Parliamentarians react to 'historic' vote in favor of gay marriage

Moments after parliament endorsed "marriage for all," with 393 in favor, 226 against and four abstentions, same-sex couples in the chamber's public gallery openly kissed and hugged one another. Those voting in favor included 75 members of Chancellor Angela Merkel's conservative CDU-CSU bloc.

Following the vote, a sober-looking Chancellor Angela Merkel waiting in parliament's canteen revealed to journalists that she voted against the legislation because of her "basic belief" in marriage being solely "between a man and woman." She claimed her belief was anchored in the German constitution.

For same-sex advocates, the first legislative hurdle was to get the bill - rejected 30 times in committee - onto the agenda in parliament. Its procedural adoption via a consensus reached between the Greens, the Left and the Social Democrats left Merkel and conservative whip Volker Kauder taken back. Kauder insisted that as a Christian he could only accept marriage between a man and a woman.

Social Democrat Johannes Kahrs, a same-sex marriage advocate who organized parliament's cross-party "yes" bloc for the snap vote, accused Merkel and her conservatives of "wretchedly" blocking the measure for years. "I'm fed up. We deserve [gender] equality," Kahrs told parliament. He said the legislative victory was a turning point in history similar to the fall of the Berlin Wall.

Greens parliamentarians showered their retiring colleague and same-sex advocate Volker Beck with confetti as the vote result was announced. Later in tears, he told German television that the "yes" vote had helped restore harmony in German society. The "wall" has fallen, Beck said, adding that the key was how two individuals cared for one another, regardless of their gender.

SPD leader Martin Schulz (right) said the vote was a "victory," less so for his center-left party but for the dignity of the individual, as enshrined in Article 1 of Germany's constitution. SPD whip Thomas Oppermann (center) said the vote was "good for the public," even if it didn't align with Merkel's vision on the matter.

Dozens of activists celebrated the legislation outside the Bundestag in the aftermath of the vote. A Bild newspaper survey earlier in the week showed three quarters of Germany's population favored legal recognition of same-sex marriage. In 2001, legal reform recognized homosexuals in partnerships but left gay couples unable to jointly adopt children.

Countries across Europe, the Americas and Oceania have adopted same sex marriage. This map shows the situation across the world prior to the Bundestag vote. Despite the legislative victory in Germany, same-sex marriage remains a controversial issue in many parts of the world, most notably in the Middle East, Africa and parts of Asia.

The legal recognition of same-sex marriage marked a dream come true for former Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle, who died of leukemia in 2016. He long fought for sexual equality and the recognition of constitutional rights for same-sex couples.