VADUZ, Liechtenstein – Voters in Liechtenstein have overwhelmingly backed a new law giving gay and lesbian couples the right to formally register their partnership.
The government says 68.8 percent of voters approved the law in a binding referendum Sunday. About 31.2 percent voted against it.
Roman Catholic groups had challenged the law saying it would weaken traditional family ties.
Gay and lesbian couples will now be put on a par with heterosexual couples when it comes to inheritance, social security, immigration and taxation. They will still be barred from adopting children or accessing reproductive medical services.
Last week, the U.N. Human Rights Council condemned for the first time discrimination against gays, lesbians and transgender people.
