Same-sex marriage in Iceland

[2] Iceland was the third Nordic country, after Norway and Sweden, the seventh in Europe, and the ninth in the world to legalize same-sex marriage.

[7][8] Iceland was the fourth country in the world to establish registered partnerships for same-sex couples, after Denmark, Norway and Sweden.

[9] On 2 June 2006, Parliament voted for legislation granting same-sex couples the same rights as heterosexuals in adoption, parenting and assisted insemination treatment.

[11] Notable Icelandic individuals joined in a registered partnership included former Prime Minister Jóhanna Sigurðardóttir and her partner Jónína Leósdóttir.

[19] On 18 November 2009, the Minister of Justice and Human Rights, Ragna Árnadóttir, confirmed that the Icelandic Government was working on a "single marriage act" which would include both opposite-sex and same-sex couples.

A freedom of conscience clause which would have allowed priests to decide based on religious or personal grounds whether to perform a ceremony was voted down by the Church Assembly.

The Bishop of Iceland, Agnes M. Sigurðardóttir, welcomed the move to perform same-sex marriages, saying "the church is primarily a channel of the love of Christ and celebrates life in all its diversity.

[30][31] Furthermore, a Fréttablaðið opinion survey in November 2005 showed that 82.3% of the population supported access to assisted pregnancy for lesbian couples.