Jersey’s parliament has voted down a law that would have legalised discrimination against same-sex couples.

Lawmakers had proposed an amendment to the country’s discrimination legislation that would hand traders the right to refuse goods and services to gay couples who were marrying based on “religious beliefs”. The measure was rejected by 40-5 Thursday after hours of parliamentary debate.

Pressure was piled on to legislators after more than 5,000 people signed a petition by charity Liberate to block the measure.

The British Crown Dependency approved same-sex marriage in 2015, but is yet to hold its first unions as the legislation is bogged down in amendments. The day’s debate heard emotional speeches from the island’s politicians against the proposed change – many asking why they had the right to approve discrimination against a minority group.

According to ITV reporter Gary Burgess, one politician even gave an apology for voting against same-sex marriage more than two years earlier. Read more via PinkNews