National Coalition Party has confused stance on gay marriage

Some members would give same-sex couples equal rights, but no actual marriage

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The idea of a gender-neutral marriage is a difficult issue for the moderate conservative National Coalition Party. At its party congress earlier in the summer, the party decided that it supports granting homosexuals the right to marry and to adopt children
      However, during the summer, comments on the matter by National Coalition Party politicians have become somewhat evasive on the issue.
      Helsingin Sanomat tried to ascertain at a meeting of the party’s parliamentary group in Pori what the party’s views on the matter actually are.
     
At present, the party line seems to be that same-sex couples need to be guaranteed the same rights as those of heterosexual couples, but that marriage needs to be kept a matter between a man and a women.
      On Monday, only Minister for Foreign Affairs Alexander Stubb and Minister of Education Henna Virkkunen gave their unequivocal support to same-gender marriage. Minister of Defence Jyri Häkämies said that he “supports the National Coalition Party’s stand, which has equality under the law as its starting point”.
     
Virkkunen feels that passing the law would significantly ease the lives of homosexuals, and reduce discrimination.
      “Passing the law would clarify the current situation, as many benefits offered by the Social Insurance Institution mention the mother and father of a family. The present situation could make it more difficult to get work in situations in which a person has to explain if he or she is married, or in a civil union”, Virkkunen ponders.
      The National Coalition Party’s chairman Pekka Ravi feels that the party is ready to promote equality, but he is not enthusiastic about the idea of changing the concept of marriage.
      “I want to promote equality among people, but we must examine if it might be promoted in some other way than by changing the law on marriage”, Ravi said in Pori on Monday.
     
MP
Lyly Rajala from Oulu and MEP Eija-Riitta Korhola agree with Ravi. Both feel that the rights of sexual minorities need to be improved, but that they should not be given the right to marry.
      “I am horrified by the idea that a relationship between two men would be called a marriage”, Rajala said.
     
Some of the more conservative supporters of the party have been annoyed by the NCP's decision to promote a gender-neutral marriage law.
      Rajala says that some of the party’s older members have actually left the fold because of the declaration.
     
There are those in the party that feel that the issue is of little political consequence.
      For instance, Minister of Housing Jan Vapaavuori does not believe that the issue will raise much debate in connection with the Parliamentary elections next spring.
      National Coalition Party chairman, Minister of Finance Jyrki Katainen, sees no contradiction between the party congress’s support for gender-neutral marriage and the atmosphere in the party ranks. He says that the issue is a matter of conscience within the party, so it is natural that opinions should diverge.
     
     
This is the first in a series of articles looking at contradictory statements from Finnish political parties.


Previously in HS International Edition:
  Proposal for gender-neutral marriages puts future of church weddings in doubt (2..8.2010)
  Nat. Coalition Party delegates endorse abolition of mandatory Swedish, gender-neutral marriage (14.6.2010)
  Widespread support within Parliamentary parties for gender-neutral marriage (13.4.2010)

Helsingin Sanomat