Wikipedia noted that 1st April was the anniversary, 23 years ago, of the Kingdom of the Netherlands becoming the first country in the world to permit samesex marriage. The reform was voted upon by the Dutch Parliament the previous November, and the law came into effect from 1st April 2001. The Parliament voted by a large majority for law reform, with opposition coming from primarily religious parties, although we should also note that many religious denominations supported the change, particularly independent and religious with progressive interpretations