German same-sex couples are one step closer to being able to legally get married.
Although gay couples can have civil partnerships at the moment, the law does not permit same-sex marriages.
MPs in Germany voted overwhelmingly to legalise gay marriage on the last day of June. Nearly four hundred MPs voted in favour of allowing same-sex marriage. The votes were split: 393 members of parliament voted in favour of the bill, with 296 voting against and 4 abstentions.
Up until now same-sex couples in Germany were only able to get a civil partnership.
Legal code in Germany will now be changed to read “Marriage is entered into for life by two people of different or the same sex.”
Germany’s Chancellor, Angela Merkel was on of the MPs who voted against the law – having all set out her thoughts that marriage should only be between a man and a woman. During a YouTube interview she said, ” “For me, personally, marriage is a man and a woman living together. That is my concept, but I support civil partnerships.”
