Gay Marriage

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"Marriage equality" redirects here. For other uses, see Marriage equality (disambiguation).

Legal recognition of same-sex relationships
[hide]Marriage
Argentina
Belgium
Brazil
Canada
Denmark1
France
Iceland
Netherlands2

New Zealand†3
Norway
Portugal
South Africa
Spain
Sweden
Uruguay†

Performed in some jurisdictions
Mexico: DF, QR
United States: CT, DC, DE†, IA, MA, MD, ME, MN†, NH, NY, RI†, VT, WA, 3 tribal jurisdictions

Recognized, not performed
Aruba, Curaçao, St Maarten (NL only)
Israel
Mexico (when performed in Mexico)
United States: CA (conditional)

[show]Civil unions and registered partnerships
[show]Unregistered cohabitation
[show]See also
† Not yet in effect
1 Not in the Faroe Islands or Greenland
2 Not in Aruba, Curaçao or St Maarten
3 Not in Tokelau, Niue or the Cook Islands
LGBT portal v t e

LGBT flag
Same-sex marriage (also known as gay marriage) is marriage between two persons of the same biological sex and/or gender identity. Legal recognition of same-sex marriage or the possibility to perform a same-sex marriage is sometimes referred to as marriage equality or equal marriage, particularly by supporters.[1][2][3][4][5][6]
The first laws in modern times enabling same-sex marriage were enacted during the first decade of the 21st century. As of May 2013, thirteen countries (Argentina, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Denmark,[nb 1] France, Iceland, Netherlands,[nb 2] Norway, Portugal, Spain, South Africa, Sweden), and several sub-national jurisdictions (parts of Mexico and the United States), allow same-sex couples to marry. Uruguay and New Zealand[nb 3] have both enacted laws to legalize same-sex marriage which will come into force in August 2013.[7][8] Bills allowing legal recognition of same-sex marriage have been proposed, are pending, or have passed at least one legislative house in Andorra, England and Wales, Finland, Germany, Ireland, Luxembourg, Nepal, Scotland, and Taiwan, as well as in parts of Australia, Mexico, and the United States.
Introduction of same-sex marriage laws has varied by jurisdiction, being variously accomplished through a legislative change to marriage laws, a court ruling based on constitutional guarantees of equality, or by direct popular vote (via a ballot initiative or a referendum). The recognition of same-sex marriage is a political, social, human rights and civil rights issue, as well as a religious issue in many nations and around the world, and debates continue to arise over whether same-sex couples should be allowed marriage, be required to hold a different status (a civil union), or be denied recognition of such rights. Allowing same-gender couples to legally marry is considered to be one of the most important of all LGBT rights.
Same-sex marriages can be performed in a secular civil ceremony or in a religious setting. Various faith communities around the world support allowing same-sex couples to marry or conduct same-sex marriage ceremonies; for example: Quakers, U.S. Episcopalians, the Metropolitan Community Church, the United Church of Christ, the United Church of Canada, Buddhism in Australia, Reform and Conservative Jews, Wiccans, Druids, Unitarian Universalists, and Native American religions with a two-spirit tradition, as well as various progressive and modern Christian, Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, and Jewish groups and various minor religions and other denominations.
Studies conducted in several Western countries indicate that support for the legal recognition of same-sex marriage increases with higher levels of education and that support is strong among younger people. Additionally, polls in various Western countries show that there is rising support for legally recognizing same-sex marriage across race, ethnicity, age, religion, political affiliation, ash socioeconomic status.[9][10]
Contents [hide]
1 Summary
1.1 Timeline
2 Issues
2.1 Parenting
2.1.1 Adoption
2.1.2 Surrogacy and IVF treatment
2.2 Organizations
2.3 Health
2.4 Divorce
3 Transgender and intersex persons
4 Studies and polling
5 History
5.1 Ancient
5.2 Medieval
5.3 Modern
6 Current status
6.1 Legal recognition
6.1.1 Argentina
6.1.2 Belgium
6.1.3 Brazil
6.1.4 Canada
6.1.5 Denmark
6.1.6 France
6.1.7 Iceland
6.1.8 Israel
6.1.9 Mexico
6.1.10 Netherlands
6.1.11 New Zealand
6.1.12 Norway
6.1.13 Portugal
6.1.14 South Africa
6.1.15 Spain
6.1.16 Sweden
6.1.17 United States
6.1.18 Uruguay
6.2 Subject debated
6.2.1 Australia
6.2.2 China
6.2.3 Colombia
6.2.4 Finland
6.2.5 Germany
6.2.6 Ireland
6.2.7 Luxembourg
6.2.8 Nepal
6.2.9 Nigeria
6.2.10 Taiwan
6.2.11 Turkey
6.2.12 United Kingdom
6.2.13 Vietnam
6.3 International organizations
7 Other legally recognized same-sex unions
8 Religion
9 Controversies
9.1 Terminology
9.2 Judicial and legislative
10 Same-sex marriages in fiction
11 Books
12 See also
12.1 Religion
12.2 Historical
12.3 Documentaries and literature
13 Notes
14 References
15 Bibliography
16 External links
Summary

Marriage open to same-sex couples Recognized or performed in limited circumstances High court has ruled in favor, but not yet implemented Government has announced intention to legalize Same-sex marriage not legally recognized
The introduction of same-sex marriage has varied by jurisdiction, resulting from legislative changes to marriage laws, court challenges based on constitutional guarantees of equality, or legalization by voters through referendums and ballot initiatives. The recognition of same-sex marriages is a civil rights, equality, human rights, political, social, moral, and religious issue in many nations. Debates arise over whether same-sex couples should be allowed to enter into marriage, be required to use a different status (such as a civil union, which either grant equal rights as marriage or limited rights in comparison to marriage), or not have any such rights.[11][12][13] Same-sex marriage can provide LGBT taxpayers with government services and make financial demands on them comparable to those afforded to and required of male-female married couples. Same-sex marriage also gives them legal protections such as inheritance and hospital visitation rights.[14]
Thirteen countries (Argentina, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Denmark,[nb 1] France, Iceland, the Netherlands,[nb 2] Norway, Portugal, Spain, South Africa, Sweden) allow same-sex couples to marry nationwide, while New Zealand[nb 3] and Uruguay will allow it from August 2013. Same-sex marriages are also performed in parts of the United States and Mexico. Jurisdictions that do not perform same-sex marriage but recognize it when performed elsewhere include Israel, Aruba, Curaçao and Sint Maarten, and Mexico. Australia recognizes same-sex marriages only if one partner has had gender reassignment therapy.[15]
Some analysts state that financial, psychological and physical well-being are enhanced by marriage, and that children of same-sex couples benefit from being raised by two parents within a legally recognized union supported by society 's institutions.[16][17][18][19][20][21][22] Court documents filed by American scientific associations also state that singling out gay men and women as ineligible for marriage both stigmatizes and invites public discrimination against them.[23] The American Anthropological Association avers that social science research does not support the view that either civilization or viable social orders depend upon not recognizing same-sex marriage.[24]
Some organizations have described same-sex marriage as a universal human rights issue, equality before the law,[25] and an important result of and cause for normalizing LGBT relationships.[26][27][28] Several authors attribute opposition to same-sex marriage as coming from homophobia[29][30][31][32] or heterosexism and liken prohibitions on same-sex marriage to past prohibitions on interracial marriage between blacks and whites.[33]
Timeline
2001 Netherlands (1 April)
2002 (none)
2003 Belgium (1 June), Ontario (10 June), British Columbia (8 July)
2004 Quebec (19 March), Massachusetts (17 May), Yukon (14 July), Manitoba (16 September), Nova Scotia (24 September), Saskatchewan (5 November), Newfoundland (21 December)
2005 New Brunswick (23 June), Spain (3 July), Canada [national] (20 July)
2006 South Africa (30 November)
2007 (none)
2008 California (16 June; discontinued 5 November), Connecticut (12 November)
2009 Norway (1 January), Iowa (27 April), Sweden (1 May), Coquille Indian Tribe [Oregon] (May), Vermont (1 September)
2010 New Hampshire (1 January), District of Columbia (3 March), Mexico City (4 March), Portugal (5 June), Iceland (27 June), Argentina (22 July)
2011 New York (24 July), Suquamish Tribe [Washington] (1 August)
2012 Alagoas (6 January), Quintana Roo (May), Denmark (15 June), Sergipe (15 July), Espírito Santo (15 August), Caribbean Netherlands (10 October), Bahia (26 November), Brasilia (1 December), Washington (6 December), Piauí (15 December), Maine (29 December)
2013 Maryland (1 January), São Paulo (16 February), Ceará & Odawa [Michigan] (15 March), Paraná (26 March), Mato Grosso do Sul (2 April), Rondônia (26 April), Santa Catarina & Paraíba (29 April), Brazil [national] (14 May), France (18 May), Delaware (1 July), Uruguay, Minnesota & Rhode Island (1 August), New Zealand (19 August)
In progress England and Wales, Faroe Islands, Luxembourg, Nepal, Scotland
Issues

Lesbian married couple in San Francisco
Parenting
Main articles: LGBT parenting and Same-sex marriage and the family
Scientific literature indicates that parents ' financial, psychological and physical well-being is enhanced by marriage and that children benefit from being raised by two parents within a legally recognized union (either a opposite-sex or same-sex union). As a result, professional scientific associations have argued for same-sex marriage to be legally recognized as it will be beneficial to the children of same-sex couples.[20][21][22][34][35][36]
Scientific research has been generally consistent in showing that lesbian and gay parents are as fit and capable as heterosexual parents, and their children are as psychologically healthy and well-adjusted as children reared by heterosexual parents.[21][36][37][38] According to scientific literature reviews, there is no evidence to the contrary.[39][40][41][42]
Adoption
Main article: LGBT adoption
Same-sex marriage can remove legal obstacles to the adoption of children by lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) persons. Adoption can take the form of a joint adoption by a same-sex couple or adoption by one member of a same-sex couple of the other 's biological child (step-parent adoption). All countries which allow same-sex marriage also allow joint adoption, with the exception of Portugal. In addition, several countries which do not have marriage equality nonetheless permit joint adoption: Brazil; most of the United Kingdom; Uruguay; Western Australia, NSW, and Canberra within Australia; Coahuilla in Mexico; a number of US states (Rhode Island, New Jersey, California, Indiana, Florida, Arkansas, Illinois, Oregon, Hawaii, Nevada, Delaware, and Guam); and in at least a few cases, Israel.
Surrogacy and IVF treatment
Main article: Assisted reproductive technology
A gay or bisexual man has the option of surrogacy, the process in which a woman bears a child for another person through artificial insemination or carries another woman 's surgically implanted fertilized egg to birth. A lesbian or bisexual woman has the option of artificial insemination.[43][44]
Organizations

A same-sex wedding ceremony on June 2006.
The American Psychological Association stated in 2004:[16]
The institution of civil marriage confers a social status and important legal benefits, rights, and privileges. ... Same-sex couples are denied equal access to civil marriage. ... Same-sex couples who enter into a civil union are denied equal access to all the benefits, rights, and privileges provided by federal law to married couples ... The benefits, rights, and privileges associated with domestic partnerships are not universally available, are not equal to those associated with marriage, and are rarely portable ... Denial of access to marriage to same-sex couples may especially harm people who also experience discrimination based on age, race, ethnicity, disability, gender and gender identity, religion, and socioeconomic status ... the APA believes that it is unfair and discriminatory to deny same-sex couples legal access to civil marriage and to all its attendant benefits, rights, and privileges.
The American Sociological Association stated in 2004:[19]
... a constitutional amendment defining marriage as between a man and a woman intentionally discriminates against lesbians and gay men as well as their children and other dependents by denying access to the protections, benefits, and responsibilities extended automatically to married couples ... we believe that the official justification for the proposed constitutional amendment is based on prejudice rather than empirical research ... the American Sociological Association strongly opposes the proposed constitutional amendment defining marriage as between a man and a woman.
The Canadian Psychological Association stated in 2006:[21]
The literature (including the literature on which opponents to marriage of same-sex couples appear to rely) indicates that parents ' financial, psychological and physical well-being is enhanced by marriage and that children benefit from being raised by two parents within a legally-recognized union. As the CPA stated in 2003, the stressors encountered by gay and lesbian parents and their children are more likely the result of the way society treats them than because of any deficiencies in fitness to parent. The CPA recognizes and appreciates that persons and institutions are entitled to their opinions and positions on this issue. However, CPA is concerned that some are mis-interpreting the findings of psychological research to support their positions, when their positions are more accurately based on other systems of belief or values. CPA asserts that children stand to benefit from the well-being that results when their parents ' relationship is recognized and supported by society 's institutions.
The American Anthropological Association stated in 2005:[24]
The results of more than a century of anthropological research on households, kinship relationships, and families, across cultures and through time, provide no support whatsoever for the view that either civilization or viable social orders depend upon marriage as an exclusively heterosexual institution. Rather, anthropological research supports the conclusion that a vast array of family types, including families built upon same-sex partnerships, can contribute to stable and humane societies.
The American Academy of Pediatrics concluded in 2006, in an analysis published in the journal Pediatrics:[39]
There is ample evidence to show that children raised by same-gender parents fare as well as those raised by heterosexual parents. More than 25 years of research have documented that there is no relationship between parents ' sexual orientation and any measure of a child 's emotional, psychosocial, and behavioral adjustment. These data have demonstrated no risk to children as a result of growing up in a family with 1 or more gay parents. Conscientious and nurturing adults, whether they are men or women, heterosexual or homosexual, can be excellent parents. The rights, benefits, and protections of civil marriage can further strengthen these families.
The United Kingdom 's Royal College of Psychiatrists has stated:[45]
... lesbian, gay and bisexual people are and should be regarded as valued members of society who have exactly similar [sic] rights and responsibilities as all other citizens. This includes ... the rights and responsibilities involved in a civil partnership ...
Health
In 2010, a Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health study examining the effects of institutional discrimination on the psychiatric health of lesbian, gay and bisexual (LGB) individuals found an increase in psychiatric disorders, including a more than doubling of anxiety disorders, among the LGB population living in states that instituted bans on same-sex marriage. According to the author, the study highlighted the importance of abolishing institutional forms of discrimination, including those leading to disparities in the mental health and well-being of LGB individuals. Institutional discrimination is characterized by societal-level conditions that limit the opportunities and access to resources by socially disadvantaged groups.[46][47]
Gay activist Jonathan Rauch has argued that marriage is good for all men, whether homosexual or heterosexual, because engaging in its social roles reduces men 's aggression and promiscuity.[48][49] The data of current psychological and other social science studies on same-sex marriage in comparison to opposite-sex marriage indicate that same-sex and opposite-sex relationships do not differ in their essential psychosocial dimensions; that a parent 's sexual orientation is unrelated to their ability to provide a healthy and nurturing family environment; and that marriage bestows substantial psychological, social, and health benefits. Same-sex couples and their children are likely to benefit in numerous ways from legal recognition of their families, and providing such recognition through marriage will bestow greater benefit than civil unions or domestic partnerships.[39][50]
In 2009, a pair of economists at Emory University tied the passage of state bans on same-sex marriage in the US to an increase in the rates of HIV infection.[51][52] The study linked the passage of a same-sex marriage ban in a state to an increase in the annual HIV rate within that state of roughly 4 cases per 100,000 population.[53]
Divorce
Main article: Divorce of same-sex couples
Transgender and intersex persons

See also: Transsexualism, Legal aspects of transsexualism, and Gender identity
When sex is defined legally, it may be defined by any one of several criteria: the XY sex-determination system, the type of gonads, the type of external sexual features, or the person 's social identification. Consequently, both transsexuals and intersexed individuals may be legally categorized into confusing gray areas, and could be prohibited from marrying partners of the "opposite" sex or permitted to marry partners of the "same" sex due to legal distinctions. This could result in long-term marriages, as well as recent same-sex marriages, being overturned.
The problems of defining gender by the existence/non-existence of gonads or certain sexual features is complicated by the existence of surgical methods to alter these features. Estimates[54] run as high as 1 percent of live births exhibiting some degree of sexual ambiguity, and between 0.1% and 0.2% of live births being ambiguous enough to become the subject of specialist medical attention, including sometimes involuntary surgery to address their sexual ambiguity.[55]
In any legal jurisdiction where marriages are defined without distinction of a requirement of a male and female, these complications do not occur. In addition, some legal jurisdictions recognize a legal and official change of gender, which would allow a transsexual to be legally married in accordance with an adopted gender identity.[56]
In the United Kingdom, the Gender Recognition Act 2004 allows a person who has lived in their chosen gender for at least two years to receive a gender recognition certificate officially recognizing their new gender. Because in the UK marriages are for mixed-sex couples and civil partnerships are for same-sex couples, a person must dissolve his/her marriage or civil partnership before obtaining a gender recognition certificate. Such persons are then free to enter or re-enter civil partnerships or marriages in accordance with their newly recognized gender identity. In Austria, a similar provision requiring transsexual persons to divorce before having their legal sex marker corrected was found to be unconstitutional in 2006.[57]
In Quebec prior to the legalization of same-sex marriage, only unmarried persons could apply for legal change of gender. With the advent of same-sex marriage, this restriction was dropped. A similar provision including sterilization also existed in Sweden, but was phased out in 2013.
In the United States, transsexual and intersexual marriages typically run into similar complications. As definitions and enforcement of marriage are defined by the states, these complications vary from state to state.[58]
Studies and polling

Numerous polls and studies on the issue have been conducted, including those that were completed throughout the first decade of the 21st century. A consistent trend of increasing support for same-sex marriage has been revealed across the world. Much of the research that was conducted in developed countries in the first decade of the 21st century shows a majority of people in support of same-sex marriage. Support for legal gay marriage has increased across every age group, political ideology, religion, gender, race and region of various developed countries in the world.[59][60][61][62][63]
Recent polling in the United States has shown a further increase in the American public 's support for same-sex marriage. When adults were asked in 2005 if they thought "marriages between homosexuals should or should not be recognized by the law as valid, with the same rights as traditional marriages", 28 percent replied in the affirmative, while 68 percent replied in the negative (the remaining 4 percent stated that they were unsure). When adults were asked in March 2013 if they supported or opposed same-sex marriage, 50 percent said they supported same-sex marriage, while 41 percent were opposed, and the remaining 9 percent stated that they were unsure.[64]
Various detailed polls and studies on same-sex marriage that were conducted in several countries show that support for same-sex marriage generally increases with higher levels of education, and that younger people are more likely to support legalization than older generations.[65][66][67][68][69]
History

Main articles: History of same-sex unions and Timeline of same-sex marriage
Ancient

Constructs such as ibid., loc. cit. and idem are discouraged by Wikipedia 's style guide for footnotes, as they are easily broken. Please improve this article by replacing them with named references (quick guide), or an abbreviated title. (June 2013)
An example of egalitarian male domestic partnership from the early Zhou Dynasty period of China is recorded in the story of Pan Zhang & Wang Zhongxian. While the relationship was clearly approved by the wider community, and was compared to heterosexual marriage, it did not involve a religious ceremony binding the couple.[70]
Same-sex marital practices and rituals were recognized in Mesopotamia.[71] Some ancient religious Assyrian texts contain prayers for divine blessings on homosexual relationships.[72][73] The Almanac of Incantations contained prayers favoring on an equal basis the love of a man for a woman and of a man for man.[74][75]
The first historical mention of the performance of same-sex marriages occurred during the early Roman Empire.[76] These were usually reported in a critical or satirical manner.[77] Emperor Elagabalus referred to his chariot driver, a blond slave from Caria named Hierocles, as his husband.[78] He also married an athlete named Zoticus in a lavish public ceremony in Rome amidst the rejoicings of the citizens.[79][80]
The first Roman emperor to have married a man was Nero, who is reported to have married two other men on different occasions. His first marriage was with one of his freedmen, Pythagoras, to whom Nero took the role of the bride. Later, as a groom, Nero married a young boy who resembled one of his concubines.[81] named Sporus in a very public ceremony with all the solemnities of matrimony, and lived with him as his spouse. A friend gave the "bride" away as required by law. The marriage was celebrated separately in both Greece and Rome in extravagant public ceremonies.[82]
It should be noted, however, that conubium existed only between a civis Romanus and a civis Romana (that is, between a male Roman citizen and a female Roman citizen), so that a marriage between two Roman males (or with a slave) would have no legal standing in Roman law (apart, presumably, from the arbitrary will of the emperor in the two aforementioned cases).[83] Furthermore, according to Susan Treggiari, "matrimonium is an institution involving a mother, mater. The idea implicit in the word is that a man takes a woman in marriage, in matrimonium ducere, so that he may have children by her."[84] Still, the lack of legal validity notwithstanding, there is a consensus among modern historians that same-sex relationships existed in ancient Rome, but the exact frequency and nature of "same-sex unions" during that period is obscure.[85]
In 342 AD Christian emperors Constantius II and Constans issued a law in the Theodosian Code (C. Th. 9.7.3) prohibiting same-sex marriage in Rome and ordering execution for those so married.[86]
Medieval
A same-sex marriage between the two men Pedro Díaz and Muño Vandilaz in the Galician municipality of Rairiz de Veiga in Spain occurred on 16 April 1061. They were married by a priest at a small chapel. The historic documents about the church wedding were found at Monastery of San Salvador de Celanova.[87]
Modern
In 2001, the Netherlands became the first nation in the world to grant same-sex marriages.[88] Same-sex marriages are also granted and mutually recognized by Belgium (2003),[89] Spain (2005), Canada (2005), South Africa (2006), Norway (2009), Sweden (2009), Portugal (2010),[90] Iceland (2010), Argentina (2010), Denmark (2012), Brazil (2013) and France (2013). In Mexico, same-sex marriage is recognized in all 31 states but only performed in Mexico City and in Quintana Roo State. In Nepal, their recognition has been judicially mandated but not yet legislated.[91] In the United States, twelve states and the District of Columbia permit same sex marriage, beginning with Massachusetts in 2004 and Connecticut in 2008.[92][93]
Current status

Main articles: Status of same-sex marriage and Same-sex union legislation
Legal recognition
Same-sex marriage is legally recognized nationwide in Argentina, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Denmark,[nb 1] France, Iceland, the Netherlands,[nb 2] Norway, Portugal, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, and Uruguay. In the United States, same-sex marriages are not recognized federally, though same-sex couples can marry in nine of the fifty states and Washington D.C. In Mexico, same-sex marriages are only performed in Mexico City and Quintana Roo, but these marriages are recognized by all Mexican states and by the Mexican federal government.[94] Israel does not recognize same-sex marriages performed on its territory, but recognizes same-sex marriages performed in foreign jurisdictions.

Homosexuality legal Same-sex marriage Marriage recognized but not performed Other type of partnership (or unregistered cohabitation) Same-sex unions not recognized
Homosexuality illegal De jure penalty that is de facto not enforced Minimal penalty Heavy penalty Up to life in prison Death penalty
Rings indicate local or case-by-case application. v t e
Argentina
Main article: Same-sex marriage in Argentina
On 15 July 2010, the Argentine Senate approved a bill extending marriage rights to same-sex couples. It was supported by the Government of President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner and opposed by the Catholic Church.[95] Polls showed that nearly 70% of Argentines supported giving gay people the same marital rights as heterosexuals.[96] The law came into effect on 22 July 2010.
Belgium
Main article: Same-sex marriage in Belgium
Belgium became the second country in the world to legally recognize same-sex marriages when a bill passed by the Belgian Federal Parliament took effect on 1 June 2003. Originally, Belgium allowed the marriages of foreign same-sex couples only if their country of origin also allowed these unions, however legislation enacted in October 2004 permits any couple to marry if at least one of the spouses has lived in the country for a minimum of three months. A 2006 statute legalized adoption by same-sex spouses.
Brazil
Main article: Same-sex marriage in Brazil
Brazil 's Supreme Court ruled in May 2011 that same-sex couples are legally entitled to civil unions, stopping short of same-sex marriage.[97] Same-sex couples had their civil unions converted into marriage in several Brazil states with the approval of a state judge. If approved, that marriage is recognized in all the national territory.[98] In November 2012, the Court of Bahia legalized same-sex marriage in the state of Bahia.[99][100] In December 2012, the state of São Paulo legalized same-sex marriage.[101] Same-sex marriage is also legal in Alagoas, Ceará, Espírito Santo, Federal District, Mato Grosso do Sul, Paraíba, Paraná,Piauí, Rondônia, Santa Catarina, and Sergipe.
On 14 May 2013, The Justice 's National Council of Brazil issues a ruling requiring all civil register of the country to perform same-sex marriages by a 14-1 vote, thus legalizing same-sex marriage in the entire country.[102][103][104] The resolution came into effect on 16 May 2013.[105][106]
Canada

A Canadian couple on their wedding day.
Main article: Same-sex marriage in Canada
Legal recognition of same-sex marriage in Canada followed a series of constitutional challenges based on the equality provisions of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. In the first such case, Halpern v. Canada (Attorney General), same-sex marriage ceremonies performed in Ontario on 14 January 2001 were subsequently validated when the common law, opposite-sex definition of marriage was held to be unconstitutional. Similar rulings had legalized same-sex marriage in eight provinces and one territory when the 2005 Civil Marriage Act defined marriage throughout Canada as "the lawful union of two persons to the exclusion of all others."
Denmark
Main article: Same-sex marriage in Denmark
On 7 June 2012, the Folketing (Danish parliament) approved new laws regarding same-sex civil and religious marriage. These laws permit same-sex couples to get married in the Church of Denmark. The bills received Royal Assent on 12 June and took effect on 15 June 2012.[107] Denmark was previously the first country in the world to legally recognize same-sex couples through registered partnerships in 1989.[108][109]
France
Main article: Same-sex marriage in France
Following the election of François Hollande as President of France in May 2012 and the subsequent legislative election in which the Socialist party took a majority of seats in the French National Assembly, the new Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault stated that a same-sex marriage bill has been drafted and would be passed.[110] The government introduced a bill to legalize same-sex marriage, Bill 344, in the National Assembly on 17 November 2012. Article 1 of the bill defining marriage as an agreement between two people was passed on 2 February 2013 in its first reading by a 249–97 vote. On 12 February 2013, the National Assembly approved the entire bill in a 329–229 vote.[111]
On 12 April 2013, the upper house of the French parliament voted to legalise gay marriage.[112] On 23 April 2013 the law was approved by the National Assembly in a 331-225 vote.[113]
Following the announcement of the French parliament 's vote results, those in opposition to the legalisation of same-sex marriage in France participated in public protests. In both Paris and Lyon, violence erupted as protesters clashed with police; the issue has mobilised right-wing forces in the country, including neo-Nazis.[114]
The main right-wing opposition party UMP challenged the law in the Constitutional Council, which had one month to rule on whether the law conformed to the Constitution. The Constitutional Council had previously ruled that the issue of same-sex marriage was one for the legislature to decide [115] and there was only little hope for UMP to overturn the parliament 's vote.
On 17 May 2013, the Constitutional Council declared the Bill legal in its entire redaction. President Hollande signed it into law on 18 May 2013.[116]
Iceland
Main article: Same-sex marriage in Iceland
Same-sex marriage was introduced in Iceland through legislation establishing a gender-neutral definition of marriage introduced by the coalition government of the Social Democratic Alliance and Left-Green Movement. The legislation was passed unanimously by the Icelandic Althing on 11 June 2010, and took effect on 27 June 2010, replacing an earlier system of registered partnerships for same-sex couples.[117][118] Prime Minister Jóhanna Sigurðardóttir and her partner were among the first married same-sex couples in the country.[119]
Israel
Main article: Same-sex marriage in Israel
Israel 's High Court of Justice ruled to honor same-sex marriages granted in other countries even though Israel does not recognize such marriages performed under its own jurisdiction. A bill was raised in the Knesset (parliament) to rescind the High Court 's ruling, but the Knesset has not advanced the bill since December 2006. A bill to legalize same-sex and interfaith civil marriages was defeated in the Knesset, 39–11, on 16 May 2012.[120]
Mexico
Main articles: Same-sex marriage in Mexico City and Same-sex marriage in Quintana Roo
On 21 December 2009, the Federal District 's Legislative Assembly legalized same-sex marriages and adoption by same-sex couples. The law was enacted eight days later and became effective in early March 2010.[121] On 10 August 2010, the Mexican Supreme Court ruled that while not every state must grant same-sex marriages, they must all recognize those performed where they are legal.[122]
On 28 November 2011, the first two same-sex marriages occurred in Quintana Roo after it was discovered that Quintana Roo 's Civil Code did not explicitly prohibit same-sex marriage,[123] but these marriages were later annulled by the governor of Quintana Roo in April 2012.[124] In May 2012, the Secretary of State of Quintana Roo reversed the annulments and allowed for future same-sex marriages to be performed in the state.[125]
Netherlands
Main article: Same-sex marriage in the Netherlands
The Netherlands was the first country to extend marriage laws to include same-sex couples, following the recommendation of a special commission appointed to investigate the issue in 1995. A same-sex marriage bill passed the House of Representatives and the Senate in 2000, taking effect on 1 April 2001.[126]
In the Netherlands ' Caribbean special municipalities of Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba, marriage is open to same-sex couples. A law enabling same-sex couples to marry in these municipalities passed and came into effect on 10 October 2012.[127] The Caribbean countries Aruba, Curaçao and Sint Maarten, forming the remainder of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, do not perform same-sex marriages, but must recognize those performed in the Netherlands proper.
New Zealand
Main article: Same-sex marriage in New Zealand
On 14 May 2012, Labour Party MP Louisa Wall stated that she would introduce a private member 's bill, the Marriage (Definition of Marriage) Amendment Bill, allowing same-sex couples to marry.[128] The bill was submitted to the members ' bill ballot on 30 May 2012.[129] It was drawn from the ballot and passed the first and second readings on 29 August 2012 and 13 March 2013, respectively.[130][131] The final reading passed on 17 April 2013 by 77 votes to 44.[132][133] The bill received Royal Assent from the Governor-General on 19 April and will take effect on 19 August 2013.[8][134]
Norway
Main article: Same-sex marriage in Norway
Same-sex marriage became legal in Norway on 1 January 2009 when a gender neutral marriage bill was enacted after being passed by the Norwegian legislature in June 2008.[135][136] Norway became the first Scandinavian country and the sixth country in the world to legalize same-sex marriage.
Gender neutral marriage replaced Norway 's previous system of registered partnerships for same-sex couples. Couples in registered partnerships are able to retain that status or convert their registered partnership to a marriage. No new registered partnerships may be created.
Portugal
Main article: Same-sex marriage in Portugal
On 8 January 2010, the parliament approved, with 126 votes in favor, 97 against and 7 abstentions, same-sex marriage. The President promulgated the law on 8 April, same-sex marriage become legal since 5 June 2010, thus Portugal became the eighth country to conduct nationwide same-sex marriage.
South Africa
Main article: Same-sex marriage in South Africa

Same-sex wedding in South Africa, 2007
Legal recognition of same-sex marriages in South Africa came about as a result of the Constitutional Court 's decision in the case of Minister of Home Affairs v Fourie. The court ruled on 1 December 2005 that the existing marriage laws violated the equality clause of the Bill of Rights because they discriminated on the basis of sexual orientation. The court gave Parliament one year to rectify the inequality. The Civil Union Act was passed by the National Assembly on 14 November 2006, by a vote of 230 to 41. It became law on 30 November 2006. South Africa is the fifth country, the first in Africa, and the second outside Europe, to legalize same-sex marriage.
Spain
Main article: Same-sex marriage in Spain
Same-sex marriage has been legal in Spain since 3 July 2005. In 2004, the nation 's newly elected Socialist government, led by President José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, began a campaign for its legalization, including the right of adoption by same-sex couples.[137] After much debate, a law permitting same-sex marriage was passed by the Cortes Generales (Spain 's bicameral parliament, composed of the Senate and the Congress of Deputies) on 30 June 2005 and published on 2 July 2005. Same-sex marriage became legal in Spain on Sunday, 3 July 2005,[138] making it the third country in the world to do so, after the Netherlands and Belgium.
Sweden
Main article: Same-sex marriage in Sweden
Same-sex marriage in Sweden has been legal since 1 May 2009, following the adoption of a new, gender-neutral law on marriage by the Swedish parliament on 1 April 2009, making Sweden the seventh country in the world to open marriage to same sex couples nationwide. Marriage replaced Sweden 's registered partnerships for same-sex couples. Existing registered partnerships between same-sex couples remained in force with an option to convert them into marriages.[139][140]
United States
Main articles: Same-sex marriage in the United States and Same-sex marriage legislation in the United States

Laws regarding same-sex partnerships in the United States Same-sex marriages granted＊ Unions granting rights similar to marriage÷ Legislation granting limited/enumerated rights No specific prohibition or recognition of same-sex marriages or unions State statute bans same-sex marriage State constitution bans same-sex marriage÷ State constitution bans same-sex marriage and some or all other kinds of same-sex unions
÷ California also recognizes all marriages which predate a November 2008 vote and continues to grant civil unions, see same-sex marriage in California for details.
＊Includes three states with laws taking effect later this year (July 1: DE; August 1: RI & MN). v t e

A rally at a Unitarian church advocating marriage equality in the state of New Jersey. The blue banner reads "Say 'I Do ' to Marriage Equality".
Although same-sex marriages are not recognized by the federal government of the United States, same-sex couples can legally marry in nine states (Connecticut, Iowa, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Vermont, Maine, Maryland and Washington), the District of Columbia, and several Native American tribes, and receive state-level benefits.[141][142][143] A further three states (Delaware, Minnesota and Rhode Island) have enacted same-sex marriage laws which have not yet come into force. The state of New Jersey does not license same-sex marriages, but recognizes same-sex marriages performed in other jurisdictions, as does California in some cases, particularly those established when the state briefly allowed same-sex marriage in 2008. Also, several states offer civil unions or domestic partnerships, granting all or part of the state-level rights and responsibilities of marriage.[144] Thirty-one states have constitutional restrictions limiting marriage to one man and one woman.[145]
The U.S. Congress passed the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) in 1996, defining marriage for the first time solely as a union between a man and a woman for all federal purposes, and allowing states to refuse to recognize such marriages created in other states.[146] Citizens for Equal Protection v. Bruning (2005), holding that prohibiting recognition of same-sex relationships violated the Constitution, was overturned on appeal by the U.S. Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals in 2006, which ruled that "laws limiting the state-recognized institution of marriage to heterosexual couples ... do not violate the Constitution of the United States." The Washington Supreme Court, also in 2006, concluded that encouraging procreation within the framework of marriage can be seen as a legitimate government interest furthered by limiting marriage to between opposite-sex couples.[147]
In 2010, the U.S. District Court for Northern California ruled in Perry v. Schwarzenegger that evidence did not show any historical purpose for excluding same-sex couples from marriage, as states have never required spouses to have an ability or willingness to procreate in order to marry.[148] Since then, eight federal courts have found that DOMA violates the U.S. Constitution in issues including bankruptcy, public employee benefits, estate taxes, and immigration.[149][150][151] Striking down Section 3 of DOMA in Windsor v. United States (2012), the 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals became the first court[152] to hold sexual orientation to be a quasi-suspect classification, and determined that laws that classify people on such basis should be subject to intermediate scrutiny.[153] Currently, four other cases, including Windsor, are awaiting a response for review in the U.S. Supreme Court.[154]
President Barack Obama announced on 9 May 2012 that "I think same-sex couples should be able to get married"[155][156][157] Obama also supports the full repeal of DOMA,[158] and called the state constitutional bans on same-sex marriage in California (2008)[159] and North Carolina (2012) unnecessary.[160] In 2011, the Obama Administration concluded that DOMA was unconstitutional and directed the U.S. Justice Department (DOJ) to stop defending the law in court.[161] Subsequently, Eric Cantor, Republican majority leader in the U.S. House of Representatives, announced that the House would defend DOMA. The law firm hired to represent the House soon withdrew from defending the law, requiring the House to retain replacement counsel.[162] In the past two decades, public support for same-sex marriage has steadily increased,[59] and polls indicate that more than half of Americans support same-sex marriage.[59][163][164] Voters in Maine, Maryland and Washington approved same-sex marriage by referendum on 6 November 2012.[165]
In December 2012, the U.S. Supreme Court announced it will rule on the federal lawsuit that seeks to overturn California 's ban on same-sex marriage. This is because in August 2010, Proposition 8 was found unconstitutional by U.S. District Judge Vaughn Walker. That ruling was appealed and later upheld by a federal appeals court in February 2012. Proposition 8 proponents then appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court. Same-sex couples in California are not allowed to legally marry until the Proposition 8 federal lawsuit is resolved.[166]
A poll conducted in 2013 showed a record high of 58% of the American people supporting legal recognition for same-sex marriage.[167][168]
Uruguay
Main article: Same-sex marriage in Uruguay
Uruguay 's Chamber of Deputies passed a bill on 12 December 2012, to extend marriage rights to same-sex couples.[169] The Senate passed the bill on 2 April 2013, but with minor amendments. On 10 April 2013, the Chamber of Deputies passed the amended bill by a two-thirds majority (71–22). The president promulgated the law on 3 May 2013 and it takes effect on 1 August.[7]
Subject debated
Australia
Main article: Recognition of same-sex unions in Australia
Australia currently bans recognition of same-sex marriages, although as of 2011 the federal Labor Party government officially changed its position to allow a conscience vote on same-sex marriage despite Prime Minister Julia Gillard 's opposition to such a vote.[170] The Liberal Party is opposed to same-sex marriage, and its leader Tony Abbott said he will block a conscience vote on the issue.[171]
In February 2010, the Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young 's Marriage Equality Bill was rejected by the Senate.[172] Senator Hanson-Young re-introduced the bill to the Senate in September 2010. The bill will sit on a notice paper until the major parties agree to a conscience vote on it.[173] A Greens motion urging federal MPs to gauge community support for same-sex marriage was passed by the House of Representatives on 18 November 2010.[174]
The Australian Capital Territory is the first jurisdiction in Australia to legalise civil partnerships ceremonies for same-sex couples. However, they are not recognised in Australian jurisdictions outside of that territory. Registered partnerships are available in New South Wales, Tasmania, Queensland and Victoria. From 1 July 2009 Centrelink recognised same-sex couples equally regarding social security – under the common-law marriage, de facto status or unregistered cohabitation.[175]
In September 2010 Tasmania became the first Australian state to recognise same-sex marriages performed in other jurisdictions, though only as de facto status.[176]
On 19 September 2012, a bill before the The Australian House of Representatives to legalize same-sex marriage was defeated 42 to 98 votes.[177]
China
Main article: Recognition of same-sex unions in the People 's Republic of China
The Marriage Law of the People 's Republic of China explicitly defines marriage as the union between one man and one woman. No other form of civil union is recognized. The attitude of the Chinese government towards homosexuality is believed to be "three nos": "No approval; no disapproval; no promotion." The Ministry of Health officially removed homosexuality from its list of mental illnesses in 2001.
Li Yinhe, a sociologist and sexologist well known in the Chinese gay community, has tried to legalize same-sex marriage several times, including during the National People 's Congress in 2000 and 2004 (Legalization for Same-Sex Marriage 《中国同性婚姻合法化》 in 2000 and the Same-Sex Marriage Bill 《中国同性婚姻提案》 in 2004). According to Chinese law, 35 delegates ' signatures are needed to make an issue a bill to be discussed in the Congress. Her efforts failed due to lack of support from the delegates. A government spokesperson, when asked about Li Yinhe 's proposal, said that same-sex marriage was still too "ahead of its time" for China. He argued that same-sex marriage was not recognized even in many Western countries, which are considered much more liberal in social issues than China.[178] This statement is understood as an implication that the government may consider recognition of same-sex marriage in the long run, but not in the near future.
Colombia
Main article: Recognition of same-sex unions in Colombia
On 26 July 2011, the Constitutional Court of Colombia ordered the Congress to pass the legislation giving same-sex couples similar rights to marriage by 20 June 2013. If such a law is not passed by then, same-sex couples will be granted these rights automatically.[179][180]
In October 2012 Senator Armando Benedetti introduced a bill legalizing same-sex marriage. It initially only allowed for civil unions, but he amended the text.[181] The Senate 's First Committee approved the bill on 4 December 2012.[182][183] On 24 April 2013, the bill was defeated in the full Senate on a 51–17 vote.[184]
Finland
Main article: Recognition of same-sex unions in Finland
In 2010, Minister of Justice Tuija Brax said her Ministry was preparing to amend the Marriage Act to allow same-sex marriage by 2012.[185] On 27 February 2013, the bill was rejected by the Legal Affairs Committee of the Finnish Parliament by 9 to 8. A citizens ' initiative was launched on 19 March 2013 to put the issue before Parliament.[186] The initiative gathered the required number of 50,000 signatures of Finnish citizens in just one day, and had exceeded 107,000 signatures on the citizens ' initiative website of the Ministry of Justice by the time of its reporting by the media. The citizens ' initiative overrides the committee 's decision, and thus the bill must now be considered by the Parliament.[187]
Germany
Main article: Recognition of same-sex unions in Germany
In June 2011, Germany faced a vote on same-sex marriage. The issue was opened by the senate of the city-state of Hamburg, and would be voted on in the Federal Bundesrat.[citation needed]
On 28 June 2012, a Green Party motion to allow parity for same-sex couples for tax purposes and adoption was defeated in the Federal Diet of Germany.[188]
On 22 March 2013 the Bundesrat passed an initiative to open marriage to same-sex couples, which now moves onto the Bundestag for approval.[189]
Ireland
Main article: Recognition of same-sex unions in the Republic of Ireland
Ireland made civil partnerships for same-sex couples legal in January 2011.[190][191] The present Government of Ireland established a Constitutional Convention in December 2012 tasked with considering wide-ranging changes to the Irish constitution, and one of the issues the Convention will address and make recommendations to the Government on is same-sex marriage.[192] On 14 April 2013 the Convention voted in favour of same-sex marriage by a margin of 79 percent.[193] The Government has pledged to respond publicly to recommendations arising from the Convention and will indicate a date for referendum where it is considered necessary.[194]
A 2012 poll revealed that nearly three-quarters of the Irish public favour amending the Irish constitution to allow same-sex couples to legally marry.[195]
Luxembourg
Main article: Recognition of same-sex unions in Luxembourg
The current government of Luxembourg intends to legalize same-sex marriage.[196]
Nepal
Main article: Same-sex marriage in Nepal
In November 2008, Nepal 's highest court issued final judgment on matters related to LGBT rights, which included permitting same-sex couples to marry. Same-sex marriage and protection for sexual minorities were to be included in the new Nepalese constitution required to be completed by 31 May 2012.[197][198] However, the legislature was unable to agree on the constitution before the deadline and was dissolved after the Supreme Court ruled that the term could not be extended.[199]
Nigeria
Main article: Same-sex marriage in Nigeria
In 2006, Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo introduced legislation that prohibits same-sex marriages and criminalizes anyone who "performs, witnesses, aids or abets" such ceremonies.[200] Among the Igbo people of Nigeria, there are circumstances where a marriage between two women is allowed, such as when a woman has no child and the husband dies.[201]
Taiwan
Main article: Same-sex marriage in the Republic of China
The Taipei High Administrative Court has asked for advice from the country 's Council of Grand Justices on legally recognizing the marriage application of a gay couple.[202]
Turkey
In the process of rewriting the Turkish constitution, the opposition party BDP called for the liberalization of marriage policies to include same-sex marriage. The largest opposition party in the Turkish parliament, CHP, supported the idea. The largest party in the parliament, the AKP, opposes same-sex marriage, although Premier Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, the leader of the AKP, supported full equal rights for LGBT citizens in 2002, the year he launched his party. In response to a request from BDP, a parliamentary discussion of same-sex marriage is anticipated when all political parties gather in committees to establish a new constitution.[203][204] In a poll of Turkish attitudes towards sexuality, 3.6% of Turks supported same-sex marriages.[205]
United Kingdom
Main article: Same-sex marriage in the United Kingdom
Since 2005 same-sex couples have been allowed to enter into civil partnerships, a separate union which provides the legal consequences of marriage. In 2006 the High Court rejected a legal bid by a British lesbian couple who had married in Canada to have their union recognised as a marriage in the UK and not as a civil partnership. In September 2011, the Coalition government announced its intention to introduce same-sex civil marriage by the next general election.[206] In June 2012 the UK government completed a consultation to allow both religious same-sex ceremonies and civil marriage for same-sex couples in England and Wales with the intention of legalising same-sex marriage at some point by 2015.[207] On 5 February 2013, the House of Commons debated the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Bill and approved it in a 400–175 vote at the second reading.[208] The third reading took place on 21 May 2013, and was approved by 366 votes to 161.[209]
The Scottish Government conducted a three month long consultation which ended on 9 December 2011 and the analysis was published in July 2012.[210] Unlike the consultation held in England and Wales, Scotland considered both civil and religious same-sex marriage. Whilst the Scottish Government is in favour of same-sex marriage, it stated that no religious body would be forced to hold such ceremonies once legislation is enacted.[211] The consultation received more than 77,000 responses, and in July the Scottish Cabinet announced plans to introduce legislation to legalise both civil and religious same-sex marriage.[212]
Vietnam
Main article: Same-sex marriage in Vietnam
In Vietnam, currently only a marriage between a man and a woman is recognized. Vietnam 's Ministry of Justice began seeking advice on legalizing same-sex marriage from other governmental and non-governmental organizations in April and May 2012, and planned to further discuss the issue at the National Assembly in Spring 2013.[213] However, in February 2013, the Ministry of Justice requested that the National Assembly avoid action until 2014.[214] At a hearing to discuss marriage law reforms in April 2013, deputy minister of health Nguyen Viet Tien proposed that same-sex marriage be made legal immediately.[215]
The Vietnamese government abolished an administrative fine imposed on same-sex weddings in 2013.[216]
International organizations
The terms of employment of the staff of international organizations (not commercial) in most cases are not governed by the laws of the country where their offices are located. Agreements with the host country safeguard these organizations ' impartiality.
Despite their relative independence, few organizations recognize same-sex partnerships without condition. The agencies of the United Nations recognize same-sex marriages if and only if the country of citizenship of the employees in question recognizes the marriage.[217] In some cases, these organizations do offer a limited selection of the benefits normally provided to opposite-sex married couples to de facto partners or domestic partners of their staff, but even individuals who have entered into an opposite-sex civil union in their home country are not guaranteed full recognition of this union in all organizations. However, the World Bank does recognize domestic partners.[218]
Other legally recognized same-sex unions

Main article: Civil union

Many advocates, such as this protester at a demonstration in New York City against California Proposition 8, reject the notion of civil unions, describing them as inferior to the legal recognition of same-sex marriage.[219]
Civil union, civil partnership, domestic partnership, registered partnership, unregistered partnership, and unregistered cohabitation statuses offer varying legal benefits of marriage and are available to same-sex couples in: Andorra, Australia, Brazil, Colombia, Croatia, Czech Republic, Finland, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Israel, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Slovenia, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom.[220][221]
They are also available in parts of Mexico (Coahuila and Mexico City) and the United States (California, Hawaii, Illinois, New Jersey, Nevada, Oregon, and Wisconsin.[222][223] In some countries with these legal recognitions, the actual benefits are minimal. Many people consider civil unions, even those that grant equal rights, inadequate because they create a separate status, and believe they should be replaced by gender-neutral marriage.[224]
Religion

Main article: Religious views on same-sex marriage
Arguments on both sides of the same-sex marriage debate are still often made on religious grounds and/or formulated in terms of religious doctrine. One source of controversy is whether same-sex marriage affects freedom of religion.[225][226][227][228][229] Some religious organizations may refuse to provide employment, public accommodations, adoption services and other benefits to same-sex couples.[230] Some governments include freedom of religion provisions in marriage equality laws.[231]
The world 's largest religions vary widely in their views on same-sex marriage. For example, among larger Christian denominations the Roman Catholic Church 's official position is to oppose same-sex marriage,[232] as does the Orthodox Church, some Protestant churches, a majority of Muslims,[233] Hindu nationalists, and Orthodox Jews. Buddhism is considered to be ambivalent on the subject as a whole.[234] On the other hand, many churches and denominations, including a number of progressive and liberal Christians,[235] Muslims,[236] Buddhists,[237] Jews, and Hindus, as well as modern Hindu communities[238] and Buddhism in Australia[239] support same-sex marriage. Some smaller religions, as well as Humanism, are also considered to be supportive.[240]
Controversies

See also: LGBT rights opposition
While few societies have recognized same-sex unions as marriages, the historical and anthropological record reveals a large range of attitudes towards same-sex unions ranging from praise, to sympathetic toleration, to indifference, to prohibition. Opponents of same-sex marriages have argued that recognition of same-sex marriages would erode religious freedoms,[225] and that same-sex marriage, while doing good for the couples that participate in them and the children they are raising, undermines a right of children to be raised by their biological mother and father.[241] Some supporters of same-sex marriages take the view that the government should have no role in regulating personal relationships,[242] while others argue that same-sex marriages would provide social benefits to same-sex couples.[243] The debate regarding same-sex marriages includes debate based upon social viewpoints as well as debate based on majority rules, religious convictions, economic arguments, health-related concerns, and a variety of other issues.
Terminology
Anthropologists have struggled to determine a definition of marriage that absorbs commonalities of the social construct across cultures around the world.[244][245] Many proposed definitions have been criticized for failing to recognize the existence of same-sex marriage in some cultures, including in more than 30 African cultures, such as the Kikuyu and Nuer.[245][246][247]
With several countries revising their marriage laws to recognize same-sex couples in the 21st century, all major English dictionaries have revised their definition of the word marriage to either drop gender specifications or supplement them with secondary definitions to include gender-neutral language or explicit recognition of same-sex unions.[248][249] The Oxford English Dictionary has recognized same-sex marriage since 2000.[250]
Alan Dershowitz and others have suggested reserving the word marriage for religious contexts as part of privatizing marriage, and in civil and legal contexts using a uniform concept of civil unions, in part to strengthen the separation between church and state.[251] Jennifer Roback Morse, the president of the anti-same-sex marriage group National Organization for Marriage 's Ruth Institute project,[252] claims that the conflation of marriage with contractual agreements is a threat to marriage.[253]
Some proponents of legal recognition of same-sex marriage, such as Freedom to Marry and Canadians for Equal Marriage, use the terms marriage equality and equal marriage to indicate that they seek equal benefit of marriage laws as opposed to special rights.[254][255]
Opponents of same-sex marriage such as The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, and the Southern Baptist Convention use the term traditional marriage to mean marriages between one man and one woman.[256][257][258] Anti-same-sex-marriage activist Maggie Gallagher argues that equating same-sex and opposite-sex marriages changes the meaning of marriage and its traditions.[259]
Some publications that oppose same-sex marriage, such as WorldNetDaily and Baptist Press, have an editorial style policy of placing the word marriage in scare quotes ("marriage") when it is used in reference to same-sex couples.[citation needed] In the United States, the mainstream press has generally abandoned this practice.[260] Cliff Kincaid of the conservative Accuracy in Media argues for use of quotation marks on the grounds that marriage is a legal status denied same-sex couples by most state governments.[261] Same-sex marriage supporters argue that the use of scare quotes is an editorialization that implies illegitimacy.[262]
Associated Press style recommends the usages marriage for gays and lesbians or in space-limited headlines gay marriage with no hyphen and no scare quotes. The Associated Press warns that the construct gay marriage can imply that marriages of same-sex couples are somehow legally different from those of opposite-sex couples.[263][264]
Judicial and legislative
Main article: Conflict of marriage laws#Same-sex marriage
There are differing positions regarding the manner in which same-sex marriage has been introduced into democratic jurisdictions. A "majority rules" position holds that same-sex marriage is valid, or void and illegal, based upon whether it has been accepted by a simple majority of voters or of their elected representatives.[265] In contrast, a civil rights view holds that the institution can be validly created through the ruling of an impartial judiciary carefully examining the questioning and finding that the right to marry regardless of the gender of the participants is guaranteed under the civil rights laws of the jurisdiction.[266]
Same-sex marriages in fiction

Same-sex marriages and relationships have been a theme in several fictional story arcs, mythology, cult classics, and video games. Same-sex marriage is possible in an increasing number of modern video games including: Fable II,[267] The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim,[268] Fallout 2,[269] and The Sims 3.[270]
While there is very little mention of homosexuality in the official works of the Star Trek franchise, the independent fan series Star Trek: Hidden Frontier featured a same-sex marriage ceremony in the series finale.[271]
Caprica, a spin-off series within the Battlestar Galactica saga and primary setting of the series features Sam Adama, a prominent character who is married to another man.[272]
In issue #51 of the Astonishing X-Men comic series, the superhero Jean-Paul Beaubier marries his partner Kyle Jinadu, making him the first superhero in a mainstream comic book to have a same-sex marriage.[273]
Same-sex marriages have also been depicted, usually in a positive light in modern times, in US television shows including The Simpsons, Family Guy, Modern Family, Queer as Folk, and The New Normal.[274][275]
Books

Bible, Gender, Sexuality: Reforming the Church’s Debate on Same-Sex Relationships by James V. Brownson ( Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2013)
See also

Family law
Homosexuality
Same-sex union legislation
LGBT rights by country or territory
Civil union
Marriage rights and obligations
Marriage, unions and partnerships by country
Religion
Blessing of same-sex marriages and same-sex unions in Christian churches
Religion and sexuality
Same-sex marriage and Judaism
The Bible and homosexuality
Historical
Adelphopoiesis ("brother-making")
The Leveret Spirit
Documentaries and literature
A Union in Wait
Freedom to Marry
Marriage Equality USA
Marriage Under Fire
Pursuit of Equality
The Gay Marriage Thing
Notes

^ a b c Excluding the Faroe Islands and Greenland.
^ a b c Excluding Aruba, Curaçao and St Maarten.
^ a b Excluding Tokelau, Niue and the Cook Islands.
References

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^ Kefalas, Chrysovalantis P. (28 October 2012). "Marriage equality and the golden rule". The Washington Post.
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^ Ring, Trudy (December 2012). "Newt Gingrich: Marriage Equality Inevitable, OK". The Advocate. "He [Newt Gingrich] noted to HuffPo that he not only has a lesbian half-sister, LGBT rights activist Candace Gingrich, but has gay friends who 've gotten married in Iowa, where their unions are legal. Public opinion has shifted in favor of marriage equality, he said, and the Republican Party could end up on the wrong side of history if it continues to go against the tide."
^ a b "Desde el 1° de agosto se podrán celebrar matrimonios gay" [Gay marriages may be celebrated from 1 August]. El Pais (in Spanish). 6 May 2013.
^ a b "August 19 wedding date for same-sex couples". 3 News NZ. 23 April 2013.
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^ Ibid, 465
^ Gay Rights Or Wrongs: A Christian 's Guide to Homosexual Issues and Ministry, by Mike Mazzalonga, 1996, p.11
^ The Nature Of Homosexuality, Erik Holland, page 334, 2004
^ Bullough, p. 53
^ Ibid, 468.
^ Boswell, John (1995). Same-sex unions in premodern Europe. New York: Vintage Books. pp. 80–85. ISBN 0-679-75164-5.
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^ Cassius Dio, Roman History LXXIX.30
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^ Scarre, Chris (1995). Chronicles of the Roman Emperors. London: Thames and Hudson Ltd. p. 151. ISBN 0-500-05077-5.
^ Nero missed her so greatly after her death that on learning of a woman who resembled her he at first sent for her and kept her; but later he caused a boy of the freedmen, whom he used to call Sporus, ... "he formally "married" Sporus, and assigned the boy a regular dowry according to contract;" q.v., Suetonius Nero 28; Dio Cassius Epitome 62.28 Old Translation of passage at:http://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Cassius_Dio/62*.html
^ Dio Cassius Epitome 62.28, 62.13. Old Translation of passage at: http://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Cassius_Dio/62*.html
^ Corbett, The Roman Law of Marriage (Oxford, 1969), pp. 24–28; Treggiari, Roman Marriage (Oxford, 1991), pp. 43–49.; "Marriages where the partners had conubium were marriages valid in Roman law (iusta matrimonia)" [Treggiari, p. 49]. Compare Ulpian (Tituli Ulpiani 5.3–5: "Conubium is the capacity to marry a wife in Roman law. Roman citizens have conubium with Roman citizens, but with Latins and foreigners only if the privilege was granted. There is no conubium with slaves"; compare also Gaius (Institutionum 1:55–56, 67, 76–80).
^ Treggiari, Roman Marriage (Oxford, 1991), p. 5.
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^ CNJ obriga cartórios a converterem união estável gay em casamento
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^ {{{litigants}}} No. 75934-1, p. 41 (Supreme Court of the State of Washington 26 July 2006).
^ Perry v. Schwarzenegger, No. 09-2292, p. 54 (United States District Court for the Northern District of California 4 August 2010).
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Also see
Golinski v. Office of Personnel Management
Gill v. Office of Personnel Management
Massachusetts v. United States Department of Health and Human Services
Pedersen v. Office of Personnel Management
Windsor v. United States
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^ "Barack Obama on LBGT Rights". Retrieved 5 November 2010.
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^ DECISION C-577/11 The homosexuals have the right to form a family
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^ (Spanish) "Matrimonio gay" empieza a ser tramitado en Senado
^ Gay marriage bill passes first hurdle
^ (Spanish) Por primera vez una comisión del Congreso aprueba el matrimonio gay
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^ Some examples of religious organizations voicing their support for marriage equality include Metropolitan Community Church, the United Church of Christ, the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), the Episcopal Church of the United States, the Anglican Church of Canada, the Evangelical Lutheran Church In America and the Unitarian Universalist church
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Voices from the pagan census — Page 79
The Oxford Handbook of New Religious Movements — Page 383
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^ Dale Carpenter is a prominent spokesman for this view. For a better understanding of this view, see Carpenter 's writings at http://www.indegayforum.org/staff/show/91.html.
^ Fedorak, Shirley A. (2008). Anthropology matters!. [Toronto], Ont.: University of Toronto Press. pp. Ch. 11; p. 174. ISBN 1442601086.
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^ "DIY 'Star Trek ' movies". stevehoffman.tv. Retrieved 25 September 2012.
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^ "Media’s Gay Marriage Consensus — FAIR: Fairness & Accuracy In Reporting". Fair.org. 1 February 2013. Retrieved 5 February 2013.
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Bibliography

Boswell, John (1995). The Marriage of Likeness: Same-sex Unions in Pre-modern Europe. New York: Simon Harper and Collins. ISBN 0-00-255508-5.
Boswell, John (1994). Same-sex Unions in Premodern Europe. New York: Villard Books. ISBN 0-679-43228-0.
Calò, Emanuele (2009). Matrimonio à la carte — Matrimoni, convivenze registrate e divorzi dopo l 'intervento comunitario. Milano: Giuffrè.
Caramagno, Thomas C. (2002). Irreconcilable Differences? Intellectual Stalemate in the Gay Rights Debate. Westport, CT: Praeger. ISBN 0-275-97721-8.
Cere, Daniel (2004). Divorcing Marriage: Unveiling the Dangers in Canada 's New Social Experiment. Montreal: McGill-Queen 's University Press. ISBN 0-7735-2895-4.
Chauncey, George (2004). Why Marriage?: The History Shaping Today 's Debate over Gay Equality. New York: Basic Books. ISBN 0-465-00957-3.
Dobson, James C. (2004). Marriage Under Fire. Sisters, Or.: Multnomah. ISBN 1-59052-431-4.
George, Robert P.; Elshtain, Jean Bethke (Eds.), ed. (2006). The Meaning of Marriage: Family, State, Market, And Morals. Dallas: Spence Publishing Company. ISBN 1-890626-64-3.
Goss, Robert E.; Strongheart, Amy Adams Squire (Eds.), ed. (2008). Our Families, Our Values: Snapshots of Queer Kinship. New York, NY: The Harrington Park Press, An Imprint of the Haworth Press, Inc. ISBN 1-56023-910-7.
Larocque, Sylvain (2006). Gay Marriage: The Story of a Canadian Social Revolution. Toronto: James Lorimer & Company. ISBN 1-55028-927-6.
Laycock, Douglas; Picarello, Anthony Jr.; Wilson, Robin Fretwell (Eds.), ed. (2008). Same-Sex Marriage and Religious Liberty: Emerging Conflicts. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc. ISBN 0-7425-6326-X.
Moats, David (2004). Civil Wars: A Battle For Gay Marriage. New York, NY: Harcourt, Inc. ISBN 0-15-101017-X.
Oliver, Marilyn Tower (1998). Gay and lesbian rights: a struggle. Enslow Publishers. ISBN 978-0-89490-958-0.
Rauch, Jonathan (2004). Gay Marriage: Why It Is Good for Gays, Good for Straights, and Good for America. New York, NY: Henry Holt and Company, LLC. ISBN 0-8050-7815-0.
Spedale, Darren (2006). Gay Marriage: For Better or For Worse? What We 've Learned From the Evidence. New York: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-518751-2.
Sullivan, Andrew (Editor), ed. (2004). Same-Sex Marriage: Pro and Con — A Reader, Revised Updated Edition. New York, NY: Vintage Books, a division of Random House, Inc. ISBN 1-4000-7866-0.
Truluck, Rembert S. (2000). Steps to Recovery from Bible Abuse. Gaithersburg, MD: Chi Rho Press, Inc. ISBN 1-888493-16-X.
Wolfson, Evan (2004). Why Marriage Matters: America, Equality, and Gay People 's Right to Marry. New York: Simon & Schuster. ISBN 0-7432-6459-2.
External links

Wikinews has news related to:
Same-sex marriage Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Same-sex marriage
Same-sex marriage at the Open Directory Project
Same-Sex Marriage, Civil Unions, and Domestic Partnerships collected news and commentary at The New York Times
Same-sex marriage collected legal news at JURIST
Considerations Regarding Proposals to Give Legal Recognition to Unions between Homosexual Persons
Same-Sex Marriage: Developments in the Law", Emily Doskow, NOLO.
U.S. Census Gay Marriage Statistics from April 1999
Same-Sex Marriage A Selective Bibliography of the Legal Literature
[show] v t e Status of same-sex unions around the world
[show] v t e Constitutional amendments banning same-sex unions around the world
[show] v t e
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) topics
Categories: MarriageSame-sex marriageLGBT-related legislationLGBT history

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