STRASBOURG, France, June 29, 2016 (LifeSiteNews)— The European Court for Human Rights has ruled that same-sex “marriages” are not considered a human right, making it clear that homosexual partnerships do not in fact equal marriages between a man and a woman.

https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/european-human-rights-court-rejects-gay-marriage

 

(No responses expected )

That decision by the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR), rendered in June 2016, is obviously useful in the sense described in the linked news article, ie it takes the pressure off the governments in countries that currently have no law to allow same-sex marriages to introduce such law, but it does of course not annul homosexual marriages in countries that have such a law and if the law says that they are equal to a marriage between a man and a woman then this is what they are.

 

A more recent ruling, by the European Union's Court of Justice in January 2018, indicates that the partners in a homosexual marriage registered in a country that allows them are entitled to at least some of the rights that heterosexual marriage partners have in countries that do not allow same-sex marriages:

 

Quote

 

...The European Union's Court of Justice on Thursday found that Romania must give residency to the same-sex partner of one of its citizens, despite Romania not recognizing same-sex marriage...

 

Source: http://www.dw.com/en/european-court-of-justice-rules-romania-must-give-residency-to-gay-mans-partner/a-42110864

 

 

 

It is only  semantics that allow for political cover.

I was always against the term "Same sex marriage" not because I don't think same sex unions should not have the same protections as traditional marriages, but because  the language  evokes a narrative not all of as are ready to accept.

I Think the term :Civil Union " with all the protections of a marriage would allow for a de facto Marriage without   the political baggage . 

Once the system is in place for a few years and those against the term :marriage"  see that the sky did not fall, or God punish as with the seven plagues, One can call it whatever one wants.