Marriage rights for same-sex couples in Oregon

Same-sex couples joined in a civil partnership in the US state of Oregon will be granted the same rights as married couples following the passing of a new bill, the Statesman Journal reports.

The "domestic partnerships" bill was approved by the state's senators on Wednesday (May 2nd) and Governor Ted Kulongoski is determined to have the bill made into a law.

The bill will be implemented on January 1st 2008 and will allow same-sex partnerships to enjoy almost all of the same benefits which are currently only available to married couples, including the rights to hospital visitations, inheritance, child custody, and the right to jointly file their state taxes.

However, the bill is only applicable to state laws, and will not grant federal benefits such as jointly filing federal taxes and Social Security.

Melanie Altaras, a student at West Salem High School, told the paper: "[The bill] means that I'm no longer a second-class citizen in my own state. I have the opportunity to be recognized under the law with someone at some point in the future."

Oregon is now the seventh state in the country to allow such rights to gay and lesbian couples joined together by a civil union.