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In the Netherlands, marriages can be between two people of the opposite sex or of the same sex. The majority of the people support this legal change. But some people don't. And some of those people have a orthodox christian background.
This has caused a problem because some of those orthodox christian people have position as civil servants, and are people who perform the wedding ceremony on behalf of the state. Among the civil servants (working for the local governments) there are some who refuse to perform a wedding between two people of the same sex.
The current government's position is that this is no problem: as long as a local government can provide at least one civil servant who can "do the same-sex marriages".
RozeLinks thinks that civil servants should not discriminate, and that at least applicants for a civil servant position in which they might have to marry people. should not be hired if they want to restrict their services to opposite-sex couples. But with two christian parties in a government coalition (together with social democrats) it is impossible to take steps against "refusing civil servants".
This has caused a problem because some of those orthodox christian people have position as civil servants, and are people who perform the wedding ceremony on behalf of the state. Among the civil servants (working for the local governments) there are some who refuse to perform a wedding between two people of the same sex.
The current government's position is that this is no problem: as long as a local government can provide at least one civil servant who can "do the same-sex marriages".
RozeLinks thinks that civil servants should not discriminate, and that at least applicants for a civil servant position in which they might have to marry people. should not be hired if they want to restrict their services to opposite-sex couples. But with two christian parties in a government coalition (together with social democrats) it is impossible to take steps against "refusing civil servants".