Which countries allow same-sex marriage?
Since 2001, when the Netherlands became the first country to legalise marriage for same-sex couples, more and more countries have slowly followed suit.
Since 2001, 26 countries have changed their laws to give same-sex couples the right to marry. But with 195 countries in the world, there is a still a long way to go before all lesbians, where-ever they live in the world, achieve full marriage equality. Let's take a look at the countries who have changed their laws.
Netherlands - 2001
The Netherlands became the first country to legalize same-sex marriage when Parliament passed legislation allowing same-sex couples the right to marry, divorce and adopt children. They did this by just altering one sentence in their civil marriage statute to, "A marriage can be can be contracted by two people of different or the same sex".
Belgium - 2003
Same sex marriages were allowed from 2003 and, in 2006, the Belgium Parliament also granted same-sex partners the right to adopt children.
Canada - 2005
The Canadian Parliament passed legislation making same-sex marriage legal nationwide. In 2006, lawmakers defeated an effort by the ruling Conservative Party of Canada to reconsider the issue, leaving the law unchanged.
Spain - 2005
The new law added this to the existing marriage statute, “Marriage will have the same requirements and results when the two people entering into the contract are of the same sex or of different sexes.”
South Africa - 2006
Although legalized in 2006, the new law still allows for religious institutions and civil officers to refuse to conduct same-sex marriage ceremonies, a provision that critics claim violates the rights of same-sex couples under the constitution.
Norway - 2008
The law replaced the 1993 law for civil unions and allows same-sex couples to marry, adopt children and undergo artificial insemination
Sweden - 2009
The law allows same-sex couples to marry in both religious and civil ceremonies, but it does not require clergy to officiate at the ceremonies.
Iceland - 2010
When the new law took effect in late June 2010, the country’s prime minister, Johanna Sigurdardottir, wed her longtime partner, Jonina Leosdottir, becoming one of the first people to marry under the statute.
Portugal - 2010
Although it allows same-sex couples to marry, the new law does not allow them the right to adopt children.
Argentina 2010
The first Latin American country to legalise same-sex marriage, in spite of vigorous opposition from the Catholic and Protestant Churches. The law allows the same-sex couples who marry the same rights as heterosexual couples, including the right to adopt.
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Denmark - 2012
Denmark was the first country, in 1989, to allow same-sex couples to register as domestic partners.
The state church is now required to allow same-sex couples to marry in church but the clergy are not required to perform the wedding of these couples, if they do not wish.
Uruguay - 2013
Same-sex couples had already been given adoption rights in 2009, and, President Jose Mujica signed the new marriage bill in May 2010, making Uruguay the 2nd Latin America country to allow same-sex marriages.
New Zealand - 2013
New Zealand became the first country in the Asia-Pacific region to allow same-sex couples to marry.
The law, fully supported by Prime Minister John Key, includes full adoption rights.
France - 2013
Although the new law, which included full adoption rights, was supported by the majority of French adults, there has been several intense anti-gay marriage protests around the country. Spurred on by the Catholic Church.
Brazil - 2013
About half of Brazil's jurisdictions had already allowed same-sex marriage prior but in 2013 the National Council of Justice ruled that all same-sex couple should be allowed to marry.
However, there is some uncertainty to the future law as the Conservative Social Christian Party has taken an appeal against it to the Supreme Court.
England 2013
The new law in England, allowed same-couples to marry from March, 2014. However, the law prohibits same-sex weddings within the Church of England, which continues to define marriage as between one man and one woman.
Wales - 2013
The new law in Wales, allowed same-couples to marry from March, 2014. However, the law prohibits same-sex weddings within the Church of England, which continues to define marriage as between one man and one woman.
Scotland - 2014
In addition to allowing same-sex couples to marry, the new law gives churches and other religious groups the option of deciding whether or not they want to conduct such marriages.
Luxemborg - 2014
The law allowing same-sex couples to marry was championed by the country’s prime minister, Xavier Bettel, who is openly gay. The new law also allows same-sex couples to adopt.
Finland - 2015
The law began as a 'citizens initiative', a public petition with approximately 167,000 signatures.
Finland becomes the last of the five Nordic countries to legalize same-sex marriage, joining Denmark, Iceland, Norway and Sweden.
Ireland - 2015
Catholic-majority Ireland became the first country to legalize same-sex marriage through a referendum. More than 62% of Irish voters voted “yes” to amend the Constitution of Ireland to say that “marriage may be contracted in accordance with law by two persons without distinction as to their sex.”
United States - 2015
the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling rested on their interpretation of the 14th Amendment, and stated that limiting marriage only to heterosexual couples violates the amendment’s guarantee of equal protection under the law.
Greenland - 2015
The territory of Denmark was not subject to Denmark’s same-sex marriage law, so, the world's largest island's legislators in Greenland passed their own law legalizing same-sex marriage.
Columbia - 2016
The country’s Constitutional Court ruled that that “all people are free to choose independently to start a family in keeping with their sexual orientation … receiving equal treatment under the constitution and the law,”
Germany - 2017
On June 30, 2017, Germany became the 15th European country to enact legislation allowing same-sex couples to wed. even though Chancellor Angela Merkel formally opposes same-sex marriage.
Malta - 2017
Malta’s parliament almost unanimously voted to legalize same-sex marriage in July 2017, despite opposition from the Catholic Church on the small Mediterranean island
