Voters in Switzerland casted ‘YES’ for same-sex marriage

 

Switzerland has became the latest country to allow same-sex couples to wed and adopt children. Yesterday, Swiss voted in a referendum, making it one of the last countries in Western Europe to legalise gay civil marriage.

According to the latest opinion poll, supporters of same-sex marriage were in the lead, with 63 per cent of respondents saying they were in favour, but the "no" campaign has gathered steam over the last weeks.

The amended law will make it possible for same-sex couples to get married, and to adopt children unrelated to them. Married lesbian couples would also be allowed to have children through sperm donation. This process is currently legal only for married heterosexual couples.

According to a survey by global LGBT+ advocacy group ILGA and research firm RIWI, it was brought forward that almost a third of adults globally think people of the same sex should be allowed to marry. Same-sex marriages are not legally recognised in India nor are same-sex couples offered limited rights such as a civil union or a domestic partnership.

Previously, Switzerland having population of 8.5 million and international prestige due to Geneva’s role as the home of the United Nations in Europe, was seen as a traditionally conservative country. It was more apparent since they extended the right to vote to all its women in 1990, however, changing the tables now Switzerland too is climbing the ladder of liberal thinking and incorporating different schools of thoughts in its economy.