Britain has become the next place in the world to legalize same-sex marriage. Queen Elizabeth II gave the measure her royal stamp of approval Wednesday. The bill had been passed by Parliament in England and Wales the day prior, the Associated Press reported. The measure allows same-sex couples to get married anywhere in England and Wales, with religious institutions under the Church of England being the only exception. The exclusion of the Church was due in part to appease social conservatives who were against the bill, Salon reported.
The bill will also allow anyone couple that was previously joined by a civil union to convert their partnership into a marriage. Though the royal approval was merely a formality, the first same-sex marriage ceremonies will be performed by next summer following the move. Out4Marriage campaign founder Ben Cohen said he was proud of the Prime Minister David Cameron and lawmakers in Parliament for passing the bill in a statement to the Telegraph.
"It is absolutely fantastic that this change in the law, almost uniquely in the world, was proposed by a Conservative prime minister and his Liberal Democrat Deputy with the support of the Labour party leader," he wrote. "Sometimes politicians can work together for the common good and this is a stunning example of this."
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