Geneva: Nearly two-thirds of Swiss voters support the government’s plan to introduce same-sex marriage in a referendum held by Sunday, with campaigners calling it a historic day for gay rights in Switzerland.
With the results of 20 of the 23 Cantonese Alpine Nation which is rich, 64 percent of voters support this step, in turn 52 percent.
Switzerland is one of the last countries in Western Europe where same-sex marriage remains illegal.
The proposal “marriage to all” the government was challenged by opponents, who managed to trigger a referendum.
“Switzerland has dropped the ‘yes’ massive into the ballot box,” Olga Baranova, spokesman for the committee “Yes”, told AFP.
He was at a restaurant in the Capital of Swiss Bern held a celebration of the “yes” campaign – decorated in a balloon in a rainbow color – where the artist dragged Mona Gamie the “Himne to Love” for applause.
“Today does not change my country,” Baranova said.
“Today reflects a change in mentality for the past 20 years.
This is truly a reflection of the acceptance of LGBT people who are very broad and very important in society.” Switzerland reduced homosexuality in 1942, but many local and regional police forces continue to maintain “gay registers”, several to the early 1990s.
The same-sex couple can have registered civil partnerships, with around 700 established every year.
However, this status does not provide the same rights as marriage, including to obtain citizenship and adoption with children.
After years of debate and discussion, the Swiss parliament agreed to last December bill which allowed the same-sex couple to get married in the country of 8.6 million people.
But it was challenged under the Swiss direct democratic system, with opponents collecting 50,000 signatures needed to place problems in the referendum.
Deborah Heanni, a collective member of Libero who campaigned for “yes”, to AFP: “After eight years of campaigning, we were finally happy to celebrate this victory.” Jan Muller from the committee “Yes” said: “This is a historic day for Switzerland, historic day when it comes to equality for same-sex partners, and it is also an important day for the entire LGBT community.” Legal changes will allow the same sex partner to get married in a civil ceremony and give them the same rights as those enjoyed by other marriage couples.
Foreign partners will be eligible to apply for citizenship through a simplified procedure, and same-sex pairs will be allowed to jointly adopt.
And, in terms of what is the most controversial aspect of the referendum campaign, the lesbian pair will have access to sperm donations.
Popular Right Wing People’s Party Swiss (SVP) – Swiss’s biggest political party – called for “no” sound.
Opponents are plastered Swiss cities with posters who revoke children’s commodifications and warn the law will “kill the Father”.
One poster shows a baby crying with his ears marked like livestock, and the question: “Baby is on request?” The others displayed a large zombie head intended to represent the dead father.
“Everyone will be disappointed,” Yohan Ziehli, Vice President of SVP in French-speaking Vaud Canton in West Switzerland.
“Parliament makes tactical choices for connecting two subjects that should not, namely questions about offspring that have been hidden behind the wedding shield for all to guarantee its success,” he told RTS broadcasters.
The second choice was held in addition to the referendum, at an initiative submitted by the Socialist Party’s youth wing, titled “Reducing Taxes on Wages, Tax Capital Fair”.
Supporters of what is called the initiative “99 percent” wants greater taxation at a high level of capital income, with the resulting income used to reduce income tax for less rich.
Results so far show that 65 percent choose size.