Church Leaders Join Stockholm Gay Pride March

Posted: August 5, 2007 - 11:00 am ET

(Stockholm) Swedish political and church leaders marched in Stockholm's LGBT pride parade Saturday, drawing large cheers and applause from thousands of people lining the streets of the capital.

About 30 members of the Swedish Lutheran Church, including the deans of the cathedrals of Stockholm and Uppsala. The Church is the largest denomination in the country.

In a statement the church said it wanted to "break the masses' big silence" regarding gays, bisexuals and transsexuals.

Representatives of the governing coalition and major opposition parties in Parliament also marched. The group included three cabinet ministers.

On Friday, Fredrik Reinfeldt became the first serving Swedish Prime Minister to take part in pride festivities when he toured a downtown park where pre-pride activities were taking place.

Close to 50,000 people marched in the parade while about a half-million people lined streets.

Prior to the march police and health officials advised people to bring plenty of drinking water to the parade as temperatures climbed into the 90s.

Earlier this year an international study of attitudes towards gays found Sweden the most the most welcoming country for gays.

Early next year it is expected Parliament will approve a same-sex marriage bill.

Sweden already has civil partnerships under a law enacted in 1995 that gives most of the rights and obligations of marriage to same-sex couples who register. But the country's LGBT community and moderate politicians have stepped up lobbying to have the law amended to permit gays and lesbians to marry.

A parliamentary committee studying the issue last year called civil partnerships outdated and has recommended Parliament allow same-sex marriage. It also would allow gay couples to marry in churches.

The Swedish Lutheran Church has said once the bill is approved it will conduct same-sex marriages in its churches.

Well, it is Sweden you know.

Thems' my peeps!!!!

My mother's side of the family is Swedish and I have lived there many years and speak the language.

I'm very happy to hear of this happening! Thanks for sharing.

Swedish gay union study...
http://paa2004.princeton.edu/downloa...issionId=40208
Found it referenced in this piece...
Stanley Kurtz on Gay Marriage on National Review Online

ETA...
Pogoplum - Sweden may permit gay marriage in church
"Bishop Claes-Bertil Ytterberg, head of the Church of Sweden's western diocese, said "we are prepared to carry out partnerships for homosexuals that have the force of law". He made it clear that the word 'marriage' will be reserved for heterosexuals while the new marriage laws will be renamed 'cohabitation laws.'"

Yup. It looks like the civil unions are working out so well in Sweden that they are going to legalize gay marriage.

A great day for love and justice in the world!

And they came up with a shiny new name for it and every thing. See, that's something I can agree with.

"He made it clear that the word 'marriage' will be reserved for heterosexuals while the new marriage laws will be renamed 'cohabitation laws.'"

That is awesome!

The more I read this the more entertained I become. While I am glad that the government is going to provide equal partnership rights to homosexuals, I find this need to create a new word laughable. But since we are in the business of using language to differentiate homosexuals from heterosexuals, lets go the distance shall we?

Homosexuals will no longer be allowed to use the word family when referring to their relationships. Family indicates a man and a woman and their children so we can't use that. Heterosexuals have the monopoly on that word. What shall we use instead? How about 'Unit of Cohabitation'?

Homosexuals will no longer be allowed to use the word children in reference to natural born or adopted offspring. Children is the word heterosexuals use to refer to their genetic offspring so we wouldn't want to jeopardize the importance of that word. From now on homosexuals will use the phrase "Minor Dependents of Undisclosed Origin". When the child grows into adulthood we can change the phrase to "Former Dependent of Undisclosed Origin".

Homosexuals can no longer use the word sex. Apparently that only refers to coitus. Now homosexuals will have to refer to their activity as "Erotic Stimulation".

The word love will be changed too. We will go with "Uncontrolled Emotions of Deep Connection and Admiration".

And then when having a conversation we can flaunt our sexuality! Exactly what people have asked us not to do. Makes me so excited.

I can imagine a letter to a friend...

Sam,

Happy to receive your letter and to learn you are doing well. Glad to know that your family is healthy. I'm so proud of how you and your wife have raised your children. Enjoy this time, they will be grown before you know it. They are getting to that age where they are more interested in love and sex than responsibility, be patient. This too shall pass.

As far as my Unit of Cohabitation, we are doing wonderful. Jason, our Former Dependent of Undisclosed Origin, is in college and doing very well. Jill, our Minor Dependent of Undisclosed Origin, will be a Junior this year and is a cheerleader. It's good to know that Jason and Jill will be there to celebrate with us. Bill and I have been Civil Unionized for 15 years now. Growing old together is so wonderful. Those days of Erotic Stimulation are gone and have been replaced with Uncontrolled Emotions of Deep Connection and Admiration far beyond we could have imagined.

Well better wrap it up before the Partner gets home.

Walter.

[/Sarcasm]

Quote:
The decision comes ahead of government recommendations to amend existing marriage laws to ensure that all couples have the same marriage rights regardless of their sexual orientation.



The pedophiles, zoophiles and incestuous couples will be celebrating over this news.

But the polygamists will have to continue living under discrimination.