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- In Switzerland, same-sex couples will be allowed to marry in the future.
- After the Council of States, the National Council also adopts amendments to the law allowing “marriage for all”.
- The question of whether lesbian couples should have access to sperm donation has been controversial until recently. Now both cameras say yes.
- The proposal is now ready for the final vote.
The National Council today resolved the latest differences in the bill initiated by the green liberals seven years ago. This means that same-sex couples, as well as women and men, should be allowed to marry in the future. Lesbian married couples also have access to sperm donation. The Federal Council also supports the provisions that Parliament has incorporated into the bill.
The National Council followed the formulation of the Council of States when donating sperm for female partners. Consequently, the mother’s wife is also considered the child’s mother if the child was conceived in accordance with the requirements of the Reproductive Medicine Act, but not after a sperm donation abroad. This is to ensure that the child’s right to know their parentage is guaranteed.
If the proposal is accepted in the final vote, registered couples can convert their marital status to marriage in the future. However, they are not completely the same as heterosexual couples. Surrogacy, with which married male couples could have children, is not part of marriage for everyone. The survivor’s pension was also excluded in order not to overload the workforce.
A historic step for Switzerland
In today’s National Council, the SP and the Greens spoke of a historic step towards equality between gay and straight couples. “It is almost done,” said Kathrin Bertschy (GLP / BE), recalling the Greens’ first advance in parliament 20 years ago. However, Switzerland struggles with gender equality, Bertschy noted.
Legend:
The bill, initiated by the Green Liberals seven years ago, requires that same-sex couples, as well as men and women, be allowed to marry.
Keystone
While the need to act on this issue is almost indisputable in Switzerland, the two chambers were at odds over certain details for a long time. A week ago, the Council of States discussed in detail the question of whether the constitution should be changed to open marriage to same-sex couples. The constitutional article in question means marriage between a man and a woman and, therefore, must be adapted, representatives of the SVP and CVP found. With 22 to 20 votes, the council narrowly decided that a change in the law would suffice.
The referendum is already in the room
It was also discussed whether lesbian couples should also have access to sperm donation. In the National Council, it was controversial until the last, whether this access complies with the federal constitution. However, the council rejected a minority motion by Philipp Matthias Bregy (CVP / VS) to remove the sperm donation from the presentation with 133 votes to 57.
A referendum is already being held against the “marriage for all” proposal. It has been announced by the Federal Democratic Union (EDU). The Conservative party resents that same-sex marriage is being introduced without a constitutional amendment. And donating sperm for lesbian couples is, in the words of the EDU, “legally and morally questionable.”
