The parliament of Luxembourg has passed a same sex marriage bill in an overwhelming majority.
Luxembourg’s parliament has only one chamber, so therefore the vote by the Chamber of Deputies has secured the passage of the bill.
The law is reportedly expected to come into force in early 2015.
Greens MP Viviane Loschetter made the following comments in regard to the new law:
“Gay people should have the same rights as heterosexuals.
“With this law, we do not throw overboard all the values of our society.
“All we have done is give equal rights to gay people. We formally recognize a form of relationship that has always existed.”
The law passed with a whopping majority of 56-4.
Three of the MPs who voted against the law, Gaston Gibéryen, Fernand Kartheiser and Roy Reding, all belong to the conservative Alternative Democratic Reform Party. The other was Aly Kaes, who was the only member of the Christian Social Peoples’ Party to vote against the bill.
“The most important institution of our society, marriage, is ruined.” said Roy Reding.
A group has previously attempted to halt the passing of the bill by triggering a referendum, but were unable to gain the necessary support.
Luxembourg made history last year by becoming the first country to have both an openly gay Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister simultaneously.
Ty Cobb of the Human Rights Campaign had this to say:
“We commend the leaders of Luxembourg for granting the nation’s LGBT citizens the rights they deserve, and we congratulate the LGBT activists and advocates who made this historic day possible.”
The eight other countries in the European Union to have legalized same sex marriage are the Netherlands, Belgium, Spain, Sweden, Portugal, Denmark, France and England and Wales.
