NY Times: House of Commons brings legal same-sex marriage one step closer to reality in England and Wales. More Info:

The House of Commons voted overwhelmingly on Tuesday to approve a bill legalizing same-sex marriage in Britain, indicating that the bill is assured of passage as it moves through further legislative stages.

But in a major setback for Prime Minister David Cameron, who championed the bill, it appeared that more than half of the lawmakers in his Conservative Party voted against the measure or abstained.

The bill is now headed to the House of Lords, where it can be slowed by the filibuster and other such delaying tactics, but is widely expected to pass in the end thanks to overwhelming public support for the measure. Prime Minister Cameron has said he hopes to have the law in full effect by this summer.