Slovenia Allows Same-Sex Marriage

Country’s first lesbian wedding took place last weekend, but gay couples are not allowed to adopt.

Slovenia permitted same-sex marriage for the first time, with a law coming into effect that gives gay couples largely the same rights as heterosexuals, but bars them from jointly adopting children, Reuters reported.

At least one same-sex couple got married in Slovenia on Saturday, February 25th, 2017, the first day the ceremonies can be held, the news site Žurnal24 reported.

“We are very happy and proud that we will perform the first same-sex wedding,” Ksenija Klampfer, head of the department in charge of weddings in Maribor, which hosted a lesbian wedding on Saturday, said. “We believe that such marriages are an important step towards formation of an inclusive society where people have equal rights.”

“This is a big step forward,” Lana Gobec of LGBT rights group Legebitra said. “But we will continue to strive for complete equality of heterosexual and same-sex couples.”

The law was passed ten months ago after a referendum in December 2015 rejected a draft law that would also have given gay couples the right to adopt children.