Switzerland votes to make same-sex marriage legal by near two-thirds majority
- Switzerland is one of the last countries in western Europe to legalise gay marriage
- The amended law will make it possible for same-sex couples to get married, and to adopt children unrelated to them
Switzerland agreed to legalise civil marriage and the right to adopt children for same-sex couples by a nearly two-thirds majority in a referendum on Sunday, making it one of the last countries in western Europe to legalise gay marriage.
According to results provided by the Swiss federal chancellery, 64.1 per cent of voters voted in favour of same-sex marriage in the nationwide referendum that was conducted under Switzerland’s system of direct democracy.
“We are very happy and relieved,” said Antonia Hauswirth of the national committee “Marriage for All”, adding supporters would celebrate in Switzerland’s capital Bern on Sunday.
Amnesty International said in a statement that opening civil marriage to same-sex couples was a “milestone for equality”.
However, Monika Rueegger of Switzerland’s right-wing Swiss People’s Party (SVP) and member of the referendum committee “No to Marriage for All” said she was disappointed.
“This was not about love and feelings, it was about children’s welfare. Children and fathers are the losers here,” she told Reuters.