THE HAGUE, 20/12/00 - Not allowing members of the Royal House to marry someone of the same gender is discriminatory. The leftwing green (GroenLinks) and center-left (D66) parties in the Upper House want the constitution amended for the sake of gay royalties.

In reply to written questions by the Senators Kohnstamm (D66) and Van Schijndel (GroenLinks), Premier Kok recently called a gay marriage within the House of Orange impossible because of heredity-problems. Heirs to the throne are free to choose a partner of the same sex, of course, but this requires the throne to be passed on to the next in line, according to Kok.

Kohnstamm on Monday night called the premier's reasoning awkward. He pointed out that singles are perfectly allowed to accede the throne, as are childless princes and princesses. "Why then should a homosexual prince not be suitable for Kingship? Just because of his sexual preferences?" he wondered.

Initially, D66 and GroenLinks threatened not to vote for Justice State Secretary Job Cohen's two bills allowing two persons of the same gender to marry and to adopt non-foreign children. The Lower House has already voted in favor of Cohen's proposals. After some discussion D66 and GroenLinks abandoned their resistance.

Carrying his gay marriage through the Senate was Cohen's last task as State Secretary. On 1 January, he succeeds Schelto Patijn as Mayor of Amsterdam. Cohen himself will be succeeded after the Christmas recess by PvdA MP Ella Kalsbeek.