Switzerland Approves Gay Marriage by Two-Thirds Majority

A national referendum was held on the September 26, 2021 in Zurich, Switzerland. The results overwhelmingly indicate the people of Switzerland are in favor of allowing same-gender marriages to be legal and of equal value to opposite-gender marriages.

According to CNN, the results of this referendum were of immense relief, joy, and pride. “We are very happy and relieved—marriage for all,” sats Antonia Hauswirth of the national committee.

Married lesbian couples can now have children via donated sperm, which was previously only legally available to heterosexual couples. The amendment will also allow gay and lesbian couples to adopt unrelated children and raise them. Much of the opposition of the amendment was focused around the rights of lesbian couples pertaining to sperm banks.

According to LGBTQ Nation, from 2007 up until the referendum was held, same-gender couples could only form “domestic partnerships” with fewer rights than opposite-gender marriages. Those opposed to the idea of same-gender marriage felt that this was a suitable compromise; however, the LGBTQ community and advocates disagreed.

Most Western-European countries already recognized same-gender marriage, according to NPR, but some Central-European countries disallow same-gender wedlock.

There are still, unfortunately, dissenters of this law, around one-third of the voting party of the referendum, in fact. Monika Rueegger, a right-wing member of the Swiss People’s Party, expressed disappointment.

“This was not about love and feelings; it was about children’s welfare. Children and fathers are the losers here,” she says, apparently referring to heterosexual men and unrelated children, neither of which are affected by this.

Other dissenters voiced concerns centered around tradition, such as Anna Leimgruber, who believes “children would need to have a dad and a mom,” overlooking the interchangeability of these roles among same-gender couples, each fulfilling the actual emotional and provisional needs of the child.

It may be a few months still before same-gender marriage is officially able to be carried out due to the procedures around the law change.

Photo courtesy of social media