Last Friday, May 15, 2009, was a great day in Finnish history. Our Parliament voted to allow gay couples in registered partnerships to adopt the biological children of their partners. The bill passed by an 108-29 vote with 61 MPs absent and one abstainee.
Under the law, children would be eligible for alimony and gain the right to inherit the estate of non-biological parents. In the case of separation, the non-biological parent would also qualify for visitation rights.
Registered partnerships were created for gay couples in 2002.
As can be seen by the large number of absentees, the law didn't pass without controversy. The smaller ruling parties, i.e. the Swedish People's Party (to which I belong) and the Green League, were unanimously for the new law, together with the opposition Left League. Two smaller opposition parties, i.e. the Christian Democrats and the populist True Finns, were unanimously against. All other parties were divided.
The Finnish Parliament has 200 MPs, but the Speaker doesn't vote. And in this case, almost a third of the MPs were absent...
Earlier in the week, a True Finn MP, Pentti Oinonen, caused controversy when he suggested that pet owners may demand the right to marry their pet dogs. Oinonen later said he had not intended to cause offence. He did not apologize for or retract his statement, however.
This weekend, Oinonen was elected first vice chairman of his party, a strong suggestion that his style of retoric is not frowned upon among the True Finns, but rather embraced.
The one True Finn who was present for Friday's Parliament vote was Pirkko Ruohonen-Lerner, my colleague in the City Council of Porvoo.
http://pastorbastard.blogspot.com/2009/05/gay-adoption-law-in-finland.html
