Second vote approval of gender-neutral marriage bill

The Finnish Parliament passed a citizens’ initiative-based bill to allow same-sex marriage in a second vote on Friday .

Image: Heikki Saukkomaa / Lehtikuva

On the 28th of November, Parliament decided to move ahead with same-sex marriage legislation voting down a decision by the Legal Affairs Committee calling for the rejection of a citizens’ initiative bill on gender-neutral marriage.

In effect, that vote approved same-sex marriage by 105-92 and referred the bill to committee as the next step in the passage process.

On Friday, in a second vote, Parliament gave its approval to the citizens’ initiative bill in a vote of 101-90 with one abstention and 7 MPs absent from the session and one abstention.

The reform will require wide-ranging changes in other legislation, which will take well over a year to finalise. The law will therefore not take effect until 2016 at the earliest. Finland has allowed registered same-sex partnerships since 2002.

Published: 13th December 2014

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