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Wednesday March 21, 2007

Sweden moves to allow gay marriage

STOCKHOLM, Sweden (AP) - Sweden took a step toward allowing gay marriage Wednesday when a government-appointed committee proposed expanding the rights of same-sex couples.

Sweden has recognized civil unions between homosexual couples since 1994, but does not permit gay marriages.

If the new law is passed, couples who have entered such unions would automatically be considered legally married, said Hans Regner, who led the committee that presented the proposal.

"Two men or two women should be able to wed, and in the future be called spouses,'' Regner said. "All the rules for heterosexual spouses will be applied also to homosexual couples.''

Same-sex marriage is legal in five other countries: Canada, Belgium, the Netherlands, Spain and South Africa. In the United States, only the states of Massachusetts allows gay marriage.

The Swedish proposal needs parliamentary approval but is expected to pass because gay marriage has widespread support in the Scandinavian country, Regner said.

However, the clergy has been divided on the issue, and the government proposal would allow individual churches to refuse same-sex weddings.

Sweden's predominant Lutheran Church said last week it would be willing to marry gay couples in church if the law is changed, but that the ceremony would be given a different name than wedding.

Gays in civil partnerships already enjoy similar rights as married couples. One difference is that the age limit of 18 years for civil unions is absolute, while married couples can request an exemption.-AP

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