Iceland: Made of Awesome

[Tsukasa Buddha]

The Althingi parliament voted 49 to zero to change the wording of marriage legislation to include matrimony between "man and man, woman and woman," in addition to unions between men and women.

Iceland, a socially tolerant island nation of about 320,000 people, became the first country to elect an openly gay head of state in 2009 when Social Democrat Johanna Sigurdardottir became prime minister after being nominated by her party.

"The attitude in Iceland is fairly pragmatic," said Gunnar Helgi Kristinsson, a political scientist at the University of Iceland. "It (gay marriage) has not been a big issue in national politics -- it's not been controversial."

Linky.

Makes up for the whole volcano thing .

Too bad the language is so crazy hard, or it would have moved up higher on my list.

 

[theprestige]

Really? Because wack volcanoes and crazy hard language is what counts as "awesome" in my book.

Implementing one of the stock progressive agenda items? Not so much. I mean, there are states in the U.S. that have done the same thing. You might as well say, "Iceland: more or less as awesome as some parts of America".

Seriously, from the thread title I thought Iceland had a dragon, or the world's largest ice sculpture, or a powerful new laser, or a president who is a bear, or something.

Officially recognizing same-sex marriage? Neat, maybe, from a social experimentation point of view. But awesome? How awesome do you think marriage is, anyway?

 

[Normal Dude]

Seriously, from the thread title I thought Iceland had a dragon, or the world's largest ice sculpture, or a powerful new laser, or a president who is a bear, or something.

No, really awesome would be an ice sculpture of the president who is a bear wielding a powerful new laser pitted in battle against an ice sculpture dragon.

 

[Safe-Keeper]

Implementing one of the stock progressive agenda items? Not so much. I mean, there are states in the U.S. that have done the same thing. You might as well say, "Iceland: more or less as awesome as some parts of America".

Actually, my first thought was "took them long enough".

But yes, Iceland is awesome.

 

[GreyArea]

...or a president who is a bear...

Try Svalbard, a little to the north and east. His name is Iorek ... something.

 

[Madalch]

Of course, this is why the volcano erupted- it was God preemptively punishing them for this sin.

 

[Tsukasa Buddha]

Implementing one of the stock progressive agenda items? Not so much.

What, Progressives want it? Must be evil then!

I mean, there are states in the U.S. that have done the same thing. You might as well say, "Iceland: more or less as awesome as some parts of America".

No they haven't. Did you read the article?

Seriously, from the thread title I thought Iceland had a dragon, or the world's largest ice sculpture, or a powerful new laser, or a president who is a bear, or something.

Those are lame.

Officially recognizing same-sex marriage? Neat, maybe, from a social experimentation point of view. But awesome? How awesome do you think marriage is, anyway?

I'm sorry I don't share your values. I beg forgiveness, your lord.

 

[Almo]

CCP is in Iceland, too.

(they make EVE, in case you don't follow the link)

 

[PogoPedant]

Implementing one of the stock progressive agenda items? Not so much. I mean, there are states in the U.S. that have done the same thing. You might as well say, "Iceland: more or less as awesome as some parts of America".

Lemme quote an important detail (my bold):

... voted 49 to zero ...

The key here: gay marriage in Iceland is a non-issue. That is what is awesome compared to the US.

 

[KingMerv00]

Officially recognizing same-sex marriage? Neat, maybe, from a social experimentation point of view. But awesome? How awesome do you think marriage is, anyway?

I don't know. I've never been married. I'm a huge fan of applying laws equally and logically though.

 

[sphenisc]

They're just a bunch of intersexophobes..

 

[KingMerv00]

Collapse of the Icelandic family unit in 5,4,3,2....

 

[Nebuchadnezzar]

Technically, the Icelandic economy is so broken that if they elected a Golden Retriver as president it wouldn't really change much. Or, well, maybe the Golden Retriver would generate enough tourism to save the island. Atleast they go down with their rainbow flag in the air which is always noble.

 

[KingMerv00]

Technically, the Icelandic economy is so broken that if they elected a Golden Retriver as president it wouldn't really change much. Or, well, maybe the Golden Retriver would generate enough tourism to save the island. Atleast they go down with their rainbow flag in the air which is always noble.

Derail.

 

[KingMerv00]

Implementing one of the stock progressive agenda items?

I think you missed the point of the OP. Gay marriage is not inherently progressive or conservative. The religious right made it that way.

Not so much. I mean, there are states in the U.S. that have done the same thing. You might as well say, "Iceland: more or less as awesome as some parts of America".

States cannot give federal rights.

 

[MikeMangum]

No, really awesome would be an ice sculpture of the president who is a bear wielding a powerful new laser pitted in battle against an ice sculpture dragon.

YES!

You are, however, forgetting one important element. The president/bear needs to ridden by a woman in a chainmail bikini.

 

[Ryokan]

I think you missed the point of the OP. Gay marriage is not inherently progressive or conservative. The religious right made it that way.

Indeed. In Norway, the Conservative Party voted for gay marriage.

But that's because our Conservative Party hasn't been taken over by religious freaks, we have our own Christian People's Party for that..

 

[ponderingturtle]

Collapse of the Icelandic family unit in 5,4,3,2....

So it will be like their banking system. How long until they only recognize domestic marriages not any of those foreign marriages?

 

[ponderingturtle]

I think you missed the point of the OP. Gay marriage is not inherently progressive or conservative. The religious right made it that way.

I have to disagree on this. Conservativism is about preserving the status quo and as gay marriage is illegal, it would be conservative to keep it that way. It is not truly a economic right or left issue, but you don't see to many on the hard right(you know the ones who are really in no rational definition of conservative actually conservative) for it outside libertarians.

Expanding rights does seem to be something that tends to be a angenda on the left.

 

[carlitos]

Collapse of the Icelandic family unit in 5,4,3,2....

I can't remember where I read it, but usually the first child is born before marriage, and something like 3/4 of kids are born to unwed mothers. So, kinda, but it's been that way for years, long before this law was enacted.

I have always wanted to go there and play golf at midnight.