On Gay Rights, Chancellor (Angela Merkel) Still a Conservative

[marmar]

from Der Spiegel:


Germany's Constitutional Court has further opened the door for gays and lesbians to adopt with a landmark ruling on Tuesday. Yet again the justice system has moved to bring the rights of civil unions closer to those of marriage. But the decision also underscores the deep division in Chancellor Merkel's party on gay rights.

Leaders with German Chancellor Angela Merkel's conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU) party took their time in reacting to the Federal Constitutional Court's decision on Tuesday morning that one member of a civil partnership can adopt a child that has been previously adopted by their partner, a practice known as successive adoption that until Tuesday had been the exclusive right of married heterosexual couples.

The ruling is ground breaking, marking a further step towards equal rights for same-sex partnerships. The move was welcomed by members of Merkel's junior coalition partners, the Free Democrats, the political opposition and gay and lesbian groups, but the CDU and its Bavarian sister party, the Christian Social Union (CSU), remained conspicuously silent in the wake of the news.

At a press conference in the early afternoon, government spokesman Steffen Seibert was unable to avoid any further comment on behalf of the chancellor. But beyond a statement that the ruling "had been acknowledged with due respect," Seibert remained unforthcoming, adding simply that the government would be examining what legislative measures would now be required. ..................(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.spiegel.de/international/germany/german-high-court-more-decisive-than-government-on-gay-rights-a-884377.html

[joeybee12]

1. She's such a jerk...

She can stick her austerity measures up her ass.