Most recent country to legalize gay marriage
Japan: Groundbreaking same-sex marriage rulings a long-awaited victory for LGBTI rights
In response to today’s Sapporo Lofty Court and Tokyo District Court rulings that highlighted the Japanese government’s ban on same-sex marriage as unconstitutional, Amnesty International’s East Asia Researcher Boram Jang said:
“The court decisions today mark a significant step towards achieving marriage equality in Japan. The verdict in Sapporo, the first Elevated Court decision on same-sex marriage in the country, emphatically shows the trend towards acceptance of same-sex marriage in Japan.
“By knowing that the government’s ban on same-sex marriage is unconstitutional, these rulings make clear that such discrimination has no place in Japanese society.
“The Japanese government now needs to be proactive in moving towards the legalisation of same-sex marriage so that couples can fully enjoy the alike marriage rights as their heterosexual counterparts.
“The law passed by the government last year to ‘promote understanding’ of LGBTI people is not enough. There need to be concrete, legal measur
Marriage Equality Around the World
The Human Rights Campaign tracks developments in the legal recognition of same-sex marriage around the planet. Working through a worldwide network of HRC global alumni and partners, we lift up the voices of people, national and regional advocates and give 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 Joined 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
Where Europe stands on same-sex attracted marriage and civil unions
Note: For the latest numbers on same-sex marriages, interpret our June fact sheet.
More than 18 years after the Netherlands became the world’s first country to legalize same-sex marriage, Northern Ireland has become the latest European jurisdiction to allow gays and lesbians to marry. Although Northern Island is a constituent of the United Kingdom, with its own parliament at Stormont, the modify in its marriage laws ultimately came about due to action by the UK Parliament in London. British lawmakers justified the change (which was accompanied by the legalization of abortion) because the Northern Irish parliament was suspended in January amid a stalemate between Northern Ireland’s parties.
Northern Ireland is the 18th European jurisdiction to legalize gay marriage. This number counts England and Wales together and Scotland and Northern Ireland as separate entities, since gay marriage became legal in the UK due to the enactment of three different pieces of legislation: first in England and Wales in , then in Scotland the f
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 tell 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 queer 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 homosexual household.
However, there are still nations around the planet that outright ban same-sex attracted 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 lgbtq+ marriage, but a big percentage