Austria legalizes gay marriage (effective no later than Jan. 1, 2019)

[Tender Branson]

The ÖVP accepts the decision and won't "throw any stones in the way of legalisation" (hmm, we'll see*).

The SPÖ+NEOS+List "Pilz" and the Remnant Greens all call it a "historic milestone".

The FPÖ and Catholic Church call the ruling "unfortunate" and maintain that marriage is only for heteros because they are the ones who are giving birth to children and should be given priority (the FPÖ favours the current partnership law).

* Because ÖVP and FPÖ have a majority in parliament and are both opposed to gay marriage, they could delay the court order to the latest possible date: Dec. 31st, 2018 - which is the last possible date the Court instructed parliament to change the laws. They could also do so earlier, which means marriages could also start at some point during 2018, if the ÖVP votes with SPÖ, NEOS and List "Pilz". But considering they are soon-to-be in a coalition with the opposing FPÖ, they might delay the new law until the last day possible (and knowing the retarded ÖVP on this issue, they probably will ...)

[America's Sweetheart ❤/𝕿𝖍𝖊 𝕭𝖔𝖔𝖙𝖞 𝖂𝖆𝖗𝖗𝖎𝖔𝖗]

Freedom Move.

[Tender Branson]

Other facts:

* The current gay partnership law (which is actually more progressive than the hetero marriage law) will not become void on Jan. 1, 2019 as I have suspected. Instead, it will also become available to hetero couples. So, heteros or gays can either choose between marriage or the partnership law. If they choose the marriage law, they will actually have a worse one (dating back to the 1930s with amendments in between). If they choose the partnership law, they will have the modern one, just that it is not called marriage. IMO, the partnership law should just be scrapped and the current marriage law should be amended along the partnership law to make it fit for 21st century forms of families and relationships.

* Gay couples who are currently in a registered partnership can either remain in that partnership, or marry once the marriage is "opened" no later than Jan. 1, 2019. It remains to be seen if they will have to pay additional fees if they want to marry, but I guess they will have to.

* IVF and full adoption rights for LGBTs are already legal since 2013

* Currently, 60-80% of Austrians support gay marriage (depending on which poll you are using).

[Tender Branson]

The remaining countries in Western Europe now are Italy, Switzerland, Greece (hardly Western Europe though) and Northern Ireland.

Eastern Europe will take quite a bit longer (Estonia, Czech Rep. and Slovenia look promising).

[Tender Branson]

Some excerpts from today's ruling:

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https://www.nbcnews.com/feature/nbc-out/austria-s-supreme-court-paves-way-same-sex-marriage-n826676

[Tender Branson]

SPÖ+NEOS+Pilz all want to change the laws after the Christmas holidays already, so that gays can start to marry early next year - instead of 2019.

But the ÖVP says they will have to "think about it first" ... (and the delaying starts).

[🦀🎂🦀🎂]

so happy for all the gay kangaroos out there