Countries allow gay marriage
Countries Where Gay Marriage Is Legal
For many years, same-sex marriage has been a hot topic of endless debate. Supporters of same-sex marriage utter that a relationship and subsequent marriage between two people of the similar sex is natural and normal. These supporters think that a person does not choose to be gay and is instead born this way. Supporters also say that homosexual couples are just as capable as heterosexual couples when it comes to getting married, living together, and raising children.
On the flip side, there are people that are against gay marriage. These people may have religious views that tell them this is wrong. Others tell that same-sex relationships and marriage is abnormal and can have negative effects on children that are raised in a queer household.
However, there are still nations around the nature that outright ban queer marriage. Even if a wedding ceremony is performed, these couples are not recognized by the government as legally married. Not every country in the world is involved in the conversation surrounding homosexual marriage, but a massive percentage
Where Can Same Sex Couples Get Married?
Sixteen countries own so far authorised marriages between people of the same sex.
- NETHERLANDS: In April became the first nation in the world to legalise marriage equality. Includes the right to adoption.
- BELGIUM: same sex couples in Belgium won the right to marry in June and in April parliament voted into law a bill allowing same sex couples to adopt children.
- SPAIN: In July became the third member of the European Union to proceed a law to permit marriage equality. Gay and lesbian couples can adopt children.
- CANADA: The law allowing same sex couples to marry and adopt children came into force in July
- SOUTH AFRICA: In November became the first African country to legalise marriage equality.
- NORWAY: A January law allows same sex couples to marry and adopt children and permits lesbians to be artificially inseminated.
- SWEDEN: Sweden's same sex couples have been allowed to wed in religious or civil ceremonies since May
- PORTUGAL: Under a June 1, law Portugal legalised marriage equality, while excluding the right to adop
Marriage Equality Around the World
The Human Rights Campaign tracks developments in the legal recognition of same-sex marriage around the earth. Working through a worldwide network of HRC global alumni and partners, we lift up the voices of group, national and regional advocates and contribute tools, resources, and lessons learned to empower movements for marriage equality.
Current State of Marriage Equality
There are currently 38 countries where same-sex marriage is legal: Andorra, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Denmark, Ecuador, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malta, Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, the Together Kingdom, the Merged States of America and Uruguay.
These countries have legalized marriage equality through both legislation and court decisions.
Countries that Legalized Marriage Equality in
Liechtenstein: On May 16, , Liechtenstein's gove
6 Countries in Africa That Own Legalized Same-Sex Relationships in the Past 10 Years
Editor's note: This article was originally published on Feb. 25, and has been updated to include other countries across Africa that have legalised homosexual relationships since publication.
Nearly half of the countries worldwide where homosexuality is outlawed are in Africa, according to a global review by the International Lesbian, Homosexual, Bisexual, Trans, and Intersex Association (ILGA).
In fact, out of the 54 African states, only 22 of them have legalized homosexuality. In some countries it is punishable by imprisonment, while it is punishable by death in four — Mauritania, Nigeria (in states where sharia law is applied), Somalia, and South Sudan.
For the majority of African nations, anti-LGBTQIA+ laws date back to the colonial era. However, LGBTQIA+ communities sustain to face stigma, discrimination, and widespread threats and violence as a result of their sexual orientation and gender identities to this day.
In , South Africa became the first and rema