Finnish President Sauli Niinistö
on Friday signed a bill into law legalizing marriage equality in
Finland when it takes effect on March 1, 2017, according to various
reports.
The Finnish parliament approved the
bill in December, nearly two years after it rejected a similar
measure.
A public campaign called on lawmakers
to reconsider the marriage bill rejected in February, 2013.
Marriage equality supporters reached
50,000 valid signatures – the minimum needed to force action – on
their first day. Organizers of the “Tahdon2013” (“I Do”)
campaign said that they had collected more than 162,000 signatures in
six months.
Finland, the last Scandinavian country
to legalize marriage for gay and lesbian couples, has recognized the
unions of gay couples with registered partnerships since 2002. Gay
couples are also allowed to adopt their partner's biological children
since 2009.
Finland is the 12th European
nation with marriage equality.