Tech glitch means gay couples in Germany have to register as ‘man and woman’ for marriage licence

Gay couples in Germany could be waiting until November 2018 to apply for accurate marriage licences.

German Parliament Vote On Same Sex Marriage

Leona (L) and Nuria (R) are celebrating the result of the vote outside the Chancellery with the Bundestag in the background. Source: NurPhoto (Photo by Omer Messinger/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

Germany made history last month when the country’s parliament voted to legalise same-sex marriage—but software issues could mean that couples could be kept waiting even longer to tie the knot. 

Although the landmark ruling comes into force on October 1st—the marriage registry computer system is unable to issue licences for same-sex couples, only for a ‘man’ and a ‘woman’.
reports that the glitch is a problem country-wide and that it could take until November 2018 for LGBT+ couples to be correctly recorded. 

"It is embarrassing that in the 21st century, a small adjustment would create such problems," Gay and Lesbian Federation (LSVD) spokesman Jörg Steinert told Deutsche Welle. 

Same-sex couples can still get married at the beginning of October, but it would involve them registering as ‘man’ and ‘woman’.
One person wrote on the LSVD : “I would be very interested if the wrong entries in the marriage register would then be corrected later in November 2018!? 

Another said: “End of 2018...are they crazy?!”

The majority of German politicians in favour of marriage equality last month (393-226) after Chancellor Angela Merkel allowed a free vote. 


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Published 30 August 2017 12:09pm
By Michaela Morgan


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