Berlin cheers marriage equality after much-debated legalization
BERLIN—Esther Th iane, a student in Berlin, does not know yet if she wants to marry a man or a woman — but now she can choose without worrying about the legality of whatever she chooses.
Germany’s president, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, signed marriage equality into law Thursday, and the nation’s first same-sex marriages are set to take place in October. Supporters like Thiane had a chance to celebrate in Berlin on Saturday at the Christopher Street Day Parade, an annual event named for the New York City street synonymous with gay pride.
Thousands of people participated in the parade, which one marcher, Marco Hirscher, 28, described as a “huge party for our rights.”
Last month, the German parliament, or Bundestag, swiftly debated and approved marriage equality. Now, activists and lawmakers say that the next steps include revising the constitution’s anti-discrimination article so it provides protections based on sexual orientation and gender identity. Such a change would require approval from twothirds of parliament’s 630 members.
“We don’t just want the same law. We want the same constitutional protections,” said Axel Hochrein, a board member of the Lesbian and Gay Federation in Germany.
A softening in conservative opposition to gay marriage enabled parliament to legalize same-sex marriage in June.
After two major political parties made legalization a condition of any future coalition with the Christian Democratic Union, Chancellor Angela Merkel’s party, Merkel, who ultimately voted against the law, said the issue should be decided as “a question of conscience, rather than something I push through with a majority vote.” Days later, parliament voted 393-226, with four abstentions, in favor of same-sex marriage.