Angela Merkel: Marriage is between a man and woman

Marriage is between a man and a woman, German Chancellor Angela Merkel has said.

Speaking to popular YouTube personality LeFloid, Mrs Merkel said she did support civil partnerships but believed marriage was solely between people of the opposite sex.

She also indicated that holding such a view is not discrimination.

The Chancellor commented: “I’m someone who is very supportive of us eliminating all discrimination.

“We have come a long way; when I remember, 25 years ago, many people didn’t dare to say that they are gay or lesbian.”

She added: “For me, personally, marriage is a man and a woman living together. That is my concept, but I support civil partnerships.

“I support us not discriminating against them when it comes to taxes, and to remove any other discrimination wherever we may find it.”

When challenged that she was still differentiating between marriage and same-sex relationships, she said: “No discrimination. Marriage is a man and a woman living together.”

The interview was published on Monday by German social media star Florian Mundt – known as LeFloid – and it has already had more than 2 million views.

In the UK, Stonewall’s response was to suggest Chancellor Merkel must have been having a “quiet week” to be so concerned about “synonyms”.

But this goes far beyond any wordplay – this is about an institution that is the most successful partnership in history.

The definition of marriage as being between a man and a woman has stood the test of time, stretching across cultures and the world.

It is a fundamental building block of society and is the best environment for raising children.

Chancellor Merkel’s comments are welcome, particularly at a time when countries feel pressure to follow the path taken by the UK.