”A disaster” for gay people

A contentious issue in the current coalition talks is the recently adopted flexibility in the marriage law, which opens for the possibility of same-sex marriages.

With its two mandates, Miðflokkurin (the Central Party) has a crucial say in the coalition talks with Fólkaflokkurin (the People’s Party) and Sambandsflokkurin (the Union Party).

Miðflokkurin insists that marriage should be reserved for heterosexual couples. The party has suggested other ways of securing the bond between homosexual couples, but none of these suggestions are acceptable to LGBT members.

Hard-earned rights

“It would be a disaster for gay people if these hard-earned rights are now revoked,” says Eiler Fagraklett, chairman of LGBT Faroe Islands.

”We are not looking for special laws that apply to us LGBT people, because we are not special people. We simply want to be treated the same way as other Faroese citizens.”

Fagraklett is hopeful that the rights will not be revoked, as both major parties in the coalition talks, Fólkaflokkurin and Sambandsflokkurin, have vowed not to revoke the rights of LGBT people.

Translated by prosa.fo