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Pride March signals support for same sex marriages

Pride March procession
Thousands of people showed their support for the LGBTQIA* community. Salvatore di Nolfi - EPA / Keystone

Thousands of people took part in the Pride March in Geneva on Saturday to both protest gender and sexual orientation discrimination and to signal their support for the “marriage for all” people’s initiative next month.

The procession, accompanied by music and rainbow flags and clothing, started at the Palais Wilson and led through the city centre to the Parc des Bastions.

The main theme of the procession was to show support for the LGBTQIA* (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans, Queer, Inter and Asexual) community.

On September 26, Swiss voters will decide whether to enshrine the right to same sex marriages into Swiss law.

Parliament approved such a legal amendment last December, but a small ultra-conservative group and the right-wing Swiss People’s Party collected enough signatures to challenge the decision to a nationwide vote.

They are concerned that the children of homosexual couples could suffer harm as they might grow up without a father or a mother. There are also concerns that such a law change would undermine Christian values.

But an opinion poll, conducted by the GfS Bern research and polling institute earlier this month, found that 69% of respondents intended to vote in favour of same sex marriages.

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