Swiss to vote on allowing same-sex marriage in referendum
The Hindu
The amended law will make it possible for married lesbian couples to have children through sperm donation, currently legal only for married heterosexual couples
Voters in Switzerland, one of the last Western European countries that still bans gay marriage, will decide in a referendum on September 26 whether to allow same-sex couples to get married and adopt children.
The federal government and parliament have already approved the amended law, but opponents led by the right-wing Swiss People's Party (SVP) forced a referendum on the issue under Switzerland's system of direct democracy.
According to the latest opinion poll, supporters of same-sex marriage were in the lead, with 63% of respondents saying they were in favour, but the "no" campaign has gathered steam over the last weeks.