German Parliament Legalizes Gay Marriage After Merkel Opens Door

by Dramelin 4:00 AM 0 comments

The vote opens marriage to all in a country that has so far offered rights to gay couples, except adoption, through legal partnerships.
Germany’s parliament voted to legalize gay marriage, putting the country in line with other European Union nations and the U.
after Chancellor Angela Merkel dropped her party’s objection to same-sex unions, even though she voted against the measure.
Social Democrats joined the opposition Green and Left parties to force the vote ballot Friday after Merkel told a talk show five days earlier that lawmakers in her Christian Democratic-led bloc should vote their conscience, effectively lifting its opposition.
Many of Merkel’s lawmakers backed the measure in favor of gay marriage rights, which passed 393 to 226.
Although Merkel’s hand was forced by the Social Democrats, her main election challenger and coalition partner since 2013, holding the vote before the campaign may also be an advantage for her.
A Lutheran pastor’s daughter, Merkel stood by her party’s traditional position, saying she views marriage as reserved for heterosexual couples, though she backs adoption rights for gay couples.
“This is a historic day for our minority -- it’s a contribution to unity, rights and freedom,” Volker Beck, a Green lawmaker who has spent his political career championing gay rights, told the lower house, or Bundestag, referring to the German national anthem.
With polls showing more than 80 percent of Germans backing gay marriage, passage aligns Merkel with the social mainstream and make it harder for opponents to attack her on the topic three months ahead of the Sept.
Gay Rights Gallop From Unthinkable to Unexceptional: QuickTake The vote opens marriage to all in a country that has so far offered rights to gay couples, except adoption, through legal partnerships.
The Bundestag voted on a bill that had already been approved by the upper house, or Bundesrat, clearing the way for it to become law, where it may still undergo legal scrutiny.
Merkel’s election-year shift came after the Social Democrats, the Greens, the Left and the Free Democratic Party all vowed to make same-sex marriage rights a condition for any coalition after the election.
That left Merkel’s Christian Democrats and Bavaria’s Christian Social Union as the only bloc against gay marriage.
‘Bit of Peace’ Merkel, 62, said she hopes that passage of the bill will “bring a bit of peace and social cohesion” to Germany.
“For me, marriage in the context of the constitution is an institution between a man and woman,” she told reporters after the vote.
Whether or not Merkel intended to open the debate this week, the last week the Bundestag is in session before the election, the Social Democrats used the opening to force a vote and place the issue at the top of Germany’s political agenda.
Legalizing gay marriage brings Germany into line with France, Spain, Ireland, as well the U.
, where the Supreme Court ruled in 2015 that same-sex couples have a constitutional right to marry in all 50 states.