Apologies for the absence of this column in the last couple of weeks, events
in real life have kind of taken over and prevented me gleaning the papers and magazines for stories to keep this piece going. But back to the business of the week, what is happening
Under the Rainbow today news from Sweden and a sperm bank on the internet for Lesbians
amongst other stories.

From Sweden

Rupert the Observer observed this development in
Sweden where the parliament decided a couple of weeks ago that gay couples should be
given the right of adoption. The demand of the Christian democratic party for total refusal
ended up being rejected by 198 votes against 38.

This law will give adoption rights to those gay couples living in a registered partnership,
and it covers internal adoption, adoption of Swedish children and international adoption as
well. It is still unclear when the law will come into effect, because first Sweden must resign from the 1967 convention of the Council of Europe about child adoption. It will take six
months before the resigning comes into effect.

Maybe it is time for us to lobby our Member of the European Parliament to bring the
Convention of the Council of Europe on Child Adoption into line with the stance of Sweden
and the potential movement that direction of other European countries such as the United
Kingdom which has suggested allowing similar rights. If you need to know who they are visit
here .

Sperm.com

Lesbians wishing to become parents are now able to surf the web and find donor sperm.
A new site launched in the UK this week www.mannotincluded.com matches lesbian couples with sperm donors through the site. The team, lead by John Gonzales, who have set up the site will vet both recipients and potential donors. The two parties will not meet.

On launching the site Gonzales said he expected to face criticism for his service but also stated 'If a child is going to be loved and cared for, to me it doesn't matter if it is two
women or a man and a woman bringing it up'. The initial fee for using the service
is going to cost £480 which compares favourably with the price for In Vitro Fertilisation
through the private sector.

Support for Gay Marriage In Kennedy State

A Democratic challenger for the Governorship of the late President John F. Kennedy's
home state of Massachusetts has come out in support of same sex marriages. Robert Reich
who served as Secretary of Labor in the Clinton administration is supporting a move to
adopt similar legislation to neighbouring Vermont which already acknowledges civil union
between members of the same sex. Reich recently told the Boston Globe 'I became
convinced that it was really a matter of leadership, and that it was a civil rights issue, and
that it was important to make a stand'. This stance places him above the other four
Democratic candidates for his parties’ nomination on gay rights issues.

His potential rival, the leading Republican candidate, Mitt Romney is supporting
domestic partner laws that provide for health benefits and survivor rights, though not going as far as the Democrat.

The issue recently has been a 'hot potato' in Massachusetts following the attempt by
after supporters of an anti-gay marriage ballot initiative, allegedly duped voters into
signing their petition by disguising it as a measure to ban the sale of horse meat. And the
decision of the State Senate's President last week to block this initiative which would have
amended the constitution preventing the recognition of same-sex marriage.

Reich has no plans yet on how, if he is elected, he will persuade the Legislature to bring
his proposals into being. But this does not dissuade him from making it a focal point of his
campaign. Indeed he sees it as the next frontier of civil rights, and he has said that he
'(feels) very comfortable with being supportive of gay civil marriage'.

The Somewhere Under the Rainbow
Archive

27.06.02 Front Page

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