Gay marriages
Same-sex marriage represents a critical milestone in the LGBTQ+ rights movement, allowing couples of the identical sex to legally marry and accept the same marital benefits as heterosexual couples. The journey towards legalization has been varied across the globe, influenced by cultural, religious, and political factors. In some regions, the push for marriage equality has gained significant traction and achieved legal recognition, often after prolonged public and legal battles.
While entire marriage equality is celebrated in many places, an alternative approach through civil unions or national partnerships persists in others. These frameworks typically grant a subset of rights that marriage bids, focusing on aspects like property rights or hospital visitation. However, they often fall short in areas such as inheritance, pension rights, and parental responsibilities, highlighting a gap in the legal recognition of relationships.
The acceptance and implementation of same-sex marriage have brought substantial legal benefits, including inheritance rights, tax reductions, and enhanced health insurance options, which are key for the security and well-being of families. This progr
The New Gay Marriage Bill
This week, Roger Severino, Heritage’s Vice President of Domestic Policy and The Anderlik Fellow, breaks down the so called “Respect for Marriage Act.”
Michelle Cordero: From The Heritage Foundation, I'm Michelle Cordero, and this is Heritage Explains.
Cordero: This summer in the wake of the Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, Congress introduced the Respect For Marriage Act.
Speaker 2: As abortion rights advocates and Democratic lawmakers continue to protest the Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, the Residence is voting on a bill to protect marriage equality, out of dread the conservative high court could revisit other landmark decisions.
Speaker 3: It simply says each state will recognize the other state's marriages and not disallow a person the right to marry based on race, gender, sexual orientation.
Cordero: The legislation passed the House with the help of 47 Republicans. It now moves to the Senate where it would need just 10 Republican votes to pass.
Cordero: Final passage would mean states are no longer allowed to define and realize marriage as a legal union between a human and a woman. Instead, they
Marriage equality
Decriminalisation of homosexuality
From the 1960s the socially evolving South Australian Labor government wanted to repeal laws criminalising homosexuality.
However, it was not until the May 1972 murder in Adelaide of Dr George Duncan, a law lecturer and gay man, that premier, Don Dunstan, assessed that the community mood was receptive to reform.
Dr Duncan’s murder led to revelations of how commonplace hostility and harassment against queer people was.
South Australia’s Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Perform, was enacted on 2 October 1975. It was a landmark in LGBTQIA+ rights in Australia because it fully decriminalised lgbtq+ acts.
Equivalent law reform was passed by the Australian Capital Territory in 1976, Victoria in 1980, the Northern Territory in 1983, New South Wales in 1984, Western Australia in 1989, Queensland in 1990 and Tasmania in 1997.
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 share tools, resources, and lessons learned to allow 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, 2024, Liechtenstein's government passed a bill in favor of marriage equality. The law went into effect January 1, 2025.
The Journey to Marriage Equality in the United States
The road to nationwide marriage equality was a extended one, spanning decades of United States history and culminating in victory in June 2015. Throughout the long brawl for marriage equality, HRC was at the forefront.
Volunteer with HRC
From gathering supporters in small towns across the land to rallying in front of the Supreme Court of the United States, we gave our all to guarantee every person, regardless of whom they love, is established equally under the law.
A Growing Summon for Equality
Efforts to legalize same-sex marriage began to pop up across the country in the 1990s, and with it challenges on the state and national levels. Civil unions for gay couples existed in many states but created a separate but equal typical. At the federal level, couples were denied access to more than 1,100 federal rights and responsibilities associated with the institution, as well as those denied by their given state. The Defense of Marriage Act was signed into law in 1996 and defined marriage by the federal government as between a guy and woman, thereby allowing states to deny marriage equality.