Swiss approve same-sex marriage by wide margin in referendum

TIL Desk/World/Geneva/ Switzerland voted by a wide margin to allow same-sex couples to marry in a referendum on Sunday, bringing the Alpine nation into line with many others in western Europe. Official results showed the measure passed with 64.1per cent of voters in favor and won a majority in all of Switzerland”s 26 cantons, or states.

Switzerland”s parliament and the governing Federal Council supported the “Marriage for All” measure. Switzerland has authorised same-sex civil partnerships since 2007.

Supporters said passage would put same-sex partners on equal legal footing with heterosexual couples by allowing them to adopt children together and facilitating citizenship for same-sex spouses. It would also permit lesbian couples to utilise regulated sperm donation.

Opponents believe that replacing civil partnerships with full marriage rights would undermine families based on a union between one man and one woman.

At a polling station in Geneva on Sunday, voter Anna Leimgruber said she cast her ballot for the “no” camp because she believed “children would need to have a dad and a mom.” But Nicolas Dzierlatka, who voted “yes,” said what children need is love.