Spanish leaders favor gay weddings

MADRID, Oct. 1 (UPI) -- The Spanish government has approved a draft law to legalize same-sex marriages, it was reported Friday.

The bill gives homosexual couples the same rights as heterosexual couples, including the adoption of children, the BBC said.

If the bill is approved by Parliament, it will make Spain the third European Union country to authorize gay marriages. The government estimates around 10 percent of Spaniards are gay.

Opinion polls suggest the gay marriage proposal has public support, even though it is fiercely opposed by the Roman Catholic Church and conservatives. The issue of adoption further fueled the controversy, stiffening opposition from the church.