The House of Representatives on Wednesday agreed in principle to full marriage equality for homosexual couples against opposition by conservative parliamentarians.
Supporters of the proposal argued it was time for Switzerland as a liberal country to give gay marriage full legal status.
However, opponents, notably from the right-wing Swiss People’s Party, argued civil partnerships for gays and lesbians, introduced in 2007, was enough.
The debate, including the right for lesbian couples to sperm donations, is set to continue over the next few days.
Observers expect the bill to pass in the House, but approval by the Senate at a later stage is less certain.
Right-wing opponents have threatened to challenge a more liberal legislation to a nationwide vote.
The Swiss government in January came out in favour of same-sex marriage, as did the Protestant churches while the Catholic church refused to take a stance.
What can be done to protect biodiversity in your country?
Swiss voters are set to decide on a people’s initiative calling for better protection of ecosystems in the country. Have your say on the September 22 vote.
One dead, 2 children seriously injured after car crashes into Geneva sports centre
This content was published on
An 80-year-old driver crashed into several children aged around ten on Saturday after losing control of her vehicle in Geneva, before succumbing to her injuries.
Swiss Centre Party leader says report on proposed federal budget cuts ‘one-sided’
This content was published on
Gerhard Pfister is criticising discussions launched by the Swiss government on an expert report aimed at making savings in the state budget.
This content was published on
Transplantation not only improves quality of life, but it also saves money, said Swisstransplant, particularly where kidney transplants are concerned.
Train station closures a long-term option, says Swiss Federal Railways boss
This content was published on
Vincent Ducrot has not ruled out the closure of train stations in the long term as mobility changes, he told the NZZ am Sonntag newspaper.
Liberal Green party members criticise handling of Ameti affair
This content was published on
Some Liberal Greens say the party acted too quickly after Zurich politician Sanija Ameti fired shots at an image of Jesus and Mary.
This content was published on
Switzerland has a new supercomputer named "Alps", officially inaugurated on Saturday at the National Supercomputing Centre in Lugano.
Cold front leads to record-low temperatures in Switzerland
This content was published on
Friday's cold front caused record temperatures and closed mountain passes. The snow line was between 1,200 and 1,500m on Saturday, MeteoSwiss reported.
Collecting of vote signatures to continue in Switzerland as planned
This content was published on
The Swiss government is refraining from taking drastic emergency measures following the revelation of suspected cases of fraud.
This content was published on
Switzerland should pave the way to allow same-sex couples to get married and adopt children, a parliamentary committee has said.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.