With Thai lawmakers voting to legalise same-sex marriage on Tuesday, we take a look at the varying status of same-sex marriage across the globe. While the right to marry has been legalised in 35 other countries, homosexuality remains banned in many parts of the world.

The journey began on October 1, 1989, when Denmark allowed several gay couples to enter civil unions, offering legal recognition without the full status of marriage. The Netherlands set a historic precedent by becoming the first country to legalise same-sex marriage in April 2001. Since then, another 20 European countries have followed suit, including Andorra, Austria, Belgium, Britain, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Luxembourg, Malta, Norway, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland.

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Revelers kiss during the annual Pride parade in the Greek capital,
since a law allowing same-sex marriage passed earlier in the year | Photo: AP

Some European states have authorised same-sex civil unions but have not legalised gay marriage. These include Italy, Hungary, Croatia, Cyprus, Latvia, the Czech Republic, and the principalities of Liechtenstein and Monaco. The European Court of Human Rights in 2023 found Bulgaria, Poland, Romania, Russia, and Ukraine guilty of failing to recognise same-sex couples.

Across the Atlantic, Canada was the first American country to legalise same-sex marriage in 2005. The US Supreme Court followed in 2015, legalising gay marriage nationwide, although the first legal gay marriage in the US occurred in 1971 in Minnesota due to a legal loophole. This marriage was finally recognised in March 2019 after a lengthy legal battle.

In Latin America, nine countries—Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Ecuador, Mexico, and Uruguay—allow same-sex marriages, while Bolivia recognises civil unions but not marriages.

Asia's progress is slower, with Taiwan becoming the first territory to legalise gay marriage in May 2019. Nepal's Supreme Court issued an interim order in 2022 allowing same-sex and trans couples to register their marriages, leading to several marriages since then. Japan remains the only G7 member without nationwide legalisation or civil unions, though some local administrations recognise same-sex couples.

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Taiwan couple; Taiwan had been the only place in Asia to have legalized gay marriage | Photo: AP  

In the wider Asia-Pacific region, Australia (2017) and New Zealand (2013) have passed gay marriage laws. Vietnam decriminalised gay marriage celebrations in 2015 but stopped short of full legal recognition.

In the Middle East, LGBTQ rights face significant challenges, with Israel being the most progressive by recognising same-sex marriages performed elsewhere, though not permitting such unions domestically. Several countries, including Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, still impose the death penalty for homosexuality.

South Africa stands alone on the African continent in allowing gay marriage, legalised in 2006. Conversely, around 30 African countries ban homosexuality, with Mauritania, Somalia, and Sudan enforcing the death penalty for same-sex relations.

As Thai lawmakers join the growing list of nations embracing same-sex marriage, the global landscape remains a patchwork of progress and prohibition.

With AFP inputs