In May 2020, Costa Rica became the first Central American country to legalize same-sex marriage. 

Costa Rica (2020)

In October 2019, same-sex marriage became legal in Northern Ireland. Northern Ireland had been the last part of the UK where same-sex marriage was banned.

Northern Ireland (2019)

On June 12, Ecuador’s Constitutional Court ruled that that same-sex couples have a right to marry.

Ecuador (2019)

Taiwan (2019)

On May 17, 2019, Taiwan’s legislature passed a bill legalizing same-sex marriage and making the island nation the first country in Asia to permit gays and lesbians to wed.

Austria (2019)

On Jan. 1, 2019, Austria joined the vast majority of Western European countries in legalizing same-sex marriage.

Australia (2017)

On Dec. 7, 2017, the Australian Parliament passed legislation allowing gay and lesbian couples to legally wed. 

Malta (2017)

Malta’s parliament almost unanimously voted to legalize same-sex marriage in July 2017, despite opposition from the Catholic Church on the small Mediterranean island.

On June 30, 2017, Germany became the 15th European country to enact legislation allowing same-sex couples to wed. 

Germany (2017)

United States (2015)

Eleven years after same-sex marriage was first made legal in Massachusetts, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the Constitution guarantees it throughout the country.

On May 14, 2013, Brazil’s National Council of Justice ruled that same-sex couples should not be denied marriage licenses, allowing same-sex marriages to begin nationwide.

Brazil (2013)

France (2013)

On May 18, French President Francois Hollande signed into law a measure legalizing same-sex marriage, making France the 14th country to grant gays and lesbians the right to wed.

New Zealand (2013)

On April 17, the New Zealand Parliament gave final approval to a measure that legalizes same-sex marriage, making the Pacific island nation the 13th country in the world and the first in the Asia-Pacific region to allow gays and lesbians to wed.