What are the countries where gay marriage is legal? The world is continuously evolving and while there were no countries allowing gay marriages just a few decades ago, there are now 21 countries where gay marriage is legal. People’s beliefs are changing and they are becoming more accepting on a global scale. Just 15 years ago gay marriage was considered to be absolutely -both morally and legally- wrong, but that is not the case anymore. It is an amazing thing, considering the number of gay people in the world, as evidenced in 10 Countries with the Biggest Gay Populations. This is evident from the fact that the United States Supreme Court recently legalized gay marriage as well. However, there is still a long way to go as most of the countries which have legalized gay marriages are located in either Europe or the Americas.
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The recent historic ruling led to us wondering whether the United States was the first country to legalize gay marriage. However, it’s not even close. In fact, it doesn’t even make the top 10! While there are 21 countries in the world where gay marriage is currently legal, we picked the first 11 countries which legalized gay marriage. Finland signed the law that legalized gay marriage this year but it takes effect in 2017. Ireland, Scotland, Luxembourg, Uruguay, New Zeland, France, England and Wales, and Brazil legalized same sex marriage in 2013 or later. Here are the 11 countries where gay marriage was legalized in 2012 or earlier:
11. Denmark
Month in which gay marriage was legalized: June 2012
There’s a reason Denmark is known as one of the happiest countries in the world and that is because of its progressive nature. Of course, this is hardly surprising from a country which legally recognized same sex couples via registered partnerships way back in 1989.
10. Argentina
Month in which gay marriage was legalized: July, 2010
Soon after Iceland, Argentina also proposed a bill to extend rights of marriage to same sex couple. This bill, which won the favor of Argentina’s president Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner, came into effect on July 22, 2010.
9. Iceland
Month in which gay marriage was legalized: June, 2010
Iceland took a different approach to the legalization of gay marriage. Instead of a separate law supporting it, the government simply changed the existing law to implement gender neutral marriage in the country.
8. Portugal
Month in which gay marriage was legalized: January, 2010
In January 2010, Portugal, which already had in place laws regarding same sex unions back in 1999, decided by a vast majority to approve the legalization of gay marriage in the country. However, work still needs to be done as laws regarding rights of adoption for same sex couples have been consistently rejected.
7. Sweden
Month in which gay marriage was legalized: May, 2009
Sweden became the seventh country to legalize gay marriage after a new law supporting gender neutral marriage was passed by the Parliament. Previously, Sweden had allowed registered partnerships for same sex couples as well.
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6. Norway
Month in which gay marriage was legalized: January, 2009
The first Scandinavian country to legalize gay marriage, Norway’s supportive stance has always been evident as evidenced by the fact that before the legalization of gay marriage, registered partnerships had been available for same sex couples, which could be converted into marriage after its legalization.
5. South Africa
Month in which gay marriage was legalized: November, 2006
The first and only African country in 11 countries where gay marriage is legal, the change came after the Constitutional Court decided that the current laws on marriage promoted inequality, leading to the parliament legalizing gay marriage in November 2006.
4. Spain
Month in which gay marriage was legalized: July, 2005
Spain’s President Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero began an earnest campaign in 2004 in order to convince the Parliament to legalize gay marriage. His campaign came to fruition in 2005 when the Parliament passed the relevant Bill, which was signed by the King of Spain as well.
3. Canada
Month in which gay marriage was legalized: July, 2005
Canada is considered to be one of the best companies to live in and with good reason. While its citizens had been challenging the illegality of gay marriage through numerous cases, it was the Civil Marriage Act, passed in July 2005, which legalized gay marriage across Canada much to the delight of its citizens.
2. Belgium
Month in which gay marriage was legalized: June, 2003
Belgium has always been famous as a tolerant country, and even before gay marriage was legalized, it allowed gay marriages for foreign couples if their country of origin also permitted it. Later, the Parliament passed a Bill legalizing gay marriage for all its citizens in 2003.
1. The Netherlands
Month in which gay marriage was legalized: April, 2001
The first country to legalize gay marriage, and hence the first of 11 countries where gay marriage is legal, The Netherlands began an investigation regarding the illegality of gay marriage back in 1995, leading to the Bill being passed in 2000 and coming into effect in 2001.
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