Openly lesbian Icelandic Prime Minister Jóhanna Sigurðardóttir got married to her partner, writer Jónína Leósdóttir, on June 27, when the nation’s law legalizing same-sex marriage took effect.
Since the couple already were registered partners under an existing civil-union law, they simply filed paperwork to convert their eight-year-old partnership into a marriage.
“I have today taken advantage of this new legislation,” Sigurðardóttir said in a message sent to a celebration of the new law.
Sigurðardóttir is the world’s only openly gay or lesbian head of government.
Parliament legalized same-sex marriage by a vote of 49-0 on June 11. Fourteen MPs skipped the vote. The bill also blocked future use of the registered-partnership law.
Iceland is the ninth nation where same-sex couples can marry nationwide and the 11th nation where same-sex marriage is possible.
Gay marriage also is legal in Belgium, Canada, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Mexico City, Connecticut, Iowa, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont and Washington, D.C.
By Rex Wockner
