A queer nation? The passage of the gay and lesbian partnership legislation in Denmark, 1989

In 1989, Denmark became the first country in the world to legally recognize gay and lesbian partnerships. In May of that year, the Danish Parliament passed the Law on Registered Partnership Between Two Persons of the Same Sex, Based on parliamentary records and on records from the government-appointed commission that laid the groundwork for the legislation, on newspaper coverage, on records from the National Organization of Gay Men and Lesbians, and on interviews with leading politicians and gay rights activists, this essay explores the history of this legislation, the legislative process itself, and the social, cultural, and political contexts that facilitated its passage. Finally, the essay examines the impact of the legislation on the private lives of gay men and lesbians and on the Danish gay and lesbian community as a whole.