Gay marriage: Europe split in two
   Scott D'Amico, left, and Brad Harker celebrate after the same sex
   marriage vote result announcement in Queens Park, Australia. (Photo:
   Scott D'Amico, left, and Brad Harker celebrate after the same sex
   marriage vote result announcement in Queens Park, Australia. (Photo:
     * Zim gay group calls for tough govt action against abuse of its
     * US restricts visas to unmarried gay diplomats
     * Have your say on Home Affairs officials refusing to marry same sex
   country ban gay marriage underlines the largely East-West split in
   gay and lesbian couples to marry in a civil ceremony.
   In several of these countries, gay marriage had been preceded by civil
   marriage, including Croatia, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Greece,
   referendum a proposal to legalise gay marriage.
   to legalise same-sex marriage.
   But most Eastern European countries allow neither gay partnerships nor
   marriages, including Bulgaria, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania and
   In Russia homosexuality was considered a crime up to 1993 and a mental
   promotion of homosexuality among minors.
   West opens to gay adoption
   adopt children, whether within marriage or civil partnerships.
   Other countries, like Finland and Slovenia, allow gay people to adopt
   Further afield, homosexual couples can also marry in Canada since 2005
   South Africa in 2006 became the sole African nation to allow gay
   marriage.
   Read more on:    lgbt  |  homosexuality