From: Sonja van Baardwijk-Holten <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
In our country all people that are not related in bloodline (siblings, parent/child, etc.) and who permanently live together (at least six months officially registered or through a contract at a notary) in twosomes can get themselves officially registered as a partnership. As such the state awards them the same rights as a married couple. Only difference is in succession. A partner has to pay more in succesion tax, but only if they haven't got a contract/will at the notary so merely are registered. Anybody who wants to get a public marriage certificate can do so without much hassle. We do however in language make a very rigid distinction between public marriage (i.e. voor de wet getrouwd/boterbriefje) and religious marriage (i.e. kerkelijk huwelijk).
That would seem comparable here to if all governmental marriages were called civil unions, while the word marriage was reserved to religious marriages. Having one term for both is a big sticking point here for some, but even if separate, many would still oppose gay civil unions anyway, so the word is not the only problem, just the most superficial one.
Another argument I've seen is that allowing gay marriages would open the door for demands for three-way (or more) group marriages, incestual marriages, and bestiality marriages. Is there much call for that stuff in your country? (I'm guessing not)
Do many churches there allow gay religious marriages? Do the ones that don't allow it actively oppose allowing gay public marriages?
-bryon
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