Date: Tue, 31 May 1994 12:37:43 MET From: "Tobias Wikstr|m" News from Swedish gay/lesbian politics Published by the Swedish Federation for Gay and Lesbian Rights (RFSL) No. 20/94 (May 16th-22nd, 1994) 1 The Standing Committee maintains its yes The Standing Committee on Civil-Law Legislation decided on May 19th to stand by its decision to propose a Partnership Act. On May 26th the proposal of the Committee will be made public. Here follow some comments to the decision. "Approximately half of the Liberal MP's want to vote against the Act." (Carl-Johan Wilson, Liberal MP, in the christian daily Dagen on May 20th) "The Council on Legislation has been extraordinarily clear and said that the legislation is unacceptable. For me it would be completely unthinkable to ignore this type of fundamental criti- cism." (Bengt Harding Olson, Liberal MP, in the Christian daily Dagen on May 20th) "Still there are strong reasons to adopt a Partnership Act. The same legislation construction has worked well both in Denmark and in Norway. " (Maj-Lis L””w, Social Democrat, chairperson of the Standing Committee on Civil-Law Legislation, in the christian daily Dagen on May 20th) 2 Conservative debate article The Conservative MP Ulf Kristersson wrote this debate article on May 21st in the daily Dagens Nyheter: "I think that the attitude towards gay men and lesbians and towards homosexuality to a great extent is a matter of genera- tions. For me and many people of my age the issue is not that dramatic. It is probably different for those who are raised to distrust, fear and scepticism. All of us have friends who are homosexual - regardless if we know about it or not. In the Standing Committee on Civil-Law Legislation there is now a majority in favour of introducing a possibility, according to a Danish and Norwegian model, for gay men and lesbians to enter into a registered partnership. The contents is that a legal 'package' that gives gay and lesbian couples mutual rights and duties and that explicitly does not give room for adoption of children. On June 7th we all must have made up our minds - then the decision is made in the Parliament. The Conservative representatives in the Standing Committee on Civil-Law Legislation have registered their dissent and it is well-known that the Government cannot unite about a proposal, primarily the Christian Democrats refuse to accept a bill. As far as I am concerned I think that the partnership reform is good." "Firstly: There are only winners, no losers. It is right to support a proposal that for some is important and very positive, when it does not deteriorate the situation for anybody else. Eve- rybody who is not homosexual, or the homosexuals who do not want to enter into a partnership, are not affected at all. Our private notions about what is right or wrong are not changed by the fact that those who want to do so, get a possibility to confirm their gay or lesbian relationship. Nobody will be 'stricken' just because some get this 'benefit'. A person who despite this opposes the partnership is not primarily prejudiced towards homosexuals, but in fact disobliging towards the fellow human beings who live uin another way than most of us. If the many do not want to offer somthing this little, that for some means so much, it looks simply as mean." "Secondly: For me as a Conservative, individualism and community are two important policical terms. I think that those principles and those values that constitute the Conservative policiy in other areas, should be guiding also her and now when it has to do with taking a stand to an issue that is a hard moral issue." The periodic publications of RFSL Kom Ut (in Swedish): 6 issues a year. Subscription 150 SEK a year. Fakta fr†n RFSL (in Swedish): Approximately ten fact sheets that are updated regularly. Subscription 200 SEK per ten mailings. News from Swedish gay/lesbian politics (in Swedish and English): 52 issues a year. Subscription 180 SEK a year or 30 international reply coupons. Hivbladet (in Swedish): 12 issues a year. Free of charge. Membership in the RFSL: 160-250 SEK a year, depending on which local branch is chosen. Includes subscription of Kom Ut. -- Tobias Wikstr”m RFSL, Box 350, S-101 26 Stockholm, Sweden Telephone +46-8-7360213 Telefax +46-8-304730