Aruba Pressured by Dutch Government to Recognize Homosexual Marriage

February 18, 2005

(Strasbourg, France)-ECLJ, working in conjunction with the ACLJ, at the request of Christian believers in Aruba opposed to Aruban recognition of gay marriage, put together a comprehensive legal treatment of the issue for use by the group.

The assistance was sought by lawyers and Christians in Aruba who wanted to protest the coming of the Prime Minister of the Netherlands who has been putting pressure on the Aruban government to recognize same sex marriages. Aruba is part a former colony of the Netherlands and continues to be part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.

The issue arose when an Aruban born woman living in the Netherlands married her homosexual partner but then, receiving a job offer in Aruba, moved back with her partner and sought recognition of her marriage. Although the lower courts ruled against the recognition, the case is in the process of being appealed and the Parliament of Aruba was being petitioned by the Dutch Prime Minister to change their law leaving gay marriage unrecognized.

ECLJ put together a memorandum which focused on post-colonial rights to self-determination, national sovereignty, and the Netherlands's own statements in United Nations records affording Aruba the right to determine its own domestic policy. Attorney's handling the case and working with the Parliament have told ECLJ that the report will be used in the appeal as well as to lobby the Parliament to uphold its refusal to recognize Dutch homosexual marriages.