Sentinel
26th November 2014, 00:41
On Friday, November 28, the parliament of Finland will (finally after a long delay) vote on a citizens initiative for equal marriage legislation. The vote, predicted to be a close race, will even if successful still not automatically lead to implementation, but is of decisive importance for whether or not the case will go further, or be outright rejected.
The country, once part of the vanguard regarding equality - for example one of the very first countries in the world to implement universal suffrage in 1906, before even gaining full independence from the Russian Empire - has been severely trailing behind most of the EU when it comes to the rights of LGBT people.
There is also generally a huge difference for people living openly as homosexuals compared to neighbouring Sweden. While things are gradually improving, and certainly not as bad as for example in Russia, openly LGBT people still face considerable difficulties in Finland compared to the neighbour to the west.
Homosexuality was legalised in Finland in 1971, but only de-classified as an illness in 1981. Homophobic discrimination wasn't criminalised before 1995 (and transphobic before 2005. There is still some extremely repressive legislation in place for trans people which for example Amnesty International condemned in a report this year, including forced sterilisations).
There is a registered partnership option since 2002, but this does not involve equal adoption rights, which are exclusive for married couples. This makes equal marriage rights important regardless of ones views on marriage in itself.
The political parties on the right and centre are either outright homophobic or lack a cohesive policy, thus allowing their MP:s to either oppose or endorse progress for LGBT peoples rights - while those on the 'left' have failed to push for it due to despicable class cooperation in the form of parliamentary alliances over the left-right axis.
But while the opposition is fierce, especially from the Christian Democrats and the rightwing populist, racist and socially conservative True Finns, the support for equality has in this decade gained a swiftly growing majority amongst the population despite the impotence of the political parties on the left.
Initiatives by individual MPs to reflect this have so far been voted down in the parliamentary legal committee (not sure of the English term for it). But since a while back there is the possibility to raise so called citizens initiatives; forcing the parliament to vote on such proposals with 50 000+ signatures.
The one started for equal marriage legislation swiftly gained over 160 000, but it has taken a long time for it to go to vote. On Friday, when the vote takes place there will be a demonstration organised by LGBTI and student groups outside the parliament in Helsinki, at noon.
The country, once part of the vanguard regarding equality - for example one of the very first countries in the world to implement universal suffrage in 1906, before even gaining full independence from the Russian Empire - has been severely trailing behind most of the EU when it comes to the rights of LGBT people.
There is also generally a huge difference for people living openly as homosexuals compared to neighbouring Sweden. While things are gradually improving, and certainly not as bad as for example in Russia, openly LGBT people still face considerable difficulties in Finland compared to the neighbour to the west.
Homosexuality was legalised in Finland in 1971, but only de-classified as an illness in 1981. Homophobic discrimination wasn't criminalised before 1995 (and transphobic before 2005. There is still some extremely repressive legislation in place for trans people which for example Amnesty International condemned in a report this year, including forced sterilisations).
There is a registered partnership option since 2002, but this does not involve equal adoption rights, which are exclusive for married couples. This makes equal marriage rights important regardless of ones views on marriage in itself.
The political parties on the right and centre are either outright homophobic or lack a cohesive policy, thus allowing their MP:s to either oppose or endorse progress for LGBT peoples rights - while those on the 'left' have failed to push for it due to despicable class cooperation in the form of parliamentary alliances over the left-right axis.
But while the opposition is fierce, especially from the Christian Democrats and the rightwing populist, racist and socially conservative True Finns, the support for equality has in this decade gained a swiftly growing majority amongst the population despite the impotence of the political parties on the left.
Initiatives by individual MPs to reflect this have so far been voted down in the parliamentary legal committee (not sure of the English term for it). But since a while back there is the possibility to raise so called citizens initiatives; forcing the parliament to vote on such proposals with 50 000+ signatures.
The one started for equal marriage legislation swiftly gained over 160 000, but it has taken a long time for it to go to vote. On Friday, when the vote takes place there will be a demonstration organised by LGBTI and student groups outside the parliament in Helsinki, at noon.