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| Angela Merkel doesn't believe in gay marriage – 'For me, personally, marriage is a man and a woman living together' | |
| (about 17 hours later) | |
| Angela Merkel has insisted that marriage should only be between a man and woman. | Angela Merkel has insisted that marriage should only be between a man and woman. |
| The German Chancellor backed equal benefits for same-sex couples - such as tax breaks - and said that while discrimination should be "eliminated" she drew a "difference" between civil partnerships and marriage. | The German Chancellor backed equal benefits for same-sex couples - such as tax breaks - and said that while discrimination should be "eliminated" she drew a "difference" between civil partnerships and marriage. |
| But the committed Christian, who has been married twice, gave her personal definition of marriage as ‘a man and a woman living together’, in a YouTube interview with Florian Mundt, a YouTube known under the alias LeFloid who has a significant online following. | But the committed Christian, who has been married twice, gave her personal definition of marriage as ‘a man and a woman living together’, in a YouTube interview with Florian Mundt, a YouTube known under the alias LeFloid who has a significant online following. |
| “I’m someone who is very supportive of us eliminating all discrimination. We have come a long way; when I remember, 25 years ago, many people didn’t dare to say that they are gay or lesbian," she said, according to the Huffington Post. | “I’m someone who is very supportive of us eliminating all discrimination. We have come a long way; when I remember, 25 years ago, many people didn’t dare to say that they are gay or lesbian," she said, according to the Huffington Post. |
| “For me, personally, marriage is a man and a woman living together. That is my concept, but I support civil partnerships." | “For me, personally, marriage is a man and a woman living together. That is my concept, but I support civil partnerships." |
| Ms Merkel went on to say stress that marriage should be strictly defined as between a man and a woman, adding: "I am for registered civil partnerships. I am for our not having any discrimination in tax legislation. And wherever we still find discrimination, we will continue to dismantle it," according to German broadcaster Deutsche Welle. | Ms Merkel went on to say stress that marriage should be strictly defined as between a man and a woman, adding: "I am for registered civil partnerships. I am for our not having any discrimination in tax legislation. And wherever we still find discrimination, we will continue to dismantle it," according to German broadcaster Deutsche Welle. |
| Explaining further, the German leader said: "I don’t want discrimination and [I want] equality, but I make a difference at some point." | Explaining further, the German leader said: "I don’t want discrimination and [I want] equality, but I make a difference at some point." |
| In May, Ms Merkel ruled out introducing same-sex marriage in Germany following the referendum in Ireland. | In May, Ms Merkel ruled out introducing same-sex marriage in Germany following the referendum in Ireland. |
| A spokesperson for the Chancellor told Reuters news agency at the time: “Today was an important milestone in dismantling discrimination and the chancellor is pleased about that… but same-sex marriages are not a goal of this government." | A spokesperson for the Chancellor told Reuters news agency at the time: “Today was an important milestone in dismantling discrimination and the chancellor is pleased about that… but same-sex marriages are not a goal of this government." |
| A spokesman for UK LGBT charity Stonewall said: "Can someone really support ‘eliminating all discrimination’ if they believe that same-sex unions shouldn’t be labelled as ‘marriages’? | A spokesman for UK LGBT charity Stonewall said: "Can someone really support ‘eliminating all discrimination’ if they believe that same-sex unions shouldn’t be labelled as ‘marriages’? |
| “It must be a quiet week for Angela if her current concern is synonyms." | “It must be a quiet week for Angela if her current concern is synonyms." |
| Merkel, a former research scientist, is the daughter of a Lutheran minister and has described herself as a member of the evangelical church. | Merkel, a former research scientist, is the daughter of a Lutheran minister and has described herself as a member of the evangelical church. |
| Her party, the Christian Democratic Union, is the German equivalent of the British Conservative Party. | Her party, the Christian Democratic Union, is the German equivalent of the British Conservative Party. |