Cheerful supporters of same-sex marriage are happy with the Minnesota House of Representatives’ approval of a gay marriage bill.
The Minnesota House of Representatives has approved a measure that would make it the 12th state to legalize same-sex marriage and the third this month after Delaware and Rhode Island.
On Thursday, state representatives voted 75-59 to approve the bill, which will be advanced to the state Senate for its approval on May 13.
Governor Mark Dayton has declared that he will sign the bill.
“Same-sex couples should be treated fairly under the law, including the freedom to marry the person we love,” state representative Karen Clark told a cheering crowd of hundreds.
Last week Rhode Island became the 10th state — and the last in relatively liberal New England — to legalize gay marriage, followed on Tuesday by Delaware. The only Midwestern state to do so is Iowa, Minnesota’s neighbor to the south.
While several jurisdictions have legalized same-sex marriage through court rulings, legislative action, and popular vote, nine states prohibit same-sex marriage by statute and 30 prohibit it in their constitutions.
During the 21st century, public support for legalizing same-sex marriage has grown considerably. Various national polls conducted since 2011 show that a majority of Americans support same-sex marriage.
On May 9, 2012, President Barack Obama became the first sitting US president to publicly declare support for the legalization of same-sex marriage. The Federal law still does not recognize same-sex unions.
EKA/MHB
This article originally appeared on : Press TV