Luxembourg Becomes 17th Country To Enact Marriage Equality Nationwide

The small European country of The Grand Duchy of Luxembourg has overwhelmingly passed legislation 56-4 that will allow same-sex couples to marry and also adopt children together. Luxembourg elected an openly gay Prime Minister last year and has a population of just over a half-million people.

Freedom to Marry reports:

The bill faces one final vote, largely seen as a formality. The Prime Minister of Luxembourg, Xavier Bettel, said that he expected the government to approve of the marriage bill before the end of 2014. The first marriages could take place as early as January 2015, since the bill will take effect six months after a final vote. 

Luxembourg will become the 17th country with the freedom to marry for same-sex couples nationwide, joining The Netherlands, Belgium, Spain, Canada, South Africa, Norway, Sweden, Portugal, Iceland, Argentina, Denmark, Uruguay, Brazil, France, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom (including England, Wales and Scotland). Two others have taken regional steps to allow same-sex couples to share in the freedom to marry in parts of the country: Mexico and the United States.

Felicitations, Luxembourg!