LGBT community in Denmark rejoices: homosexual marriages in church are not against constitution

Supreme Court has ruled gays and lesbians can freely choose to have a civil or religious wedding

Lucie Rychla

The Supreme Court in Denmark has ruled today that same-sex marriages in church are not against the Danish constitution.

The court has thus upheld a previous ruling of the Østre Landsrets High Court, which last June dismissed a suit brought by the organisation Med Grundlov Skal Land Bygges that claimed homosexual weddings in church violate not only the constitution but also the religious freedom of Danish citizens.

Danish law from 2012 grants hetero and homosexual couples equal rights to choose between a civil or religious wedding ceremony.

The Supreme Court has not found any legal grounds to overturn the High Court’s ruling.

Accordingly, church wedding ceremonies for gays and lesbians fall within the Evangelical Lutheran framework and are not in conflict with the European human rights convention on freedom of belief and religion.

 

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