Portugal joins nations more progressive than USA: President signs same-gender marriage into law

[Bluebear]

All that pressure from the Vatican was useless. Today Portugal's President Anibal Cavaco Silva announced that he WILL ratify his nation's marriage equality law, which was bound for approval whether he vetoed it or not. Interestingly, Silva's decision comes on the International Day Against Homophobia.

The head of state's decision to permit the enactment of a bill passed by Parliament in January makes Portugal the sixth European country allowing same-sex couples to wed. President Anibal Cavaco Silva said in a nationally televised address he regretted that the country's political parties had failed to reach a compromise during days of heated debate in Parliament four months ago. Vetoing the bill would only send it back to Parliament where lawmakers would overturn his decision, he said, adding that the country needed to focus on overcoming an economic crisis that has increased unemployment and deepened poverty. The Socialist government's bill was backed by all of Portugal's left-of-center parties, who together have a majority in Parliament. Right-of-center parties opposed the measure and demanded a national referendum. "Given that fact, I feel I should not contribute to a pointless extension of this debate, which would only serve to deepen the divisions between the Portuguese and divert the attention of politicians away from the grave problems affecting us," Cavaco Silva said. He said that, in ratifying the law, he was setting aside "personal convictions."

Parabéns, Portugal! Eight nations now allow same-sex marriage: Canada, Netherlands, Spain, South Africa, Norway, Belgium, Sweden, and Portugal. Who will be next?

http://www.joemygod.blogspot.com/

[saltpoint]

1. They are doomed. As a nation, they can't survive this at all. It will be

just like Massachusetts and Vermont -- two U.S. states that passed laws sanctioning same-sex marriage, and look where they are today: heterosexual couples are unable to consumate their marriage. The regional economies instantaneously collapsed. Public education was unable to instruct elemental curriculum and schools began to close one by one, then down to just a few remaining schools, and now none at all. Churches were torched -- all denominations -- as well as synagogues, temples, and other congregational venues. Automobile traffic became increasingly slow and unordered, bordering on dodge-em cars at an amusement park. Stores closed. Most retail outlets are shuttered as we speak. Food distributors were of a sudden incapable of driving food to grocery stores. Medicines stood rotting to obsolescence on pharmacy shelves. Absent medicine and food, humans from all walks of live began to mutate into unspeakably distorted creatures. Sidewalks crumbled to bits. Plants died. Mangy, starving feral dogs roamed the countryside. Psychiatric units were abandoned, the staff no longer distinguishable from the inpatient populations, and now as a result men and women in thin rags and gowns, others buck naked, wander the towns and cities, howling and slobbering at anything and nothing. Media folded -- first gradually then seemingly all at once. Rivers, once the lifeblood of the land, became irretrievably contaminated streams of sludge and corpses. Violent crime flared in Boston and Burlington leaving mangled victims strewn about the once-prosperous streets. Someone vandalized Scott Brown's pickup.

It's as bad as it gets or worse, and now those more-progressive-than-thou Portuguese are failing to learn from the foolish example of others and proceeding to sanction same-sex marriage.

The horror, ladies and gentlemen. The horror.

[Bluebear]

3. literally LOL here salty....

well done :)

[saltpoint]

4. HI there, Bluebear. Good to see you. Thanks for that OP, by the way.

The Europeans seem to know what's what.

We could learn a lot from them.

:hi:

[Ichingcarpenter]

2. They decriminalized their drug laws which are a success

Article here

http://www.salon.com/news/opinion/glenn_greenwald/2009/03/14/portugal

[Echo In Light]

5. 110% tearerist lovin', commine-pinko, sissy un-americans

;)