Lithuania rejects legalization of same-sex ‘marriage’
The Lithuanian parliament (Seimas) rejected a proposal last week for legalization of same-sex partnerships put forth mostly by members of the liberal faction. Twenty-nine members of Seimas voted in support for the legalization of same-sex partnerships, 59 voted against, and 20 abstained from voting. During the first stage of legislation, abstaining is essentially equivalent to voting against the project because it must collect the majority of supporting votes. Nine conservatives and nine social democrats expressed support for the legalization of partnerships, as did eight liberals and three non-attached members. No member of the parliament from the factions of ruling Farmers and Greens Union, Order and Justice , and Electoral Action of Poles in Lithuania supported the proposal for partnerships. The project for same-sex partnerships was not returned for revision and was rejected completely. Sixty-four members of Seimas voted against the project being returned for revision