Same sex marriage in the world

For many years, same-sex marriage has been a hot topic of endless debate. Supporters of same-sex marriage say that a relationship and subsequent marriage between two people of the same sex is natural and normal. These supporters believe that a person does not choose to be gay and is instead born this way. Supporters also say that same-sex couples are just as capable as heterosexual couples when it comes to getting married, living together, and raising children. On the flip side, there are people that are against gay marriage. These people may have religious beliefs that tell them this is wrong.

A growing number of governments around the world are considering whether to grant legal recognition to same-sex marriages. So far, more than two dozen countries have enacted national laws allowing gays and lesbians to marry, mostly in Europe and the Americas. In Mexico, some jurisdictions allow same-sex couples to wed, while others do not. Below is a list of countries that have legalized the practice, with the most recent countries to do so shown first.

Same-sex marriage also known as gay marriage is the marriage of two people of the same sex or gender , entered into in a civil or religious ceremony. There are records of same-sex marriage dating back to the first century though there is no legal provision in Roman Law, and it was banned in the Roman Empire in the fourth. In the modern era, same-sex marriage started being legalized at the beginning of the 21st century. Today, it is available in 28 countries. Same-sex marriage is also due to become legal in Costa Rica.

May 24 marked the first day that gay and lesbian couples in Taiwan can register to marry. Countries where same-sex marriage is legal in some areas but not nationwide were excluded. To date, only 29 out of the countries in the world have legalized same-sex marriage. While many same-sex couples have no choice but to wait for legalization — some are together for decades before they are finally able to marry — in many countries, people who can choose to get married are doing so later in life.