News from Europe & Asia: LGBTQ+ Updates

Monaco’s Top Court Rejects Recognition of Foreign Same-Sex Marriages

Monaco’s top court has made a controversial decision to strike down two lower court rulings that would have required the principality to recognize foreign same-sex marriages. The ruling came in response to a case involving a binational Monegasque-American same-sex couple who married in Michigan in 2019 but were denied recognition upon returning to Monaco.

The government cited the state’s Catholic, Apostolic, and Roman religion as the reason for refusing to record the marriage in the state register. Instead, the couple was offered a cohabitation contract, which they rejected, leading to a legal battle that culminated in the recent court decision.

Despite previous rulings in favor of the couple, the Court of Revision ultimately sided with the government, stating that it is not obliged to record same-sex marriages. This decision has sparked outrage among LGBTQ+ advocates in Monaco, where legal recognition for same-sex couples remains limited.

While Monaco introduced a cohabitation agreement bill in 2020 to comply with European human rights standards, it falls short of providing equal rights to same-sex couples. The recent court ruling highlights the ongoing challenges faced by the LGBTQ+ community in Monaco and underscores the need for further progress in ensuring equal rights and protections for all citizens.