The Netherlands: pioneer in gay marriage
On April 1, 2001, the Netherlands became the first nation in the world to approve same-sex marriage. According to the portal ‘El Universo’, by 2021 there were more than 19 thousand men and 21 thousand women united in marriage with a partner of the same sex in the European country.
Although a pioneer, the Netherlands is far from being a benchmark in terms of commitment to the LGBTIQ+ community. A great proof of this is that it ranks 13th in the Rainbow Europe index -list of countries where the rights of LGBTI people are well regulated- behind Malta and Belgium.
Spain
The country of the Iberian Peninsula of Europe was the fourth country in the world to legalize same-sex marriage, behind the Netherlands, Belgium, Holland and, for just a few hours, Canada. It became the first state in the world to allow homosexual couples to adopt.
United Kingdom
The late Queen Elizabeth II gave royal consent for same-sex marriage to be approved in 2013 by the British country. The initiative was initially promoted by former UK Prime Minister David Cameron and later approved by the British Parliament.
According to the portal ‘El Mundo’, Andrew Wale and Neil Allard were the first men to marry gay in the United Kingdom. British legislation not only allows homosexual marriage, but also approves homoparental adoption and, in addition, has anti-discrimination laws.
Added to the list of European countries that legalized same-sex marriage are some more such as Austria, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Luxembourg, Malta, Norway, Portugal, Sweden, Slovenia and Switzerland.
Canada
On July 20, 2005, Canada became the first country in the Americas to legally approve gay marriage through Bill C-38. In this, marriage is redefined as “a legal union between two people”, instead of “a legal union of a man and a woman”.
Mexico
According to the portal ‘As’, 26 of the 32 states of Mexico allow same-sex marriage. Mexico City was the first district to accept gay marriage in Aztec territory in 2009; while Jalisco was the last with 26 votes in favor and 8 against -in 2022-.
And Columbia?
The SU-214 ruling of 2016 marked a milestone in terms of the rights of homosexual couples, since it declared that civil marriages between people of the same sex celebrated after June 20, 2013 enjoy full legal validity, according to the Constitutional Court.
Jaime Moreno / TIME
This resolution came after the Constitutional Court on July 26, 2011 declared itself unable to change the laws that, at that time, defined marriage as the union of a man and a woman.
Other countries of the American continent
Through the Family Code, Cuba approved same-sex marriage and surrogacy in a referendum with historical numbers of votes against, according to ‘El Mundo’. Other countries that join the approval are Argentina, Brazil, Ecuador, Costa Rica, Chile and Uruguay.
Taiwan: the first in Asia
“Love has triumphed over hate and equality over discrimination,” said Annie Huang, then director of Amnesty International Taiwan, in a press release, once the Legislative Assembly of the Asian country approved equal marriage in 2019. .
And other Asian countries?
The rest of Asian countries have not legalized same-sex marriage. However, they have taken some steps in terms of sexual diversity. In 2018, for example, India decriminalized homosexuality, and in August 2022 Singapore announced that it would do the same.
Africa
30 countries prohibit homosexuality on the African continent, according to the ‘BBC’ channel. While in Mauritania, Somalia and Sudan, relationships between same-sex couples are punishable by death. South Africa is the only nation to legalize gay marriage since 2006.
Middle East
In countries like Iran, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, homosexual relationships are punished with more than just discrimination: they are punished with death, according to ‘BBC’. In Israel, for example, same-sex marriages are recognized in other countries but not within the nation.
Guillermo Ossa / THE TIME
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