Euphoric scenes as Germany legalises same sex marriage
Germany has erupted in jubilant celebration as the country's government voted in favour of same sex marriage.
The lower house passed the bill by a margin of 393-226 and the measure is expected to be put in place by the end of the year. The reform means same sex couples now have full marital rights, including child adoption. The German legal code has been updated to say "marriage is entered into for life by two people of different or the same sex".
In Berlin, supporters gathered outside the Chancellery to cut a cake in celebration of the vote which took place at Bundestag, Germany's national parliament.
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Outside the Chancellery, there were moving scenes as couples kissed and hugged in the street.
Celebrations were also taking place in front of Berlin's Brandenburg Gate.
Couples who had married before in previous countries celebrated with "just married" signs.
Some couples took to social media to express their delight at the passing of the bill.
"Thank you for the historical appreciation of our love. I cannot hold back my tears! The burden of discrimination is gone," wrote Ali Utlu on Twitter.
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Some people expressed joy that family members can now marry their partners.
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The result was the perfect ending to Pride Month.
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Rachel Thompson is the Features Editor at Mashable. Rachel's second non-fiction book The Love Fix: Reclaiming Intimacy in a Disconnected World is out now, published by Penguin Random House in Jan. 2025. The Love Fix explores why dating feels so hard right now, why we experience difficult emotions in the realm of love, and how we can change our dating culture for the better.
A leading sex and dating writer in the UK, Rachel has written for GQ, The Guardian, The Sunday Times Style, The Telegraph, Cosmopolitan, Glamour, Stylist, ELLE, The i Paper, Refinery29, and many more.
Rachel's first book Rough: How Violence Has Found Its Way Into the Bedroom And What We Can Do About It, a non-fiction investigation into sexual violence was published by Penguin Random House in 2021.
