How different cultures in the world accept gay marriage
ILGA World maps are among the most shared visual representations of how LGBTIQ people are affected by laws and policies around the world.
The scope of our long-standing rights mapping has expanded thanks to the ILGA Nature Database. With that platform, ILGA maps have become interactive and constantly updated, to better cover sexual orientationrefers to a person’s capacity for profound emotional, affectional and sexual attraction to - and intimate and sexual relations with - individuals of a alternative gender or the matching gender or more than one gender. More, gender identityrefers to a person’s deeply felt internal and individual experience of gender, which may or may not correspond with the sex assigned at birth. More and expression, and sex characteristicsa term that refers to physical features relating to sex - including genitalia and other sexual and reproductive anatomy, chromosomes, hormones, and secondary physical features emerging from puberty. More (SOGIESCabbreviation standing for sexual orientation and gender identity & statement, and sex characteristics. More) issues globally.
Our LGBTIQ rights maps cover more than 100 topics, as well as how SOGIESCabbrev FacebookEmailXLinkedInRedditBlueskyWhatsAppCopy linkImpact Link This story is available exclusively to Business Insider subscribers. Become an Insider and start reading now.Have an account? . People fighting for queer marriage rights around the world have seen global support increase in recent years. Australia, Malta, and Germany legalized same-sex marriage in 2017, and Taiwan made history in 2019, becoming the first government in Asia to welcome legislation on marriage equality. Slovenia became the first post-communist country to legalize it on October 4, 2022, after the Constitutional Court of Slovenia overturned a prior ban on gay marriages in July, arguing that it violated the country's constitution. The court gave the Slovenian government six 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. 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 Merged Kingdom, the Merged States of America and Uruguay. These countries have legalized marriage equality through both legislation and court decisions. Liechtenstein: On May 16, 2024, Liechtenstein's government passed a bill in favor of marriage equality. The law went into effect January 1, 2025. Same-sex marriage represents a critical milestone in the LGBTQ+ rights movement, allowing couples of the matching sex to legally marry and get the same marital benefits as heterosexual couples. The journey towards legalization has been varied across the globe, influenced by cultural, religious, and political factors. In some regions, the push for marriage equality has gained significant traction and achieved legal recognition, often after prolonged public and legal battles. While entire marriage equality is celebrated in many places, an alternative approach through civil unions or national partnerships persists in others. These frameworks typically grant a subset of rights that marriage suggestions, focusing on aspects like property rights or hospital visitation. However, they often fall short in areas such as inheritance, pension rights, and parental responsibilities, highlighting a gap in the legal recognition of relationships. The acceptance and implementation of same-sex marriage have brought substantial legal benefits, including inheritance rights, tax reductions, and enhanced health insurance options, which are key for the security and well-being of families. This progr June 26 marks the fifth anniversary of gay marriage being legalized across the entire Combined States. To commemorate this milestone in LGBTQ history, we are taking a observe at countries around the world that have officially legalized same-sex marriage. Nearly 30 out of 195 countries have passed laws allowing gay marriage, according to the Pew Analyze Center. Below is a timeline for the countries where same-sex marriage is officially legal. The year marks when the law was first enacted in that country. The state became the first in the world to legalize same-sex marriage. The accompanying year, four couples married in the world’s first same-sex wedding in 2001. [Associated Press] Three years after the new statute was enacted, the country’s parliament granted same-sex couples the right to adopt in 2006. [Pew Study Center] The nation's traditional definition of civil marriage was changed to contain the union between queer couples. [Pew Research Center] The new law gave same-sex couples all of the same marital and adoption righThe 32 countries around the world where same-sex marriage is legal
Marriage Equality Around the World
Current State of Marriage Equality
Countries that Legalized Marriage Equality in 2025
Here are the countries where same-sex marriage is officially legal
2000: The Netherlands
2003: Belgium
2005: Canada
2005: Spain