Queen Sophia of Spain's comments against gay marriage and gay pride marches have drawn ire as she turns 70 years old today. A bit of birthday bother: Spain's Queen Sofia "If those persons want to live together, dress up as bride and groom and get married, they can do so, but that should not be called marriage because it is not," she says in a new book about her life, released this week. She also criticised gay pride marches: "I can understand, accept and respect there are people of another sexual orientation, but that they feel proud to be gay? That they should get on a float?" Spain's royal family are largely respected as figurehead representatives of the state, so rarely speak out on political or social issues. The Queen's comments, which come from a collection of 15 interviews with the monarch, are entirely accurate, says the book's author, journalist Pilar Urbano – but the Royal Palace has challenged the remarks. More on this story appears on the links below.
Credit: GayNZ.com Daily News Staff
First published: Sunday, 2nd November 2008 - 10:42am