Countries that legalized same sex marriage in order
The First Countries to Legalize Gay Marriage
To some, same-sex marriage is considered immoral, while to others it is viewed as a basic, or even God-given, right. Regardless of one's stance, it cannot be argued that, for the same-sex couples living in the countries listed below, they must have considered their respective nations' passing through of legislation allowing them to be married, and those marriages to be fully recognized to be nothing short of a personal and national victory.
10. Argentina (July 2010)
In July of 2010, Argentina became the first Latin American country to legalize same-sex marriages, attributing Argentine gay people the same marital rights as the nation's heterosexuals. A long and taxing national debate preceded the decision, with the Senate finally voting 33 to 27 in favor of the law. One of the leading proponents of same-sex marriages was the President of the country, Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, who constantly fought for recognition of the rights of the homosexuals, though against the will of the Roman Catholic Church. The Church bore an extremely
Gay Marriage Around the World
A growing number of governments around the world are considering whether to grant legal recognition to same-sex marriages. So far, more than two dozen countries have enacted national laws allowing gays and lesbians to marry, mostly in Europe and the Americas. In Mexico, some jurisdictions allow same-sex couples to wed, while others do not.
Countries That Allow Gay Marriage
Countries Where Gay Marriage is Legal in Some Jurisdictions
Countries That Grant Gay Marriage
Australia (2017)
On Dec. 7, 2017, the Australian Parliament passed legislation allowing gay and lesbian couples to legally wed. Passage came just three weeks after Australians voted in favor of legalizing same-sex marriage, by a 62% to 38% margin, in a non-binding, nationwide referendum. Along with New Zealand, Australia became the second country in the Asia-Pacific region to to verb same-sex marriage legal.
Malta (2017)
Malta’s parliament almost unanimously voted to legalize same-sex marriage in July 2017, despite opposition from the Catholic Church on the petite Mediter
Marriage Equality Around the World
The Human Rights Campaign tracks developments in the legal recognition of same-sex marriage around the world. Working through a worldwide network of HRC global alumni and partners, we lift up the voices of community, 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 United Kingdom, the United States of America and Uruguay.
These countries have legalized marriage equality through both legislation and court decisions.
Countries that Legalized Marriage Equality in 2025
Liechtenstein: On May 16,
Countries Where Gay Marriage Is Legal 2025
For many years, same-sex marriage has been a hot topic of endless debate. Supporters of same-sex marriage say that a relationship and subsequent marriage between two people of the same sex is natural and normal. These supporters have faith that a person does not opt to be gay and is instead born this way. Supporters also utter that same-sex 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 contain religious beliefs that tell them this is wrong. Others say that same-sex relationships and marriage is abnormal and can have negative effects on children that are raised in a same-sex household.
However, there are still nations around the world that outright ban gay 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 deeply interested in the conversation surrounding gay marriage, but a immense perce