Ramsey MHK Allan Bell has described an historic day for gay rights in the Isle of Man as 'the end of a 20-year journey to provide equal rights for the minority'.
He says the legalisation of civil partnerships, almost five years after similar laws were enacted in the United Kingdom, has also 'removed the stigma of a pariah state'.
Mr Bell, who took the new legislation through the House of Keys, says it will make life easier for gay couples, but understands some people will still be unhappy:
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