Committee backs gay adoption rights

10 November 2005

BRUSSELS — The Belgian Parliament’s justice committee has approved a legislative proposal giving gay couples the right to adopt children.

The Francophone Liberals rejected the motion on Wednesday, as did the extreme-right Flemish Interest party.

However, support from the Flemish Liberal VLD and Socialist PS parties helped the proposal win majority support. The motion was eventually passed with 9 votes for and 7 against.

The controversial discussion over gay adoption rights was recently sparked by SP MP Guy Swennen, who proposed amending present legislation with just three words.

He proposed omitting the words “of different sex” from the current law so that not only heterosexual, but gay and lesbian couples could also adopt children.

The sub-parliamentary family law committee placed the proposal on the negotiating table in the current term of government and passed it onto the justice committee.

The justice committee approved of the proposal before the summer parliamentary recess, but a final vote could not be held because another amendment was raised.

Wednesday’s final vote gave a positive result for Swennen’s proposal and the legislation will now be lodged with the Belgian Parliament for debate on 24 November.

In principle, a majority of MPs are in favour of the legislation, but the Francophone Liberals could swing the vote. Also, not all of the VLD MPs are totally in favour of the proposal.

Subject: Belgian news