Germany’s parliament has voted by a wide margin to legalise same-sex marriage following Chancellor Angela Merkel’s about-face on the issue of same-sex parents, which freed members of her ruling conservative bloc to vote their personal conscience rather than party line.
Merkel, who will seek a fourth term in a national election on September 24, told reporters after the landmark decision she had voted against the measure because she believes marriage, as defined under German law, is between a man and a woman.
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But she said her decision was a personal one, adding that she has become convinced in recent years that same-sex couples should be allowed to adopt children.