Published: Less than 40 minutes ago
In Switzerland, the first gay couples have been allowed to marry after the country now allows same-sex marriage.
One of the first couples to say yes to each other was Aline and Laure, who were greeted with applause and congratulations as they emerged from Geneva City Hall.
– It is a happy moment, a great event to write in the history books, says 45-year-old Laure.
Geneva Mayor Marie Barbey-Chappuis was also moved after marrying the lesbian couple:
– It is an important event that sends a powerful message to society: to be free to love and to be loved, says Marie Barbey-Chappuis.
Switzerland is one of the last countries in Europe to approve same-sex marriage. In a referendum last year, a clear majority voted through the government’s bill “marriage for all”.
The country decriminalized homosexuality in 1942. In recent years, same-sex couples have been able to enter into partnerships, but this did not give them the same rights as married couples. With the new law, same-sex married couples enjoy the same rights as other married people.