The Netherlands passed a new law, endorsing marriage between people of the same sex as far back as 2001. Today, marriages such as these can be entered into in the Netherlands, Belgium, Cananda, Spain and South-Africa. In addition, there are a few sub-states in the USA. In Sweden, an official committee has arrived at the position that marriage between those of the same sex ought to be permissable.

It is possible to register a partnership in several other countries where marriage is not allowed between those of the same sex. Norway passed legislation on registered partnership in 1993, and this right is recognized today in all Nordic countries.

The most controversial paragraph in the Norwegian legislation proposal is the right for lesbians to assisted fertilization, but Norway is not the first in this area either.

Denmark, Sweden, Finland and Great Britain already have the right to assisted fertilization.

Today, Norwegian lesbian couples go to Denmark for assisted fertilization. In Denmark, unknown donors are used, so that the child never gets to know it's biological background.

The Norwegian proposal says that the child should have such a right when it reaches 18 year old, but this requires that fertilization take place in Norway.

KrF (Christian democrats) is still clinging to the hope that there will be enough representatives from other parties to hinder the legislation from being passed. FrP (Progress party) will vote against, but many opponents will be needed if the government's proposal should be defeated.

When it comes to the right for homosexuals to adopt, Sweden, the Netherlands, Belgium, Spain and Great Britain have already opened for this.

Man and woman, or....

The two sides are unyielding, but the official Church-Norway, KrF and FrP have been careful to avoid what can be called homophobia. It has been emphasized in the wording of hearings and in the reaction of the legislation-proposal that the matter is not about fighting homosexuals, bi-sexuals or lesbians and their rights.

The chief argument among those of the opposition is that marriage is an institution for man and woman.

"There is no reason why things need to continue as before," answers the National Association for Lesbian and Homosexual Emancipation (LLH).

LLH emphasizes that entering into marriage is a human right, and stresses that Norway is a democracy and not a theocracy.

"The marriage law is a civil institution defined by the legislator (Norwegian parliament) and no others. It is not good enough to say that marriage is heterosexual just because it is," views LLH.