The German government revealed on Wednesday that local authorities across the country have registered about 6,000 gay unions under legislation that went into effect three years ago recognising homosexual partnerships. The news comes as Germany's Social Democrat-Green coalition government attempts to expand gay rights to allow same sex couples to adopt each other's children. Germany's gay partnerships law went into effect on August 1, 2001, granting homosexual couples some limited rights regarding hospital visitation and joint property ownership, but stopping short of granting them tax breaks enjoyed by heterosexual married couples.