Same-sex marriage in Norway

Same-sex marriage has been legal in Norway since 1 January 2009 when a gender-neutral marriage law came into force after being passed by the Storting in June 2008. Norway was the first Scandinavian country, the fourth in Europe, and the sixth country in the world to legalize same-sex marriage, after the Netherlands, Belgium, Spain, Canada, and South Africa. Previously, from 1993 to 2008, Norway allowed same-sex couples to enter into registered partnerships, which provided virtually all the protections, responsibilities and benefits of marriage. Norway was the second country in the world to provide some form of recognition to same-sex couples, after Denmark. Registered partnerships Norway introduced same-sex registered partnerships on 1 August 1993. The law was introduced to the Storting on 11 January 1993 by the Ministry of Children and Family Affairs. It passed the lower house on 29 March, and the upper house on 1 April. King Harald V of Norway gave his royal assent on 30 April, and the law took effect on 1 August. Norway became the second country in the world to provide some form of recognition to same-sex couples, after Denmark which implemented a registered partnership law in 1989. Registered partnerships are known in Norwegian as, and in Northern Sami as. Registered partnerships were granted virtually all the protections, responsibilities and benefits of marriage, including arrangements for the breakdown of the relationship. Initially, the partnership law stated that registered partners could not adopt, and that only married couples or opposite-sex cohabiting couples could access artificial insemination. In June 2001, however, the Storting approved a bill allowing registered partners to adopt their partner's children (i.e. stepchild adoption). The amendment took effect on 1 January 2002. One of the more notable people to enter into a registered partnership was former Finance Minister Per-Kristian Foss.