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Same-sex marriage in Greenland

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Part of the LGBTQ rights series
Legal status of
same-sex unions
Marriage

Recognized

Civil unions or registered partnerships but not marriage
Minimal recognition
See also
Notes
  1. ^ Performed in the Netherlands proper (including the Caribbean Netherlands), as well as in Aruba and Curaçao. May be registered in Sint Maarten in such cases, but the rights of marriage are not guaranteed.
  2. Neither performed nor recognized in Niue, Tokelau, or the Cook Islands.
  3. Neither performed nor recognized in six British Overseas Territories.
  4. ^ Neither performed nor recognized in some tribal nations of the US. Recognized but not performed in several other tribal nations and American Samoa.
  5. Registered foreign marriages confer all marriage rights in Israel. Domestic common-law marriages confer most rights of marriage. Domestic civil marriage recognized by some cities.
  6. ^ The Coman v. Romania ruling of the European Court of Justice obliges the state to provide residency rights for the foreign spouses of EU citizens. Some member states, including Romania, do not follow the ruling.
  7. A "declaration of family relationship" is available in several of Cambodia's communes which may be useful in matters such as housing, but is not legally binding.
  8. Guardianship agreements confer some limited legal benefits in China, including decisions about medical and personal care.
  9. Hong Kong provides inheritance, guardianship rights, and residency rights for foreign spouses of legal residents.
  10. Indian courts have recognised guru–shishya, nata pratha or maitri karar–type contractual relationships, but they are not legally binding.
  11. Most Japanese cities and prefectures issue partnership certificates, but they are not legally binding.
  12. Marriages conducted abroad between a Namibian national and a foreign spouse provide residency rights in Namibia.
  13. Romania provides hospital visitation rights through a "legal representative" status.
  1. Not yet in effect.
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Same-sex marriage has been legal in Greenland since 1 April 2016. Same-sex marriage legislation passed the Inatsisartut unanimously on 26 May 2015. Approval by the Folketing followed on 19 January 2016, and the law received royal assent on 3 February. It took effect on 1 April, with the first same-sex marriage in Greenland taking place that day in Nuuk.

From 1996 to 2016, Greenland, an autonomous territory within the Kingdom of Denmark, recognised registered partnerships for same-sex couples, providing most, but not all, of the rights and benefits of marriage. The ability to enter into a partnership was closed off following the legalization of same-sex marriage.

Registered partnerships

Denmark's registered partnership law had been in operation since 1 October 1989. A bill to expand its application to Greenland was approved by the Inatsisartut on 14 May 1993 by a vote of 15–0 with 12 abstentions, and by the Folketing on 28 March 1996 by a vote of 104–1. The bill was given royal assent on 26 April 1996, and took effect on 1 July 1996. The law gave registered partners nearly identical rights to married couples, with these notable exceptions:

  • joint adoption of children
  • laws making explicit reference to the sexes of a married couple did not apply to registered partnerships
  • regulations by international treaties did not apply unless all signatories agreed

The first same-sex couple registered in 2002. Registered partnerships are called nalunaarsukkamik inooqatigiinneq (pronounced [nalʉnaːsːukːamik inɔːqatsiɣiːnːɜq]) in Greenlandic, and registreret partnerskab (pronounced [ʁekiˈstʁeˀð̩ ˈpʰɑːtnɐˌskɛˀp]) in Danish. The law was repealed on 1 April 2016, and the ability to enter into a registered partnership was closed off on that date. Registered partners may retain their status or convert their union into a recognized marriage.

Same-sex marriage

Legislative action

A resolution, expressing the Naalakkersuisut's wish to opt in the current version of Denmark's marriage law, had its first reading in the Inatsisartut on 25 March 2015, and was approved unanimously 27–0 on second and final reading on 26 May 2015.

Approval by the Folketing was required before the law could go into effect, however. A bill was submitted to the Folketing on 28 January 2015 and had its first reading on 26 May 2015. It was planned to come into effect on 1 October 2015; however, it lapsed due to the 2015 parliamentary elections. A nearly identical bill with only minor formal changes was submitted on 29 October and had its first reading on 5 November. The second reading occurred on 14 January 2016, and the bill was approved 108–0 in its final reading on 19 January. The bill was given royal assent by Queen Margrethe II on 3 February, and took effect on 1 April 2016. The first same-sex marriage in Greenland was performed on 1 April at the Hans Egede Church in Nuuk between Laila Mølgaard and Henriette Simonsen.

Article 1 of the Marriage Act (Danish: Ægteskabsloven; Greenlandic: Aappariinneq pillugu inatsit) now reads as follows:

  • in Danish: Loven finder anvendelse på ægteskab mellem to personer af forskelligt køn og mellem to personer af samme køn.
  • in Greenlandic: Inatsit atuuppoq inunnut marlunnut assigiinngitsunik suiaassuseqartunut aamma inunnut marlunnut assigiimmik suiaassuseqartunut aappariilersunut.
(The law applies to marriages between two persons of different sex and between two persons of the same sex.)
26 May 2015 vote in the Inatsisartut
Party Voted for Voted against Abstained Absent (Did not vote)
 G  Siumut 9 – 1 1
  Inuit Ataqatigiit 9 – 1 1
 G  Demokraatit 4 – – –
  Partii Naleraq 3 – – –
 G  Atassut 2 – – –
Total 27 0 2 2
87.1% 0.0% 6.5% 6.5%

Marriages in the Church of Greenland

The Church of Greenland campaigned in favor of same-sex marriage legislation and worked closely with the government to ensure that same-sex couples would be able to have religious wedding ceremonies in the church. The Bishop of Greenland, Sofie Petersen, welcomed the legalization of same-sex marriage.

See also

References

  1. "The Registered Partnership Act". Queer Resources Directory. Archived from the original on 30 September 2014.
  2. Rule, Sheila (2 October 1989). "Rights for Gay Couples in Denmark". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 4 April 2016.
  3. "Anordning om ikrafttræden for Grønland af dele af lov om ændring af lov om ægteskabs indgåelse og opløsning, lov om ægteskabets retsvirkninger og retsplejeloven og om ophævelse af lov om registreret partnerskab" (PDF) (in Danish). Social-, Børne- og Integrationsministeriet. 11 November 2013.
  4. "1995-96 - L 162 (oversigt): Forslag til lov om ændring af kriminalloven og arveloven for Grønland. (Ændringer som følge af indførelse af registreret partnerskab)" (in Danish). Folketing. Archived from the original on 4 April 2016. Retrieved 4 April 2016.
  5. "Lov om ændring af kriminalloven og arveloven for Grønland (Ændringer som følge af indførelse af registreret partnerskab)". Government of Denmark. 5 January 1996. Archived from the original on 4 April 2016. Retrieved 4 April 2016.
  6. Merin, Yuval (2002). Equality for Same-Sex Couples: The Legal Recognition of Gay Partnerships in Europe and the United States. University of Chicago Press. ISBN 9780226520339. Retrieved 4 April 2016.
  7. Gay Greenland--Past and Present
  8. "Nalunaarsukkamik inooqatigiinneq il.il. pillugit inatsisip allanngortinneqarneranik inatsisip Kalaallit Nunaannut atortuulersinneqarneranik peqqussut" (PDF) (in Kalaallisut). Archived from the original (PDF) on 10 September 2014. Retrieved 22 April 2024.
  9. Rodriques, Jacqueline (28 May 2015). "LGBT-forening: Lykkelig over ny lov i Grønland - trods religiøs modstand". DR.dk (in Danish).
  10. "Forslag til: Inatsisartutbeslutning om at Grønlands Selvstyre tiltræder Anordning om ikrafttræden for Grønland af dele af lov om ændring af lov om ægteskabs indgåelse og opløsning, lov om ægteskabets retsvirkninger og retsplejeloven og om ophævelse af lov om registreret partnerskab" (PDF) (in Danish). Parliament of Greenland. Archived from the original (PDF) on 12 March 2016. Retrieved 3 April 2016.
  11. "Ullut ataatsimiiffiusut qulingiluaat, pingasunngorneq 25. marts 2015" (in Danish). Parliament of Greenland. Archived from the original on 12 March 2016. Retrieved 3 April 2016.
  12. "Ullut ataatsimiiffiusut 28-iat, marlunngorneq 26. maj 2015" (in Danish). Parliament of Greenland. Archived from the original on 13 March 2016. Retrieved 3 April 2016.
  13. W, Christian (28 May 2015). "Greenland approves gay marriage". The Copenhagen Post. Archived from the original on 2 April 2016. Retrieved 3 April 2016.
  14. McCormick, Joseph Patrick (27 May 2015). "Parliament in Greenland unanimously approves same-sex marriage". PinkNews. Archived from the original on 1 February 2016. Retrieved 3 April 2016.
  15. "Lovforslag nr. L 122 Folketinget 2014-15" (PDF) (in Danish). Folketing. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 3 April 2016.
  16. "L 122 Forslag til lov om ændring af myndighedsloven for Grønland, lov om ikrafttræden for Grønland af lov om ægteskabets retsvirkninger, retsplejelov for Grønland og kriminallov for Grønland" (in Danish). Folketing. Archived from the original on 28 January 2016. Retrieved 3 April 2016.
  17. "Lovforslag nr. L 35 Folketinget 2015-16" (PDF) (in Danish). Folketing. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 3 April 2016.
  18. ^ "L 35 Forslag til lov om ændring af myndighedsloven for Grønland, lov om ikrafttræden for Grønland af lov om ægteskabets retsvirkninger, retsplejelov for Grønland og kriminallov for Grønland" (in Danish). Folketing. Archived from the original on 3 April 2016. Retrieved 3 April 2016.
  19. Nørrelund Sørensen, Helle (19 January 2016). "Ja til homovielser og nej til at slå børn". Greenlandic Broadcasting Corporation (in Danish). Archived from the original on 27 January 2016. Retrieved 3 April 2016.
  20. Dam, Camilla (1 April 2016). "Første homoseksuelle par viet i kirken". Greenlandic Broadcasting Corporation (in Danish). Archived from the original on 2 April 2016. Retrieved 3 April 2016.
  21. Williams, Joe (1 April 2016). "Same sex couples can now officially marry in Greenland". PinkNews. Archived from the original on 2 April 2016. Retrieved 2 April 2016.
  22. Morgan, Joe (1 April 2016). "Same-sex couples can now get married in Greenland". Gay Star News. Archived from the original on 2 April 2016. Retrieved 2 April 2016.
  23. "Point 100 - Inatsisartutbeslutning om at Grønlands Selvstyre tiltræder Anordning om ikrafttræden for Grønland af dele af lov om ændring af lov om ægteskabs indgåelse og opløsning, lov om ægteskabets retsvirkninger og retsplejeloven og om ophævelse af lov om registreret partnerskab. (Ophævelse af anordning om lov om registreret partnerskab som følge af ægteskab mellem to personer af samme køn)" (in Danish). 26 May 2015. Archived from the original on 15 March 2016. Retrieved 15 December 2016.
  24. Sauvalle, Julien (1 April 2016). "Same-Sex Marriages Begin in Greenland". Out.com.

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