German lawmakers voted by a wide margin to legalize same-sex marriage,

German lawmakers voted by a wide margin to legalize same-sex marriage, a landmark decision which came just days after Chancellor Angela Merkel dropped her longstanding opposition to a free vote on the issue. The bill gives homosexual couples in Germany the same rights as heterosexual couples, and will allow same-sex couples to marry and jointly adopt children.
As news came that the bill had passed — convincingly — people gathered outside the Bundestag in Berlin broke out into loud cheers, wept tears of joy and exchanged kisses. Some popped champagne corks in celebration despite the early hour.