Jolly good show! England legalizes same-sex marriage

by Craig Takeuchi on July 16th, 2013 at 3:55 PM

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Now this definitely calls for more than a spot of tea: same-sex marriage is set to become legal in England.

Britain's Marriage (Same-Sex Couples) Bill, which was supported by British Prime Minister David Cameron, passed through the House of Lords, clearing its major hurdle. The lower house of British parliament approved final changes to a law on July 16.

After the Commons passed the bill, it only needs to be officially signed by head of state Queen Elizabeth II later this week, as a formality.

The bill will allow same-sex couples to marry in both civil and religious ceremonies in England and Wales in 2014.

Although France legalized same-sex marriage in May, antigay protests continue to be staged in the country. New Zealand legalized gay marriage a month earlier, and became the first country in the Asia-Pacific region to do so.