News
The article is more than 8 years old

Parliament moves to reject initiative to void same-sex marriage law

Parliament's Legal Affairs Committee proposes that an anti-gay marriage law initiative should be thrown out as unsustainable. The Finns Party and the Christian Democrats backed the anti-initiative.

Kaksi miestä käsikädessä.
Marrying a member of one's own gender will be possible in Finland on March 1. Image: AOP

Parliament's Legal Affairs Committee has drawn up a report on a citizens' initiative that opposes the legality of gender-neutral marriage in Finland. The report proposes that the anti-gay marriage initiative be rejected outright.

The new initiative – put forward by the conservative Aito avioliitto or "Genuine Marriage" movement – aims to overturn same-sex marriage legislation which will come into effect on March 1, 2017 by presidential decree.

The gay marriage law was itself the result of Finland's first successful citizens' initiative. Opponents of same-sex marriage responded with an initiative of their own in late 2015.

The Legal Affairs Committee bases its rejection proposal on the principle that especially legislation related to key institutions such as marriage must be formulated to be consistent, stable and predictable.

Following Parliamentary debate, the Committee's proposal to reject the Aito avioliitto initiative will be discussed on Thursday, with the vote occurring on Friday.