Same-sex union legislation


is legal in the following countries: Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Costa Rica, Denmark, Ecuador, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Luxembourg, Malta, Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Taiwan, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Uruguay.
Same-sex marriage is recognized, but not performed, in Israel. Furthermore, same-sex marriages performed in the Netherlands are recognized in Aruba, Curaçao and Sint Maarten.
Whether same-sex couples should be allowed to marry has been and remains the topic of debate worldwide. 32 countries and four jurisdictions worldwide have passed constitutional amendments that explicitly prohibit the legal recognition of same-sex marriage and sometimes other forms of legal unions as well. 15 countries and 34 jurisdictions worldwide have authorized civil unions or unregistered cohabitation for same-sex couples as an alternative to marriage. The legal name of those unions as well as the number of rights that they provide can vary greatly.

Legislative efforts to recognise same-sex unions

National level

The first legislation of unregistered cohabitation was introduced in the Netherlands in June 1979. However, the first substantial recognition of same-sex couples didn't occur before the introduction of a new legal form, that of registered partnerships, which was first enacted in Denmark in June 1989. Many countries have followed with similar legislation since then. Legislation of these forms of legal unions still occur with a variety of different names, even after the introduction of same sex marriage, although sometimes they are overwritten by subsequent legislation of same-sex marriage.
There are currently 14 countries that have an alternative form of legal recognition other than marriage on a national level. Those are Andorra, Chile, Croatia, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Greece, Hungary, Israel, Italy, Liechtenstein, San Marino, Slovenia and Switzerland.
As of, legislation to allow an alternative form of legal recognition of same-sex couples other than marriage is pending, or has passed at least one legislative house on a national level in Lithuania, the Philippines, and Thailand.
As of, same-sex marriage has been legal in Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Costa Rica, Denmark, Ecuador, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Luxembourg, Malta, Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Taiwan, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Uruguay.
As of, legislation to allow same-sex marriage is pending, or has passed at least one legislative house on a national level in Andorra, Chile, the Czech Republic, Japan, and Switzerland.
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Sub-national level

In countries with a federal system of governance, states and territories often may grant recognition to same-sex couples in their own jurisdictions, although unitary states with a level of devolution, such as Spain or the United Kingdom, also offer such legalities to local authorities. The first jurisdiction to enact unregistered cohabitation was British Columbia in Canada in July 1992. The first jurisdiction to legalize registered partnership was Greenland as part of the Kingdom of Denmark in April 1996. Finally, the first sub-national jurisdiction to legalize same-sex marriage was the Canadian province of Ontario in June 2003.
As of, there are 58 jurisdictions worldwide that have legalized some kind of alternative form of legal union of same-sex couples other than marriage. Those are two prefectures of Japan, seven special wards of Tokyo, fourteen designated cities of Japan, nine core cities of Japan, two special cities of Japan, eighteen cities of Japan, three towns of Japan, Aruba, a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, and the Mexican state of Tlaxcala.
For the time being, seventy-five jurisdictions worldwide have legalized same-sex marriage. Those are:
As of, legislation to allow same-sex marriage is pending or has passed at least one legislative house in Curaçao, a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, and the Mexican states of Durango, Guanajuato, México, Querétaro and Veracruz.
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Constitutional efforts to prohibit same-sex unions

Thirty-two countries, one Mexican state and three British Overseas Territories have passed constitutional amendments banning a variety of same-sex unions. These amendments have taken several forms. Some are limited to banning only marriage. Others ban marriage and prohibit legislation providing "similar rights".

National level

was the first country to prohibit same-sex marriage in July 1962. Paraguay, Honduras and Bolivia are the only cases that not only marriage is prohibited but also de facto unions. Vietnam, Cuba and Ecuador, repealed their same-sex marriage bans in November 2013, April 2019, and June 2019, respectively.
As of, thirty-three countries prohibit same-sex marriage on a national level. Those are Armenia, Belarus, Bolivia, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cambodia, the Central African Republic, Croatia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Dominican Republic, Georgia, Honduras, Hungary, Jamaica, Kenya, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Montenegro, Palau, Paraguay, Poland, Russia, Rwanda, Serbia, Slovakia, South Sudan, Uganda, Ukraine, Venezuela and Zimbabwe.
As of, legislation to ban same-sex marriage is pending, or has passed at least one legislative house on a national level in the Czech Republic, and Panama.
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Sub-national level

The first jurisdiction to explicitly ban same-sex marriage in its Constitution was the U.S. state of Alaska in November 1998, however, same-sex marriage was legalised in the state in October 2014. The first jurisdiction to enact such a ban and still has it enforced is Yucatán, in July 2009, but since August 2010 the state recognize same-sex marriages performed in Mexico.
As of, four jurisdictions worldwide have constitutional bans on same-sex marriage. Those are three British Overseas Territories, the Cayman Islands, Montserrat, the Turks and Caicos Islands, and the Mexican state of Yucatán.
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