UK gay marriage bill passes House of Lords
Ken Livingstone (R), the former Mayor of London, covers the face of current London Mayor Boris Johnson, as mayoral candidate Brian Paddick (L) looks on during a photocall on April 14. 2012 in London, England. The Church of England formally objected on June 12, 2012 to plans by the UK government to permit gay marriage.
Britain's House of Lords on Monday cleared Prime Minister David Cameron's gay marriage bill, turning it back to the lower house for approval before it goes off to the Queen, according to The Telegraph.
The House of Lords passed the measure without a vote. Some members even sported pink carnations, said Bloomberg News.
The House of Commons is expected to pass the legislation without controversy. LGBTQ Nation called their vote a "technicality" given the support of the upper house, adding that gay rights activists outside parliament on Monday "greeted the news with cheers."
The bill, which the Telegraph said would legalize same-sex civil and church marriages in England and Wales as soon as next summer, has been very controversial.
The House of Commons passed an earlier version of the bill 390 to 148, and this latest version is expected to get "royal assent" from Queen Elizabeth II within days, said the Telegraph.
The lower house will be asked to review new amendments to the bill, which include pension plans and provisions for "humanist weddings," according to LGBTQ Nation.
Same-sex couples are currently allowed only civil partnerships in Britain.