Seven years after its legalization,
Spain's Constitutional Court is expected to uphold a gay marriage law
next week.
At least that is what Madrid daily El
Pais is predicting will happen on Tuesday. The paper
reported that there is wide support among the court's 11 member panel
but there remains a possibility for dissent.
Nearly 20,000 couples have married
since Socialists approved marriage equality on June 30, 2005. The
law took effect on Sunday, July 3, 2005, making Spain only the third
country to legalize gay nuptials behind the Netherlands and Belgium.
Canada followed suit 17 days later.
Following passage of the law, the
conservative Popular Party (PP) filed a legal challenge.
The PP returned to power in elections
held late last year. Party officials have said they would abide by
the court's decision. Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy has previously
stated that he disagrees with the law.
The upcoming decision was the theme at
Madrid's Gay Pride parade on Saturday. Thousands marched through
central Madrid under the slogan, “Equal marriage rights. No
tampering with equality.”
(Related: Promise
of marriage equality law uplifts Paris Gay Pride.)