“It’s scandalous that the government is not willing to abolish legislative discrimination against homosexuals,” said Baldur Thórhallsson, associate professor in Political Science at the <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = “urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags” />University of Iceland.<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = “urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office” />
According to Icelandic State Radio, RÚV, he points out that the government’s gay rights bill, to be put forth in parliament this fall, will increase the rights of homosexuals. The bill permits homosexuals to enter a civil union, adopt children of Icelandic origin, and be married by leaders of religious institutions.
On the other hand, he says that the government does not have the courage to allow homosexuals to adopt children from abroad nor allow fertility treatment for lesbians in a civil union.
In an interview with the news program on Stod 2 last night, Baldur said that the disrespect of Independence Party MP Sólveig Pétursdóttir, former Minister of Justice, toward homosexuals led to the fact that many stopped voting for the Independence Party.
Baldur said, “It was nothing else but the prejudice of the minister toward homosexuals and child rearing that made her not want to support adoption by homosexual couples. Because of this, we are currently in a position that a homosexual individual can adopt a child but once that individual is in a civil union he his no longer permitted to adopt.”
Baldur published an article on legislative discrimination against homosexuals available on the web site sellan.is.
