Yesterday, the government of the European island nation of Malta voted overwhelmingly to legalize marriage equality.
This is especially a big deal because the island is heavily Catholic – divorce was illegal until 2011 – and Malta’s Archbishop spoke out against the measure. But Malta has been taking more steps toward equality, last year becoming the first nation in Europe to ban conversion therapy.
The Maltese Parliament approved the Marriage Equality Bill with the support of all but one House MPs, according to Malta Today. The bill consists of several laws, as well as changes to the Marriage Act, both legalizing gay marriages and swapping out gender specific wording for neutral terms across several laws.
References to “husband,” “wife,” “father” and “mother” will be changed to “spouse” and “parent” in a number of laws, including the Criminal Code, the Code of Civil Organization and Procedure, The Interpretation Act, The Civil Unions Act and the Civil Code, reports Malta Independent. The new bill also grants same-sex couples equal rights to adopt children.
“Malta wants to keep leading on LGBT issues and civil liberties, to serve as a model for the rest of the world,” Malta’s recently re-elected Prime Minister Joseph Muscat told the BBC.
Congratulations, Malta! This is awesome.