Citizens of San Marino, one of Europe's smallest countries, have chosen to ban discrimination based on sexual discrimination by constitution. The motion passed with 71.46% of votes in a referendum on Sunday.

The enclave state, home to around 33,500 people and independent since 301 AD (CE), has become the eleventh country in the world to include LGBT rights directly into its constitution, joining the UK, Sweden, Portugal, Malta, Bolivia, Ecuador, New Zealand, Mexico, South African and the Fiji Islands.

The result of the referendum means that article 4 of the San Marino constitution, listing all the specifications on which the principle of equality applies before the law, will now include the clause "without any discrimination on the base of sexual orientation".

The measure is the latest step in San Marino's evolving attitude towards LGBT rights. Until 2004, homosexuality in the country was punishable with 3 to 12 months of jail time. In 2018, the parliament passed a law legalising civil unions for same-sex couples.

Repubblica di San Marino e diritti LGBT: Referendum costituzionale introduce il divieto di discriminazione per... Publiée par Marco Tonti sur Lundi 3 juin 2019

"It's a huge success, backed by a popular and conscious vote", wrote Italian LGBT activist Marco Tonti, who has been working in collaboration with advocates in San Marino since the law on civil unions, on Facebook. "I hope this exceptional success acts as a sign and a warning outside of the borders of San Marino, especially for Italy".

"We hope that this success is only the first step of a popular season full of recognition of new rights on all fronts, animated by a profound and fruitful debate, starting with the law proposal on voluntary interruption of pregnancy that will soon be discussed, up to equally fundamental issues such as end of life treatment", commented the committee that pushed for the law on civil unions in 2018 in a press release.

The Christian Democrats, San Marino's main conservative party, did not take a stand on the referendum.

Do you want more news? </s> Parliamentarians voted 66-1 in favor of a marriage equality bill, marking a major step for LGBTI rights in the predominantly Catholic country.

Nationalist party MP Edwin Vassallo was the only lawmaker to oppose the vote, citing his Christian faith. The marriage equality measure had been expected to pass after MPs voted in its favor last week

On Wednesday night, a government-sponsored celebration was organized with Malta's LGBTIQ Consultative Council -- a government body representing the country's lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex and questioning organisations -- in front of the capital's historic Auberge de Castille.

There, Prime Minister Joseph Muscat, a vocal proponent of marriage equality, celebrated the results, posting a photo from Valletta's Pjazza Kastilja, which was lit up in the colors of the rainbow flag and the phrase "We Made History."

Malta's Government wrote on Twitter, "#MarriageEquality is now reality in #Malta. Pledge fulfilled, future sealed."

The 43-year-old Prime Minister had promised to make the marriage equality bill one his priorities after winning a snap election in June.

Speaking to reporters, Muscat said the historic vote "shows that our democracy, our society ... has reached an unprecedented level of maturity and a society where we can all say we are equal."

As part of the approved measure, the language used in Malta's civil ceremonies is expected to become gender neutral, dropping the language "husband and wife."

The tiny island nation has been riding a wave of social reforms since a 2011 referendum to legalize divorce. Since then, the country has introduced civil unions and last year became the first European state to ban "gay cure" therapy.

Evelyne Paradis, executive director of the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association for Europe applauded the vote, calling it "the icing on the cake of the tremendous work by the Maltese LGBTI movement," in a statement on Wednesday.

Paradis also referenced Malta's historic conservatism, and encouraged the government to continue to push further social reforms.

"Now the government must tackle a new project -- ensuring full social acceptance. We know that there are some parts of society who opposed this bill, who had doubts. It is up to the government to continue to show leadership, together with the LGBTI movement, and really embed this legal change in society. The talking is finished inside parliament, but the work must continue outside its doors," Paradis said.

Malta joins at least 14 other European nations that have legalized same-sex marriage.

The Netherlands was the first country to legalize same-sex marriage in 2001. Since, more than 20 other nations have followed suit, including Spain, Canada, Argentina, France, the United Kingdom, Germany, Ireland and the United States. </s> VALLETTA, Malta (AP) — Lawmakers in the predominantly Catholic island nation of Malta have voted to legalize same-sex marriages.

Malta joined much of Western Europe today when its parliament approved legislation eliminating the traditional "you are now husband and wife" declaration in civil ceremonies and replacing it with "you are now spouses."

The vote was 66-1, with the sole lawmaker who voted against the change citing his Christian faith.

The Catholic Church had opposed the legislation, which the Labor government promised to introduce as its first law after winning a second term last month and which the main opposition party supported.

The aim of the law, piloted by Equality Minister Helena Dalli, is to "modernize the institution of marriage" to give all consenting adult couples the right to marry. </s> A bill that would extend marriage rights to same-sex couples in Malta received final approval on Wednesday.

Lawmakers approved the Marriage Equality Bill by a 66-1 vote margin. The vote took place a week after the Maltese Parliament nearly unanimously approved the Marriage Equality Bill.

Prime Minister Joseph Muscat, who was re-elected last month, is among those who support the measure.

“Marriage equality is now reality in Malta,” said Muscat on his Twitter page shortly after the bill passed. “Pledge fulfilled. Future sealed.”

The Malta Gay Rights Movement on its Twitter page noted Wednesday’s vote caps off efforts to extend marriage rights to same-sex couples that began 16 years ago. ILGA-Europe Executive Director Evelyne Paradis in a statement applauded local advocates and the Maltese government.

“This step is the icing on the cake of the tremendous work by the Maltese LGBTI movement,” she said. “We congratulate the Maltese government for sticking to its commitments. We applaud everyone who has been working on this. To see equal marriage supported by practically the entire parliament is amazing.”

The Malta Independent, a newspaper in the small archipelago that is located in the Mediterranean Sea between Sicily and the North African coast, reported roughly 150 people gathered outside the Maltese Parliament on Tuesday to protest the bill. The Roman Catholic Church also opposed the measure.

Gays and lesbians can legally marry in Iceland, the Faroe Islands, Ireland, Scotland, England, Wales, the Isle of Man, Guernsey, France, Spain, Portugal, Gibraltar, the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, Denmark, Norway, Sweden and Finland.

A law that allows trans Maltese to, among other things, legally change their name or gender without undergoing a sex-reassignment surgery or hormone therapy and provides legal protections to intersex children took effect in 2015. Malta last December became the first country in Europe to ban so-called conversion therapy.

The marriage bill is expected to take effect later this month. </s> “We live in a society where we can all say ‘we are equal,’” Mr. Muscat said as a celebration erupted outside his office in Valletta, the capital.

The law’s passage is the latest evidence of the transformation of Malta, a once-conservative nation of about 440,000 people where divorce was illegal until 2011.

While abortion remains banned in Malta, adoption by same-sex couples has been legal since civil unions were introduced in 2014. Last year, the number of exclusively civil marriages eclipsed the number of church weddings for the first time.

Archbishop Charles Scicluna had opposed the same-sex marriage law, reflecting the church’s longstanding view that marriage can be between only a man and woman.

“I can decide that a carob and an orange should no longer be called by their name,” Archbishop Scicluna said in a homily a few days after Parliament started debating the legislation. “But a carob remains a carob and an orange remains an orange. And marriage, whatever the law says, remains an eternal union exclusive to a man and a woman.”

The goal of the law, which was pushed by Equality Minister Helena Dalli, was to “modernize the institution of marriage” to extend it to all consenting adult couples.

Mr. Muscat had said it would be “discriminatory” to have separate laws for mixed and same-sex couples. So the amendments to existing laws included eliminating any reference to “husband and wife.” In the term’s place is the gender-neutral “spouse” to cover all situations.

The law also calls for the removal of the terms “father” and “mother,” to be substituted by “parents.” Lesbian couples are distinguished by the terms “the person who gave birth” and “the other parent.”

Other changes concern heterosexual marriages: Any reference to “maiden name” is replaced with “surname at birth,” while both spouses can choose which surname to take after marriage.

The coordinator of the Malta Gay Rights Movement, Gabi Calleja, said achieving equality in marriage met the aspirations of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people. Most same-sex couples consider marriage to be “the institution that best expresses the commitment and love they have for each other,” Ms. Calleja said.

More than a dozen European countries have legalized same-sex marriage, all in the western part of the Continent. Almost a dozen others, including Italy, have some sort of same-sex unions or civil partnerships, according to the Pew Research Center. </s> Parliament this evening approved the introduction of gay marriage through the new Marriage Equality Act with Nationalist MP Edwin Vassallo voting against.

Malta became the 15th EU state to introduce same-sex marriage, just six years after the introduction of divorce.

Clarifying his vote, Mr Vassallo said he could not reconcile his principles with a Bill that was "immoral".

Photo: Sarah Carabott

Although he agreed that the state and church should be separate, he said he was a Christian and could not abandon his religious beliefs on parliament's doorstep.

All other MPs voted in favour.

Earlier, the Prime Minister had said that this was a historic moment and invited all

MPs to stand up and declare their vote. This proposal was not taken up by the Opposition, and a vote viva voce was taken.

Video: Mark Zammit Cordina

Dr Muscat said the vote showed that society had reached "an unprecedented level of maturity. We can all say we are equal."

In a statement, the government said that the aim of the law was to modernise marriage law through the mainstreaming of equality for all.This means that the institution of marriage is now fully gender neutral to ensure that lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, intersex, and genderqueer (LGBTIQ) persons are free to contract a marriage with their loved ones, be they of the same or a different sex, and also to parent children without having unnecessary references to their gender or biological make-up on their children’s birth certificates.

The institution of marriage was now fully gender neutral to ensure that lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, intersex, and genderqueer persons were free to contract a marriage with their loved ones, be they of the same or a different sex, and also to parent children without having unnecessary references to their gender or biological make-up on their children’s birth certificates.

It also meant that all discrepancies between husband and wife had now been removed. Both were now free to adopt or take on their partner’s surname without distinction. Their siblings would then take on the family surname that the couple chose on their marriage day.

During the process towards the adoption of the Bill, a lot of the discussion centred on whether it was necessary to convert civil marriage to a fully gender-neutral institution.

The government insisted that this was necessary to respect the anti-discrimination provisions in the country’s Constitution adopted in 2014 relative to sexual orientation and gender identity.

Additionally, the government indicated that both the Civil Unions Act, and the Cohabitation Act adopted in 2014 and 2016 respectively were both gender neutral, and that marriage should not be an exception.

As the vote was being taken, people gathered at Castille Square, where the stage was set for celebrations. Auberge de Castille was later lit up in rainbow colours and sported the words "We made history" as fireworks lit the sky.

Photo: Darrin Zammit Lupi, Reuters

Those gathered cheered as Dr Muscat and Civil Rights Minister Helena Dalli approached Castille just before 9pm.

In a statement, the Nationalist Party said it welcomed this evening's vote as a step forward towards equality in Maltese society. It said the PN parliamentary group voted in favour of the law at all stages as Opposition leader Simon Busuttil had said.

Dr Busuttil thanked PN MPs for their vote and loyalty to the party.

"I understand there were a number of MPs who had objections to parts of the law but who still voted in favour in loyalty to the party's position and for the sake of party unity. I appreciate this and thank them for it."

The PN had been updating its policy to better reflect Maltese society today for the past years and had even voted in favour of the Gender Identity Bill.

It noted that although the law approved today had introduced the possibility of marriage between same-sex couples, this right has in practice been in existence for the past three years when civil unions were introduced.

Photo: Sarah Carabott

In another statement, the Labour Party said this was another historic day for Malta.

From a country that was considered behind in civil rights up to only a few years ago, it had now become a beacon of hope and an example to other countries.

Love had won over intolerance, equality over segregation. Above all, Malta had won as it was giving all its people, whoever they were and whatever their beliefs, independently of their sexual orientation, the same opportunities.

A government led by Dr Muscat, it said, would continue working for equality to really become the country's foundation leaving behind a legacy for future generations.

"This is the best time for our country," it said. </s> As our movement prepares for a presidential administration opposed to LGBT equality, LGBT elected officials will play an essential role in preventing anti-LGBT legislation and demanding equality. On Nov. 8, several LGBT candidates achieved historic wins, and 86 of 135 Victory Fund-endorsed LGBT candidates won their elections.

In response to the presidential election results and victories for LGBT candidates across the nation, Victory Fund President & CEO Aisha C. Moodie-Mills released the following statement:

“Today I am heartbroken that racist, xenophobic, sexist, and transphobic demagoguery won last night’s presidential election. The devastating results hit the LGBT community particularly hard because we are unique in spanning all the demographic groups targeted by the president-elect throughout his campaign. We are Latino, black, women, Muslims, undocumented, and we have disabilities. We are all stronger together, and Victory Fund will continue to work to ensure that our collective voices are represented in the halls of power.

Amidst this election’s darkness, however, there were rays of light. Kate Brown became the nation’s first openly LGBT governor, a stunning accomplishment and a win for the history books. Carlos Guillermo Smith became the first openly LGBT Latino elected to the Florida state legislature, representing Orlando and many LGBT people of color who danced at Pulse nightclub that horrific night. Georgia expanded LGBT representation in its state legislature, electing Sam Park to join three other openly LGBT voices. And voters reelected all six openly LGBT members of Congress despite a tough night for House Democrats — affirmation that LGBT leadership is effective and respected.

Now more than ever, LGBT elected officials are critical to defending our community and pushing forward equality for LGBT people, and Victory Fund will be at their side. We will work to support incumbents and build the next generation of diverse LGBT candidates so we can cement our gains and further equality for all people. But let’s not kid ourselves: We made huge strides these past eight years, and this election we took steps back. Now our community and allies need to rally and demand all elected lawmakers — not just LGBT elected officials — unequivocally stand on the side of equality for all people.” </s> BUCHAREST, Romania (AP) — A referendum aimed at putting same-sex marriage further out of reach in Romania was invalidated Sunday after a quick tally showed too few voters cast ballots, election officials said.

The weekend vote on a constitutional amendment that would have changed the definition of family to make marriage a union between a man and a woman instead of between "spouses" required voter turnout of at least 30 percent for the result to stand.

Election officials said after polls closed that only 20.41 of eligible voters participated. The turnout threshold never was close to being reached all day, a trend gay rights group Accept said showed citizens "want a Romania based upon democratic values."

"We have shown that we cannot be fooled by a political agenda that urges us to hate and polarize society," the group said in a statement before the turnout number was final.

Marriage statutes already prohibit same-sex marriage in Romania. The conservative Coalition for Family spearheaded the referendum with a signature petition, arguing that any ambiguity in the constitution needed to be eliminated.

Earlier Sunday, the Coalition for Family blamed what it called "a massive disinformation campaign" by the media, politicians and local governments for the weak voter participation.

It alleged "a general boycott by all political parties" that was "primarily directed against the Christians of Romania."

The influential Romanian Orthodox Church backed the amendment. Concerned about the low turnout, Patriarch Daniel urged Romanians earlier Sunday to "vote before it's too late."

"We call on you to vote, to have this honor, to demonstrate this freedom and right," he was quoted as saying in a statement on the news website of the Romanian church.

Opponents say the new constitutional language could make LGBT people feel more like second-class citizens and could discriminate against non-traditional families. They also said the amendment was unnecessary since Romanian civil law already limits marriages to a man and a woman.

In the village of Adunati-Copaceni, south of Bucharest, the capital, only 62 people had voted by midmorning out of a total electorate of 1,147.

Priests leading services at St. Mary's Church encouraged the congregation to vote. Retired farmer Ana Buturgianu, 69, said she'd heed the advice, as did Andrei Aurelian, a 53-year-old cashier.

"The vote is for us and for our children. It's normal to have a man and a woman, not two men together," Aurelian said.

But Bucharest resident Marin Soare, 50, who was cycling through the village Sunday, boycotted the referendum, calling it "a waste of money."

"We already have traditional families in Romania and have done so for 2,000 years," he said. "And there's always been same-sex relationships." </s> BUCHAREST, Romania (AP) — A referendum aimed at putting same-sex marriage further out of reach in Romania was invalidated Sunday after a quick tally showed too few voters cast ballots, election officials said. The weekend…

BUCHAREST, Romania (AP) — A referendum aimed at putting same-sex marriage further out of reach in Romania was invalidated Sunday after a quick tally showed too few voters cast ballots, election officials said.

The weekend vote on a constitutional amendment that would have changed the definition of family to make marriage a union between a man and a woman instead of between “spouses” required voter turnout of at least 30 percent for the result to stand.

Election officials said after polls closed that only 20.41 of eligible voters participated. The turnout threshold never was close to being reached all day, a trend that gay rights group Accept said showed citizens “want a Romania based upon democratic values.”

“We have shown that we cannot be fooled by a political agenda that urges us to hate and polarize society,” the group said in a statement before the turnout number was final.

Marriage statutes already prohibit same-sex marriage in Romania. The conservative Coalition for Family spearheaded the referendum with a signature petition, arguing that any ambiguity in the constitution needed to be eliminated.

The group conceded defeat before the overall turnout from two days of balloting was announced late Sunday.

“Next time, we’ll succeed,” Coalition for Family spokesman Mihai Gheorghiu said. “Let’s be happy for this day. The Christian vote exists.”

Earlier in the day, the group issued a statement blaming the lack of enthusiasm among voters on what it called “a massive disinformation campaign” by the media, politicians and local governments.

It alleged “a general boycott by all political parties” that was “primarily directed against the Christians of Romania.”

The influential Romanian Orthodox Church backed the amendment. Concerned about the low turnout, Patriarch Daniel urged Romanians earlier Sunday to “vote before it’s too late.”

“We call on you to vote, to have this honor, to demonstrate this freedom and right,” he was quoted as saying in a statement on the news website of the Romanian church.

Opponents argued the new constitutional language could make LGBT people feel more like second-class citizens and make other non-traditional families targets of discrimination.

In the village of Adunati-Copaceni, south of Bucharest, the capital, only 62 people had voted by midmorning out of a total electorate of 1,147.

Priests leading services at St. Mary’s Church encouraged the congregation to vote. Retired farmer Ana Buturgianu, 69, said she’d heed the advice, as did Andrei Aurelian, a 53-year-old cashier.

“The vote is for us and for our children. It’s normal to have a man and a woman, not two men together,” Aurelian said.

But Bucharest resident Marin Soare, 50, who was cycling through the village Sunday, boycotted the referendum, calling it “a waste of money.”

“We already have traditional families in Romania and have done so for 2,000 years,” he said. “And there’s always been same-sex relationships.”

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Sanmmarinese voters vote to end discrimination based on sexual orientation and initiate a popular legislative initiative for the reform of the electoral system.