Prevent the passage of an amendment that would prohibit same-sex marriages in Macedonia
An amendment set to be approved by the Macedonian parliament would limit the definition of marriage to a union between a man and a woman only. If this measure passes, it would be a serious blow for civil rights in Macedonia. Sign the petition and urge the Minister of Justice to withdraw the amendment.
Although Macedonia does not currently recognize same-sex marriages, the proposed measure, Amendment XXXIII, would explicitly prohibit marriages between same-sex couples. A ban of this nature would contradict both European and other international laws and be a serious blow against civil and human rights in the country. An earlier version of the amendment, which would have also denied other forms of legal partnership such as registered cohabitation to same-sex couples, was deemed unconstitutional by the Venice Commission, an international advisory body that determines the constitutionality of European laws.
It currently looks as though the amendment will pass. While it is certainly important to respect the legislative processes and cultural values of other countries, Macedonia’s ban on same-sex marriage would violate a number of European and international laws prohibiting discrimination. Sign the petition below and urge Macedonia to remain in line with international human rights standards and civil rights laws by withdrawing the potential ban on same-sex marriage.
PETITION LETTER:
Dear Minister Jashari,
I am writing to implore you to withdraw Amendment XXXIII, which would explicitly ban same-sex unions by defining marriage as being only between a man and a woman. Such a law is discriminatory, disgraceful, and out of step with the human rights policies of both the European community and the global community. I urge you to do the right thing and withdraw the amendment from consideration.
An explicit ban on same-sex marriages in Macedonia would violate European and international human rights standards. While the removal of the restriction on registered cohabitation is a definite step forward, it is not enough. Macedonia must recognize the rights of its LGBTI citizens and jettison its plans to restrict their freedom through Amendment XXXIII.
The findings of the Venice Commission coupled with laws and precedents set forth in other European countries ought to make this decision very easy for Macedonia. The only right course of action is to withdraw Amendment XXXIII and instead pursue the passage of laws that respect and protect all of Macedonia’s citizens.
