A win for the LGBTQIA community.
Switzerland’s parliament voted in favor of gay marriage and allowing lesbian couples to have access to sperm donations.
In total, 132 parliamentarians voted in favor of the proposal with 52 voting against it.
Two major political parties voted against allowing lesbians access to sperm – i.e. Swiss People’s Party (UDC/SVP) and the Christian Democratic People’s Party of Switzerland (PDC/CVP), both known for being conservative. The former party was against marriage equality and allowing lesbians access to sperm donations, citing as an excuse the need for would-be children to have a relationship with their fathers. But the latter party was, in fact, supportive of marriage equality even if it wanted the provision on sperm donations removed.
The Council of States, Switzerland’s upper house, has not yet voted on the proposal.
In a Swiss referendum in February, voters strongly backed a new law against homophobia in a referendum. Over 60% voted in favor of widening existing laws against discrimination of incitement to hatred on ethnic or religious grounds to include sexual orientation. The highest approval rate was in Geneva with 76.3%; with the rural cantons of Appenzell Innerrhoden, Schwyz and Uri voting against.
This newer proposal may also eventually be put to Swiss voters in the form of a referendum.
