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LGBTQ marriage: Where is it legal and where is it not?

Breaking down the global status of same-sex marriage! Find out which countries support the LGBTQ+ community and which don’t. #samesexmarriage #LGBTQ+rights #globalmarriageequality
Stuart Gaffney (L) and John Lewis, plaintiffs in the 2008 Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) case, celebrate while traveling along Market Street during the annual Gay Pride Parade in San Francisco, California on June 28, 2015, two days after the US Supreme Court's landmark ruling legalizing same-sex marriage nationwide. AFP PHOTO / JOSH EDELSON (Photo credit should read Josh Edelson/AFP/Getty Images)

Same-sex marriage has come a long way since the Netherlands became the first country to legalize it in 2001. Today, 33 United Nations member states have legalized same-sex marriage, while 34 U.N. states have some other form of civil partnership for same-sex couples. In recent years, several countries have joined the list of nations legalizing same-sex marriage, including Andorra, Mexico, Cuba, and Slovenia. Andorra, in fact, just legalized same-sex marriage in 2023.

However, progress is not universal. In many African countries, having same-sex sexual relations is a crime that can lead to imprisonment or the death penalty. Only South Africa allows same-sex marriage on the continent. Gay marriage also remains hotly contested by many religious groups. In 2022, conservatives in the United Methodist Church formed a breakaway over the issue. The Anglican Church in 2023 said it would uphold a bar on gay marriage but indicated it would not penalize churches that have ignored the ruling.

Despite these challenges, a 2021 survey of 27 countries found that 54% of respondents supported the right of LGBTQ+ people to marry. The poll found a majority backed gay marriage in 16 countries, while only Russia and Malaysia had a majority in opposition. The fight for global marriage equality continues, but the progress made in recent years gives hope for a future where same-sex couples can marry and receive the same legal recognition as their heterosexual counterparts.

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