The British House of Commons have shown overwhelmingly for same-sex marriage legislation that could soon bring soon make gay marriage a reality throughout Britain. Most of the nays came from members of the deeply divided Conservative party, but ministers predicted that more Conservatives will vote for the measure than against it in the next phase of legalization. Party bosses on both sides of the aisle allowed members to conduct a "conscience" vote and were not ordered to follow the party line.

Despite the vote of 400-to-175, today's victory in the House of Commons does not yet make the bill a approved law. It now goes into committee for further consideration and amendments before it comes up for a vote after the "third reading." (Today's vote was the second reading.) After that, the process moves to the House of Lords for the same approval, before it "almost certainly" becomes an official Act of Parliament. But the House of Lords is known for being archaic, ruddy, and everything in between.

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Dashiell Bennett