[JURIST] The Portuguese Assembly of the Republic [official website, in Portuguese] on Friday voted overwhelmingly against two opposition proposals to legalize same-sex marriage [JURIST news archive]. The two proposals, introduced separately by the Left Bloc and the Green Party [party websites, in Portuguese], failed to obtain any support from the ruling Socialist Party (PS) or the main opposition Social Democratic Party (PSD) [party websites, in Portuguese]. The PS and PSD combine for a total of 196 seats in the 230 seat parliament.

Same-sex marriage is recognized in Belgium, Canada, The Netherlands, South Africa, Spain, and Norway. In the United States, same-sex marriages are now permitted in Massachusetts, California, and Connecticut. In 2003, Massachusetts became the first state to legalize same-sex marriage [opinion text; JURIST report]. SAPA-AP has more.