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James Debono
Younger people have a completely different view when it comes to gay marriages. With 54 per cent of respondents aged 34 and under favouring legislating gay marriages, over 82 per cent of those aged over 55 oppose such a measure, a MaltaToday survey reveals.
Overall, only 29 per cent support the introduction of gay marriages. These include 6 per cent who specified that they favour gay marriages but disagree with gay adoption rights.
The prevalence of liberal opinions among the younger age groups seems to point towards a radical break with tradition in the near future.
Catholic European countries like Spain and Belgium are now in league with the Netherlands as the only countries in Europe celebrating gay marriages. Most other countries have introduced civil partnerships which give gays most if not all the rights enjoyed by married couples.
Labour respondents are more favourable to gay marriages than Nationalist respondents. While only 33 per cent of respondents who had voted MLP in 2003 favour gay marriages, only 14 per cent of PN voters have the same opinion. As in the case of divorce, Labour voters show a more secular attitude.
10 per cent of respondents claim that they have a relative living with a same sex partner. This could be resulting in a greater understanding of problems encountered by gay people in their daily lives.
Yet although gay marriages remain a taboo for older respondents, over all most respondents are in favour of recognising same-sex partners by giving them a number of rights normally enjoyed by married couples. Nearly half the number of respondents favour granting gay couples the right to inherit each other automatically in case one of them dies without leaving a will.
More than 62 per cent favour granting gay couples the same rights enjoyed by married couples when one of them is hospitalised. As things stand now, a gay person has less rights than his partner’s relatives when it comes to decisions affecting the health of his or her partner.
jdebono@mediatoday.com.mt |
