Swiss LGBT-Families Welcome the Yes from the Council of States
16/03/2012
Submitted by
The Swiss Rainbow Families Association
For immediate release, 16. March 2012
Adoption rights and legal protection for children in rainbow families
Swiss LGBT-Families Welcome the Yes from the Council of States
On Wednesday, 14 March 2012, the Swiss Council of States decided to open the right to adoption for gay couples in Switzerland. The Swiss rainbow families welcome this wise decision, which is a first step towards putting Switzerland on par with other countries that do not discriminate based on sexual orientation in matters of adoption. The decision furthermore will lead to thousands of children currently growing up in rainbow families to finally get legal protection.
Following this encouraging vote, several parents of rainbow families were at the federal palace on 15 March to demand that the National Council pass the motion by Mario Fehr, which was also geared towards protecting our children, and to personally convey their message to the members of the National Council. In the end, the Fehr motion did not get discussed or voted on for lack of time. It will now be taken up in the next council session in June. Advocates will, of course, be there to lobby on the LGBT-families’ behalf.
Because the current legal situation for rainbow families is untenable: In case the biological parent deceases, our children have no guarantee of being able to stay with their second parent; should the non-biological parent decease, they will be barred from claiming their rightful inheritance; and if their parents separate, they have no guarantee that they’ll be able to stay in contact with their non-biological parent.
Two weeks ago, the Federal Council recognized that this legal vacuum must be filled and recommended that Parliament amend the law accordingly. Furthermore, 86 percent of the Swiss population support legal equality for our families (representative Isopublic poll 12 June 2010, see www.los.ch).
For questions, please contact:
Maria von Känel
Vice President, Rainbow Families Umbrella Organisation
info@regenbogenfamilien.ch, +41(0)796110671
Adoption rights and legal protection for children in rainbow families
Swiss LGBT-Families Welcome the Yes from the Council of States
On Wednesday, 14 March 2012, the Swiss Council of States decided to open the right to adoption for gay couples in Switzerland. The Swiss rainbow families welcome this wise decision, which is a first step towards putting Switzerland on par with other countries that do not discriminate based on sexual orientation in matters of adoption. The decision furthermore will lead to thousands of children currently growing up in rainbow families to finally get legal protection.
Following this encouraging vote, several parents of rainbow families were at the federal palace on 15 March to demand that the National Council pass the motion by Mario Fehr, which was also geared towards protecting our children, and to personally convey their message to the members of the National Council. In the end, the Fehr motion did not get discussed or voted on for lack of time. It will now be taken up in the next council session in June. Advocates will, of course, be there to lobby on the LGBT-families’ behalf.
Because the current legal situation for rainbow families is untenable: In case the biological parent deceases, our children have no guarantee of being able to stay with their second parent; should the non-biological parent decease, they will be barred from claiming their rightful inheritance; and if their parents separate, they have no guarantee that they’ll be able to stay in contact with their non-biological parent.
Two weeks ago, the Federal Council recognized that this legal vacuum must be filled and recommended that Parliament amend the law accordingly. Furthermore, 86 percent of the Swiss population support legal equality for our families (representative Isopublic poll 12 June 2010, see www.los.ch).
For questions, please contact:
Maria von Känel
Vice President, Rainbow Families Umbrella Organisation
info@regenbogenfamilien.ch, +41(0)796110671
