Daily US Times: Almost two-thirds of voters in Switzerland have backed same-sex marriage in a referendum.

Some 64% of voters supported the move, making it one of the last countries in western Europe to legalise same-sex marriage.

Campaigners in favour of the measure have described the vote as a historic moment for LGBT rights in the country.

Conservative political parties and church groups opposed the idea of legalizing same-sex marriage, saying it would undermine the traditional family.

Since 2007, the western European nation has allowed same-sex couples to register partnerships, but some rights are restricted.

The move will make it possible for married lesbian couples to have children through sperm donation and same-sex couples to adopt unrelated children.

Switzerland became the 30th country in the world to adopt same-sex marriage.

Jan Muller, who campaigned for “yes” in the referendum, said: “It is a historic day for Switzerland, a historic day when it comes to equality for same-sex couples, and it is also an important day for the whole LGBT community.”

Karin Keller-Sutter, the Justice Minister of Switzerland, said the first same-sex marriages would take place in July next year.

She said: “Whoever loves each other and wants to get married will be able to do so, regardless of whether it is two men, two women, or a man and a woman.”

But Monika Rueegger, an opponent of the measure and a politician with the right-wing Swiss People’s Party , said children and fathers were the losers.

She said: “This was not about love and feelings. It was about children’s welfare.”

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