Guernsey Approves Gay Marriage




Guernsey’s Government has voted in favour of legalising same-sex marriage.

The vote on December 8th was passed with 37 in favour and 7 against. 

Guernsey is not part of the United Kingdom, but it is a British Crown Dependency. This means that whilst it’s responsible for its own political and social governance (the law, the police, education etc.) it remains dependent on the United Kingdom for its foreign and defence policy.

At present, Guernsey does not offer any legal recognition for same-sex couples, and this includes civil partnerships. LGBTI campaigners, therefore, are regarding this as something of a momentous occasion. 




Don’t rush to buy a hat just yet, however. The legislation will have to be drawn up and voted on, and there's no timetable for that. 

2017 is likely to be the earliest that we see same-sex marriages on the island. 

2015 has been a relatively good year for gay marriage, and it hasn’t just been the bigger players, either, like the United States and Ireland making history. 

Smaller countries, crown dependencies and overseas territories have made changes, too. 

Earlier this year, Greenland (Crown Dependency of Denmark) legalised gay marriage. Back in June, the tiny Pacific island of Pitcairn did so, too. Puerto Rico followed the lead of the United States back in July, and Luxembourg (Europe's 7th smallest country) said yes to gay marriage back in January. 



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