Sweden is now the 7th country in the world to legalize gay marriage -- and the 5th in Europe. Sweden approved gay marriage this week by a vote of 261 to 22 (16 abstentions).
Civil unions granting gays and lesbians the same legal status as married couples have been allowed under Swedish law since 1995. Sweden, already a pioneer in giving same-sex couples the right to adopt children, would become one of the first countries in the world to allow gays to marry in a major Church. The Lutheran Church, which was the state Church until 2000, has offered gays a religious blessing of their union since January 2007. The Church, which counted 74 percent of Swedes as members in 2007, said on Wednesday it supported the new law.
Sweden joins the Netherlands, Norway, Belgium, Spain, Canada, and South Africa.
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