US equal marriage champions to help bring fight to central Europe
Campaigners who helped bring same-sex marriage to all 50 US states will lend their expertise to fights across Europe.
Following the Supreme Court ruling that brought equality across the US, pro-gay lobbying group Freedom to Marry announced that it would be shutting down.
However, the group’s founder Evan Wolfson is now heading to Europe – to aid the fight for equality in Austria, Switzerland and Germany.
According to the Guardian, Wolfson will meet with activists, embassy officials, and local business leaders across the countries, which are yet to see same-sex marriage become law.
He said: “What makes me really proud is that after years of fighting with our government to get to the right place, our government is now able to be a clear, strong voice around the world in favor of human rights.”
“We’ve had decades of debate and struggle and battles here, so we’ve learned a lot.
“There are answers to questions people from other countries might have.”
His expertise will not go amiss in Germany, where Chancellor Angela Merkel is a resolute opponent of same-sex marriage.
Chancellor Merkel has repeatedly ruled out calls to introduce equal marriage, saying: “For me, marriage is a man and a woman living together.”
Germany allows same-sex couples to enter into registered life partnerships that provide some of the benefits of marriage – but the Chancellor’s CDU/CSU coalition continues to oppose equal marriage.
