MADRID, Spain — Spain’s interior minister on Sunday waded into the ongoing debate over same-sex marriage, declaring that “the survival of the species” was at stake.
Jorge Fernandez Diaz argued during a symposium on religion and state at the Spanish embassy in Rome, that “religious reasons” were not arguments against a law allowing same sex marriage. Instead, he insisted that, “There are rational arguments to back the idea that these marriages shouldn’t have the same protection under the law as normal ones.
Jorge Fernandez Diaz
“For example, the survival of the species is not guaranteed,” the minister said.
Members of the Popular Party, which controls Spain’s conservative government, have sought to distance themselves from Diaz’s remarks while LGBT advocacy groups called for his resignation.
Inaki Oyarzabal, the secretary of justice, said the comments were “unfortunate.” Oyarzabal, who became the first Popular Party parliamentarian to be openly gay when he came out last June, wrote on his Twitter account, “The unfortunate words of Fernandez Diaz on marriage between same-sex couples are personal and in no way linked to the PP.”
Spain’s National Federation of Lesbians, Gays, Transsexuals and Bisexuals (FELGTB) called on Fernandez-Diaz to resign for “re-questioning, in unscientific terms, the issue of same-sex marriages, a law supported by the vast majority of Spaniards and which was recently endorsed by the Constitutional Court.”
In November, Spain’s highest court upheld a law legalizing same-sex marriage brought in by the socialist government of Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero nearly 8 years ago.The Popular Party lost their seven-year battle to overturn the law when the Constitutional Court rejected an appeal contending that marriage in the Spanish constitution meant only the union between a man and a woman.
In 2005, Spain became the world’s third country to legalize marriage equality; since then, more than 22,000 same-sex marriages have taken place in the predominantly Roman Catholic country.
Filed under: Europe
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pig
The majority of the population is still straight…
Uhh.
Most likely the same as in the US: lots of words and very little to document them.
Really?… -__-, I thought that what murderers do?…
gay stuff has been going on since before he blew his first frat mate. Get OVER IT
oh goodness me…he didn’t count how many hoomons there are in the world, yet???
Ugggh, seriously!? Lol. Come on that’s just plain dumb and stupid!
So if gays get married the end of straight people will be at hand? So let me get this right, If gay people get married everyone, including Spain’s official, will suddenly become gay. Someone should have asked him when he said this if it would make him gay if gays could get married. Bet he wouldn’t have liked the notion and might have woke up to what he just said.
Ummmmm…..excuse me, but usually two straight people make gay babies….how does two GLBT individuals marrying jeopardize “the survival of the species?”
yes, because the human race is clearly on the verge of extinction…wtf?
umm oook then.
Really? Does he think that straights who make up the vast majority, are now going to run out and have gay marriages?
intolerance, narrow-mindedness and a refusal to progress as a society seems like more of a threat to the human species than love does…
Yes all heteros will stop reproducing,..how do these people get elected?
I’d say that same-sex marriage might be a respite from perpetuating world overpopulation…
You can have sex without marriage dude. Also, if anything, with equal adoption, etc, rights, we can help take care of the kids who already need homes. A bit nearsighted, no?
Stay pressed because your supreme court trumped your dumb ass.
LOL, and if denied marriage, they won’t get married to a woman…
@ Lones, a baby elects them
These people are clueless narow minded morons. And the World is already overpopulated anyway.
Another Bigot. Hey Dude Bend Over!
Because when gays can get married, no one will EVER have sex outside of marriage.
The Dude in the Article to the post above this.
Idiot!
pretty useless statment to make as most the governments think were over populated, hence- gays save the world ! lol
Um you’re an idiot. Babies are always being born every second. Some groups produce TOO many babies. Also, does this moron realize the world is OVERPOPULATED???? Lmao. *smh*
If anyone thinks that humans are endangered due to a reduction in reproduction, they are quite frankly moronic.
if he was the only straight man left on earth yes it would be in trouble
“The species” somehow survive and manage to inflict such damage to this planet. It would be much better if there were fewer of us here.
That’s why we have 7 billiion people on the planet.
He has a very intelligent face– NOT!!! ;-{P} <3
lol What??? What about straight couples who don’t have children? Or what about people who CANNOT have children? Yeah, he’s right, none of them should be allowed to get married! *face palm* Same sex couples CAN have kids, ya doofus.
*sigh* I really hate this argument. I’ve heard it before. THE ENTIRE WORLD WILL NOT SUDDENLY BECOME HOMOSEXUAL. It’s not like same-sex marriage will change anyone’s sexuality. We already are who we already are. The right to marriage will only give us more rights.
has he watched Maury Povich? I think ‘the species’ is safe for a while..as far as numbers go.
Because, you know, the world isn’t overpopulated or anything.
Fortunately he’s old and not long for this world.
Ummmm has he looked at the world’s population? We’re not in any sort of jeopardy any time soon and besides not everyone is gay, but he seems to think so….
Survival of the species.
*looks around* …Yep we’re endangered.
?
unfettered breeding is what jeopardizes it! remember when 4 billion people was a problem! overpopulation dehumanizes everyone and makes everyone a slave to corporations!
minister: look at the number of people on the planet, moron.
That’s such a crazy nonsense argument. Besides, given the problems created worldwide by overpopulation, the world could use more gays.
Married or not, gay people generally do not reproduce,at least not in any great numbers, so how does the fact of two people who most likely will not reproduce threatning marriage? Idiots can’t even come up with a good argument!
>< i laugh at stupidity
Lol
…. Our “species” is only endangered by its population size being too BIG. It’s a common theory that homosexuality is nature’s way of trimming down our population. Get over it, Mr. Bigot.
SO. There’s far too many people on the planet as it is.
also, gays and lesbians can still have biological children. I would say dumbasses like him are what threaten our society. :)
Poor, old, overused, untrue, tired excuse to cover up plain and simple bigotry.
Well once same sex marriage becomes legal then everyone will want one and men and women will no longer have sex. That makes sense. LOL
a ridic saying when the world is over populated…
Have you ever been to a lesbian festival? When you get two women together they make the Brady Bunch very quickly!
the biggest threat to our species are dumb people having power that they neither understand nor deserve to wield.
so this dude is gay & thinks everyone should be gay – gay gay gay gay gay – everyone be gayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy
Are you kidding me… If your gay your gay… You won’t be having heterosexual sex anyway.
Nope – pretty sure the survival of the species is threatened by stunned hetero politicians who can’t shut up
puh-leeeze
Really?
Some people are gay. Get over it. And they always will be, not matter the laws.
Please don’t let him procreate!!
Yes, because the human species is so rare. We are like pandas, really.
Wow survival of the species??? Aren’t we already overpopulated??? And I forgot there’s no such thing as artificial insemination or using a surrogate for couples that want a baby… Since we straight people can do that and it’s ok, why can’t gay people? I’m so tired of narrow minded bigoted people who really don’t know what the hell they are talking about. Been loving the posts about all the people that are finally taking a stand, in the public’s eye, for equality…
I guess no one has explained to him, since he joined the “species” its already beenin jeoparadized…ugh, someone please….dig a six foot hole….stand him in front of it…..and….oh never mind, the amount of effort is just not worth HIM
Most Scientists Would Say Overpopulation is Our Greatest Threat.
Fortunately, this issue has been settled by Spain’s Supreme Court. I think it would be very difficult to turn back now.
Yeah, it’s not like there’s 7 billion people or anything.
Estupido! Que Pendejo!
Yeah, 7 Billion people are just not enough to protect our species from extinction.
How does my marriage to my partner of 33 years affect what straight people do in their bedrooms? Besides, I’m gay and have 2 great kids & 2 grand-kids (all straight) and my husband has a 16 yr. old son as a sperm donor. And the earth is overpopulated already anyway.
Really!!???¿¿
Troglodyte.
Too late for Spain…. Same Sex Marriage is legal in Spain!!!
more the fact that no one gets married and has babies in spain anymore because the economy is so crappy. thats the real threat
The threat to our species is overpopulation.
so HOW about married couples (str8) witrh NO kids? FORCE THEM TO DIVOURCE simple equlaity
If your uterus doesn’t work, NOMARRIAGEFORYOU. COMEBACKONEYEAR (or not.)