the "chief of campaigns" Mr Gunnar Hokmark. Write him and tell him what You think about civil rights etc.: Mr Gunnar Hokmark Riksdagen 100 12 STOCKHOLM SWEDEN As I said, we need all support we can get !!!! Staffan Ivarsson