Norway

On June 11, 2008, members of Parliament in Norway approved a gender-neutral bill that ended the exclusion of same-sex couples from marriage by a vote of 84-41. Family Issues minister Anniken Huitfeldt noted, "The new law won't weaken marriage as an institution. Rather, it will strengthen it. Marriage won't be worth less because more can take part in it." The Scandinavian country had already allowed gay and lesbian couples to enter into civil partnerships but realized that such partnerships did not provide equality. The law was backed by the ruling red-green coalition of the Labour Party, the Centre Party and the Socialist Left Party, as well as members of the opposition Conservatives and Liberals. Socialist Left Party leader Kristin Halvorsen, also finance minister, said the bill was for "equal rights" and against all forms of discrimination.