Gay Marriage in Latin America - Countries with Same Sex Marriage (Source: Loco085/Wikimedia Commons ; Thumbnail: Loco085/Wikimedia Commons ) With public policies toward gay marriage varying widely, this is a critical moment to look at citizens’ opinions with respect to same-sex marriage. First, we examine levels of support for same-sex couples having the right to marry. Then, we assess both individual- and national-level determinants of variation in that level of support. Analysis is drawn from data from the American Public Opinion Project (LAPOP) survey, which includes 42,238 respondents from 25 nations in North, Central and South America and the Caribbean were asked this question: We asked the following question: How strongly do you approve or disapprove of same-sex couples having the right to marry? Responses were given based on a 1-10 scale, where ‘1’ meant “strongly disapprove” and ‘10’ meant “strongly approve.” These responses were then recalibrated on a 0-100 basis. Figure 1 displays each country’s average score with its confidence interval.

The average level of support for same-sex marriage in the Americas is only 26.8 points on a 0-100 scale. But there is striking variation across countries. At the one extreme, citizens of Canada, Argentina and Uruguay express relatively high levels of support and fall on the high end of the 0-100 continuum, with mean scores of 63.9, 57.7, 50.5, and 47.7 points, respectively. At the other extreme, El Salvador, Guyana and Jamaica (where sexual acts between men are punishable with jail) show the lowest levels of support: 10.3, 7.2 and 3.5 units, respectively. The remaining countries lie in between these extremes, with those nations in which same-sex civil union has been legalized (i.e., Brazil, Mexico and Colombia) ranking in relatively high positions. Notably, despite the fact that the newly approved constitution grants full rights to homosexual civil unions, Ecuador is positioned well below the regional average with 18.4 points on the 0-100 scale. Figure 1.

Average Support for Same-Sex Marriage in the Americas, 2010 Explaining Variations in Support What factors explain variation in support for same-sex marriage? To assess this question, we first focus on the potential impact of individual-level factors by means of a linear regression model. Following the publication of seminal research on political tolerance that examines the impact of religious values toward homosexuals (Gibson and Tedin 1988; Golebiowska 1995), we include two variables that are considered to be key: importance of religion and religious group participation. The former measures how important religion is in the respondent’s life, and the latter measures the respondent’s self-reported level of attendance at meetings of any religious organization. Several scholars have found that disapproval of homosexual rights is highest among individuals with strong religious identities and who attend religious services frequently (Ellison and Musick 1993; Herek 1998; Herek and Capitanio 1995, 1996; Olsen, Cadge, and Harrison 2006; Seltzer 1993; Wilcox and Wolport 2000).

Therefore, we expect these variables to have a negative impact on support for same-sex marriage. Beliefs about homosexuality and support for gay rights have been found to vary substantially by religion. Therefore, we also included two dummy variables, Evangelical and Atheist, in order to capture the effect of religious affiliations. While Atheists are expected to express tolerance toward minorities’ rights, membership in evangelical denominations has been found to be linked to intolerance of homosexuals in the United States (Jelen, 1982). While this finding could be partly attributed to differences in demographic or political variables, or to general religiosity, Wilcox and Jelen (1990) demonstrated that intolerance among Evangelicals persists even after controlling for these considerations. Also included in the regression is a variable that captures the respondent’s political ideology. This variable is based on a 1-10 scale, where ‘1’ means left or liberal and ‘10’ means right or conservative. For obvious reasons, we expect more conservative respondents to be less prone to support same-sex marriage than liberal ones. Finally, we take into account a number of variables measuring basic socioeconomic and demographic characteristics that are thought to play a role in shaping public opinion toward homosexuality.

We include education, age, gender, wealth, and city/town size. The expectation is that more educated individuals will have more liberal sexual attitudes and express higher levels of support for same-sex marriage than less educated persons (Ellison and Musick 1993; Gibson and Tedin 1988; Herek and Capitanio 1996; Treas 2002). Similarly, we expect older people to be less tolerant toward gays/lesbians than younger people. As found in prior research, we also expect men to be more inclined to disapprove of homosexuality than women (Herek 2002; Kite 1984; Kite and Whitley 1996), and people with higher incomes to be more tolerant than people with lower incomes (Hodgess Persell, Green, and Gurevitch 2001). Following research by Stephan and McMullin (1982), we expect urbanism to be positively associated with tolerance toward homosexuals and support for same-sex marriage. Our analysis supports these expectations.

First, even when controlling for socioeconomic and demographic factors and the impact of country of residence (the “country fixed effects”), both the importance of religion and attendance at religious meetings variables have a statistically significant negative impact on support for same-sex marriage. Specifically, the more important religion is to respondents’ lives and the more frequently they attend religious meetings, the lower the support they express for same-sex couples having the right to marry. Second, we find that Evangelicals, compared to individuals who profess other religions, are significantly less likely to support same-sex marriage, while those who say that they are Atheists or agnostic about religion are more likely to support it. Third, holding all other variables constant, respondents’ ideological self-placement works as we expected. The statistically significant negative impact of the political ideology variable indicates that the more conservative respondents are, the lower the level of support for same-sex marriage they express. We also find that all the socioeconomic and demographic variables included in the model are statistically significant in how we had envisioned it. First, size of the geographic area of residence is positively linked to our dependent variable, indicating that residents of large cities express higher levels of support than those living in rural areas and small cities.

Second, citizens with more years of completed education express higher support than individuals with less formal education. Third, both wealthier and younger persons express more tolerance toward homosexual marriages than poorer and older people. Fourth, the positive effect of the gender (female) dummy variable indicates that women express higher levels of support than men. Predicting Support for Same-Sex Marriage: The Effect of Contextual Variables In addition to the individual-level characteristics, other factors at the country-level of analysis may help explain variation in the degree to which citizens in the Americas support same-sex marriage. Extensive research on political tolerance in democratic regimes has underscored the important effects of economic development and education on acceptance of diversity. To empirically test these propositions, we estimated separate multi-level regression models. The models include the respondents’ individual characteristics alongside measures of each country’s level of economic development or education, depending on the model. These variables are measured by GDP per capita and a composite index of adult literacy and gross enrollment, respectively. The statistical results are graphically shown in Figures 2 and 3. As they show, the impact of individual characteristics remains almost unchanged when compared to our previous results, while the contextual variables have the expected positive relationships to support for same-sex marriage.

More concretely, citizens who live in richer and more educated countries express significantly higher levels of support compared to those who live in poorer and less educated nations. Figure 2. A Multilevel Analysis of the Determinants of Support for Same-Sex Marriage in Latin America and the Caribbean, 2010: The Impact of GDP. Figure 3. A Multilevel Analysis of the Determinants of Support for Same-Sex Marriage in Latin America and the Caribbean, 2010: The Impact of Education. The specific effects of economic development and education at the national-level on support for same-sex marriage are displayed in Figures 4 and 5 respectively. These figures show the fitted lines from the two multi-level regression models using national GDP per capita and the education index. Holding constant all the individual-level variables at their mean value, the models predict similar results compared to the ranking depicted in Figure 1. As a noteworthy exception, Trinidad and Tobago dramatically improves its position in Figure 4 compared to Figure 1. This suggests that the country is strongly influenced by other variables not included in our model. Nonetheless, the results show that higher levels of economic development and education predict substantially higher levels of support for same-sex marriage.

Substantively, if a citizen from Nicaragua with a given set of socioeconomic characteristics were to move to Argentina, ceteris paribus, and none of her personal characteristics were to change, this person would demonstrate a level of support for same-sex marriage that would be about 20 points higher on average than if this individual were to remain in Nicaragua. Figure 4. The Impact of Economic Development on Support for Same-Sex Marriage in Latin America and the Caribbean, 2010 Figure 5. The Impact of Education on Support for Same-Sex Marriage in Latin America and the Caribbean, 2010 The data reconfirm that citizens in Latin America and Caribbean, on average, express relatively low levels of support for same-sex marriage. But there is also significant cross-national variation. At the individual-level of analysis, our statistical analysis indicates that strong religious values and more conservative ideologies have a significant negative impact on individual support for homosexuals having the right to marry. In addition, we found that levels of support are higher among wealthier people, individuals living in larger cities, and women. In our analyses of national-level factors, we found strong empirical evidence supporting the classic claim that both economic development and education increase tolerance for homosexual rights.

These results are consistent with those for studies of tolerance over a broad range of minority rights issues, which collectively highlight the significance of education at both the individual and national level. To promote tolerance of minority rights, policymakers and politicians should consider the importance of expanding access to education among their citizens. Although some have argued that tolerance of diversity might have no real consequences for democracy (Mueller 1988), others have found strong evidence of its positive effects on the construction of democratic policies (Gibson 1992). An important implication is that the vision offered by liberal democratic theorists of a society that accepts diversity and protects minority rights is more likely to develop to the extent that policymakers pay close attention to improving citizens’ well being and education. Higher economic development and education tend to be linked with greater tolerance because they stimulate individual value priorities that are conducive to greater openness to diversity. Notes Much of the funding for the 2010 AmericasBarometer round was provided by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). Other important sources of support were the Inter-American Development Bank (IADB), the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), and Vanderbilt University. The Insights Series is co‐edited by Professors Mitchell A.

Seligson and Elizabeth Zechmeister with administrative, technical and intellectual support from the LAPOP group at Vanderbilt University. Gay Marriage Around the World | Pew Research Center June 26, 2015 Gay Marriage Around the World A growing number of governments around the world are considering whether to grant legal recognition to same-sex marriages. Nearly two dozen countries currently have 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. Countries That Allow Gay Marriage Countries That Allow Gay Marriage Colombia (2016) On April 28, 2016, Colombia became the fourth country in Catholic-majority South America to legalize same-sex marriage, following Argentina, Uruguay and Brazil. The country’s Constitutional Court, by a 6-3 vote, ruled that that “all people are free to choose independently to start a family in keeping with their sexual orientation … receiving equal treatment under the constitution and the law,” according to the wire service Agence France-Presse. 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.

The 5-4 decision rests in part on the court’s interpretation of the 14th Amendment, and states that limiting marriage only to heterosexual couples violates the amendment’s guarantee of equal protection under the law. Before the ruling, 36 states and the District of Columbia had legalized same-sex marriage. See a timeline highlighting changes in state policies from 1995-2015. Greenland (2015) Greenland, an autonomous territory of Denmark, was not subject to Denmark’s same-sex marriage law, which was enacted in 2012. However, legislators in Greenland passed a bill in May 2015 to legalize same-sex marriage on the world’s biggest island. Ireland (2015) On May 22, 2015, Catholic-majority Ireland became the first country to legalize same-sex marriage through a popular referendum.

More than six-in-ten Irish voters (62%) voted “yes” to amend the Constitution of Ireland to say that “marriage may be contracted in accordance with law by two persons without distinction as to their sex.” While some Catholic Church leaders opposed the change, Dublin Archbishop Diarmuid Martin wrote a commentary in The Irish Times newspaper before the referendum, saying that he would not tell people how to vote and that he had “no wish to stuff my religious views down other people’s throats.” Irish Prime Minister Enda Kenny supported the “yes” campaign. Finland (2015) Same-sex marriage will become legal in Finland starting in 2017. The Finnish Parliament approved a bill legalizing same-sex unions in November 2014, and Finland’s president, Sauli Niinistö, signed the measure into law in February 2015. The bill started out as a “citizens’ initiative” – a public petition with a reported 167,000 signatures. Finland becomes the last of the five Nordic countries to legalize same-sex marriage, joining Denmark, Iceland, Norway and Sweden.

Luxembourg (2014) On June 18, Luxembourg’s parliament, the Chamber of Deputies, overwhelmingly approved legislation that will allow gay and lesbian couples to wed and to adopt children. The bill, which took effect in early 2015, was championed by the country’s prime minister, Xavier Bettel, who is openly gay. The changes are part of a larger rewrite of the tiny country’s marriage laws – the first major overhaul since 1804. In addition to allowing same-sex couples to marry and adopt, the legislation sets the legal age of marriage at 18 and eliminates the existing requirement that couples who want to marry must first submit to a medical exam. Scotland (2014) On Feb. 4, 2014, the Scottish Parliament voted overwhelmingly to approve legislation legalizing same-sex marriage. In addition to allowing same-sex couples to wed, the measure gives churches and other religious groups the option of deciding whether or not they want to conduct such marriages. The two largest churches in Scotland – the Church of Scotland and the Roman Catholic Church – oppose same-sex marriage and lobbied against the bill.

The law took effect and same-sex couples began marrying in Scotland in December 2014. England and Wales (2013) On July 17, 2013, Queen Elizabeth II gave her “royal assent” to a bill legalizing same-sex marriage in England and Wales. The day before, the measure had won final passage in the British Parliament after months of debate. The law only applies to England and Wales because Scotland and Northern Ireland are semi-autonomous and have separate legislative bodies to decide many domestic issues, including the definition of marriage. While Northern Ireland’s legislature in April 2014 voted down a measure that would have legalized same-sex marriage, the Scottish Parliament passed a bill to legalize same-sex marriage in February 2014. The new law in England and Wales, which was a priority for British Prime Minister and Conservative Party leader David Cameron, allowed gay and lesbian couples to marry beginning March 29, 2014. However, the law prohibits same-sex weddings within the Church of England, which continues to define marriage as between one man and one woman.

Brazil (2013) 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. (Previously, about half of Brazil’s 27 jurisdictions had allowed same-sex marriage.) The conservative Social Christian Party has appealed the Council of Justice’s decision to the Supreme Court, and Brazil’s legislature may still weigh in on the issue, leaving some uncertainty surrounding the future of same-sex marriage in the world’s fifth-largest country. 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. Although the bill had passed the National Assembly and the Senate in April, Hollande’s signature had to wait until a court challenge brought by the conservative opposition party, the UMP, was resolved. On May 17, France’s highest court, the Constitutional Council, ruled that the bill was constitutional. In May 2012, Hollande was elected and his Socialist Party won majorities in both houses of France’s legislature.

True to their campaign promises, Hollande and the Socialists have pushed through a law that not only legalizes same-sex marriage but also gives gay and lesbian couples the right to adopt children—a provision that has drawn especially strong criticism from French Catholic leaders. While recent polls show that a majority of French adults support the law, opposition to the change has been intense. Since the beginning of 2013, several anti-gay marriage protests with occasionally volatile crowds numbering in the hundreds of thousands have taken place in Paris and elsewhere. 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. The measure won approval by a 77-44 margin in the country’s unicameral legislature, including support from Prime Minister John Key, and was signed by the country’s governor-general (a process known as royal assent) on April 19. The law took effect in August 2013. In 2005, New Zealand enacted legislation allowing same-sex couples to enter into civil unions.

The 2013 measure not only legalizes same-sex marriage but also allows for gay and lesbian couples to adopt children. Uruguay (2013) On April 10, the lower house of Uruguay’s Congress passed legislation legalizing same-sex marriage, a week after the country’s Senate did so. President José Mujica signed the bill into law on May 3, making Uruguay the second Latin American country to legalize same-sex marriage, following Argentina. Civil unions have been permitted in Uruguay since 2008, and gay and lesbian couples were given adoption rights in 2009. Uruguay is among the most secular countries in Latin America. A Pew Research Center study on the global religious landscape as of 2010 found that roughly four-in-ten Uruguayans are unaffiliated with a particular religion. About 58 percent of Uruguayans are Christian; in the Latin America-Caribbean region as a whole, 90 percent of the population is Christian. Denmark (2012) In June 2012, Denmark’s legislature passed a bill legalizing gay marriage.

The measure was enacted into law a few days later when Queen Margrethe II gave her royal assent to the bill. In 1989, Denmark became the first country to allow same-sex couples to register as domestic partners. And in 2010, the country enacted a law allowing gay couples in registered partnerships the right to adopt children. With the legalization of gay marriage, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Denmark (which is the state church), is required to allow same-sex couples to marry in churches. However, no member of the church’s clergy is required to perform the wedding of a gay or lesbian couple. In addition, the law leaves it up to other religious groups to determine whether or not to allow same-sex weddings in its churches. Argentina (2010) In July 2010, Argentina became the first country in Latin America to legalize same-sex marriage. In spite of vigorous opposition from the Catholic Church and evangelical Protestant churches, the measure passed both houses of the Argentine legislature and was signed into law by President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner. The law grants same-sex couples who marry all the rights and responsibilities enjoyed by heterosexual couples, including the right to adopt children.

In the decade before the enactment of the same-sex marriage law, a number of local jurisdictions, including the nation’s capital, Buenos Aires, had enacted laws allowing gays and lesbians to enter into civil unions. Portugal (2010) In June 2010, Portugal became the eighth country to legalize same-sex marriage. Its parliament had passed the measure legalizing gay marriage earlier in 2010. But following its passage, Portugal’s president, Anibal Cavaco Silva, asked the Constitutional Court to review the measure. In April 2010, the Constitutional Court declared the law to be constitutionally valid. It was signed by Silva in May of that year and took effect one month later. Portugal’s gay marriage law does not give married same-sex couples the right to adopt children. Iceland (2010) A measure legalizing same-sex marriage passed the Icelandic legislature in June 2010. Public opinion polls prior to the vote indicated broad support for the measure, and no members of the country’s legislature voted against it. Iceland had allowed same-sex couples to register as domestic partners since 1996. A decade later, the parliament passed a measure allowing gay couples to adopt children.

After the new law took effect in late June 2010, the country’s prime minister, Johanna Sigurdardottir, wed her longtime partner, Jonina Leosdottir, becoming one of the first people to marry under the statute. Sweden (2009) In April 2009, the Swedish parliament voted by an overwhelming majority to legalize same-sex marriage. Gay couples in Sweden had been allowed to register for civil unions since 1995. The 2009 law allows gays and lesbians to marry in both religious and civil ceremonies, but it does not require clergy to officiate at such ceremonies. The Lutheran-affiliated Church of Sweden, to which roughly three-quarters of all Swedes belong, has offered blessings for same-sex partnerships since January 2007. In October 2009, the church’s governing board voted to allow its clergy to officiate at same-sex marriage ceremonies. Norway (2009) Since January 2009, gay couples in Norway legally have been able to marry, adopt children and undergo artificial insemination. The new law replaced a 1993 law permitting civil unions.

The 2009 law was passed despite resistance from members of the Christian Democratic Party and the Progress Party, as well as a public controversy over state funding for fertility treatments for lesbian couples. The largest religious group in the country, the Lutheran-affiliated Church of Norway, was split over the issue. Following passage of the new law, the church’s leaders voted to prohibit its pastors from conducting same-sex weddings. But the Church of Norway does allow clergy to bless same-sex unions. South Africa (2006) The South African parliament legalized same-sex marriage in November 2006, one year after the country’s highest court ruled that the previous marriage laws violated the South African constitution’s guarantee of equal rights. The new law allows for religious institutions and civil officers to refuse to conduct same-sex marriage ceremonies, a provision that critics claim violates the rights of same-sex couples under the constitution. The new measure passed by a margin of greater than five-to-one, with support coming from both the governing African National Congress as well as the main opposition party, the Democratic Alliance. However, the traditional monarch of the Zulu people, who account for about one-fifth of the country’s population, maintains that homosexuality is morally wrong.

Spain (2005) A closely divided Spanish parliament legalized same-sex marriage in 2005, guaranteeing identical rights to all married couples regardless of sexual orientation. The new measure added language to the existing marriage statute, which now reads, “Marriage will have the same requirements and results when the two people entering into the contract are of the same sex or of different sexes.” Vatican officials, as well as the Catholic Spanish Bishops Conference, strongly criticized the law, and large crowds demonstrated in Madrid for and against the measure. After the law went into effect, the country’s constitutional court rejected challenges from two municipal court judges who had refused marriage licenses to same-sex couples. The high court ruled that the lower court judges lacked legal standing to bring the suits. Canada (2005) Same-sex couples in Canada gained most of the legal benefits of marriage in 1999 when the federal and provincial governments extended common law marriages to gay and lesbian couples. Through a series of court cases beginning in 2003, same-sex marriage gradually became legal in nine of the country’s 13 provinces and territories. In 2005, the Canadian Parliament passed legislation making same-sex marriage legal nationwide.

In 2006, lawmakers defeated an effort by the ruling Conservative Party of Canada to reconsider the issue, leaving the law unchanged. Belgium (2003) Beginning in 1998, the Belgian parliament offered limited rights to same-sex couples through registered partnerships. Same-sex couples could register with a city clerk and formally assume joint responsibility for a household. Five years later, in January 2003, the Belgian parliament legalized same-sex marriage, giving gay and lesbian couples the same tax and inheritance rights as heterosexual couples. Support for the law came from both the Flemish-speaking North and the French-speaking South, and the law generated surprisingly little controversy across the country. The long-dominant Christian Democratic Party, traditionally allied with the Catholic Church, was out of power when the parliament passed the measure. The 2003 law allowed the marriages of Belgian same-sex couples and recognized as married those from other countries where same-sex marriage was legal. Those provisions were broadened in 2004 to allow any same-sex couple to marry as long as one member of the couple had lived in Belgium for at least three months. In 2006, the parliament also granted same-sex partners the right to adopt children.

The Netherlands (2000) In December 2000, the Netherlands became the first country to legalize same-sex marriage when the Dutch parliament passed, by a three-to-one margin, a landmark bill allowing the practice. The legislation gave same-sex couples the right to marry, divorce and adopt children. The legislation altered a single sentence in the existing civil marriage statute, which now reads, “A marriage can be contracted by two people of different or the same sex.” The only opposition in parliament came from the Christian Democratic Party, which at the time was not part of the governing coalition. After the law went into effect, the Protestant Church in the Netherlands, which then represented about 12% of the country’s population, announced that individual congregations could decide whether to conduct same-sex marriage ceremonies. Although Muslim and conservative Christian groups continue to oppose the law, same-sex marriage is widely accepted by the Dutch public. Countries Where Gay Marriage is Legal in Some Jurisdictions Mexico (2009) In 2015, the Mexican Supreme Court issued a ruling making it much easier for gay and lesbian couples to wed.

The decision gave same-sex couples the right to seek a court injunction against state laws banning gay marriage; although it did not technically legalize same-sex unions nationwide, it was a major step in that direction. Mexico’s Supreme Court also issued a ruling in favor of same-sex marriage in 2010, saying that same-sex marriages performed in Mexico City were valid and that they must be accepted throughout the country (Mexico City had legalized gay marriage in December 2009). Since 2011, the southern Mexican state of Quintana Roo also has allowed gay marriages. In 2014, the congress of the northern state of Coahuila approved same-sex marriage, and in 2015, neighboring Chihuahua followed suit. The fact sheet was compiled by Senior Researcher David Masci, Research Analyst Elizabeth Sciupac and Editor Michael Lipka.

Photo Credit: © Corbis Colombia becomes fourth Latin American nation to legalise same-sex marriage | The Independent Colombia becomes fourth Latin American nation to legalise same-sex marriage Colombia joins Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay as the only Latin American nations to have legalised same-sex marriage Friday 29 April 2016 13:04 BST Click to follow The Independent US Previously gay couples in the conservative Roman Catholic nation were only allowed to form civil unions Getty Images Colombia has become the fourth Latin American country to legalise same-sex marriage, following a ruling by country’s highest court. The ruling, by the Constitutional Court, allows gay couples to get married in the same way as heterosexual couples for the first time. As part of the proceedings, President Juan Manuel Santos’ government argued in favour of marriage rights for gay and lesbian couples. Colombia joins Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay as the only Latin American nations to have legalised same-sex marriage. Argentina was the first to take the decision in July 2010. “The judges affirmed by a majority that marriage between people of the same sex does not violate constitutional order,” presiding Judge Maria Victoria Calle told the court, AFP reports.

LGBT rights across the globe LGBT rights across the globe 1/7 Russia Russia’s antipathy towards homosexuality has been well established following the efforts of human rights campaigners. However, while it is legal to be homosexual, LGBT couples are offered no protections from discrimination. They are also actively discriminated against by a 2013 law criminalising LGBT “propaganda” allowing the arrest of numerous Russian LGBT activists. (Picture: Riot police hold an LGBT activist during a Moscow rall.) AFP/Getty 2/7 Mauritania Men who are found having sex with other men face stoning, while lesbians can be imprisoned, under Sharia law. However, the state has not reportedly executed anyone for this ‘crime’ since 1987. (Picture: Chinguetti Mosque, Mauritania.) ALAMY 3/7 Saudi Arabia Homosexuality and transgender is illegal and punishable by the death penalty, imprisonment, corporal punishment, whipping and chemical castration. (Picture: The emblem of Saudi Arabia above the embassy in London.) Bruno Vincent/Getty Images 4/7 Yemen The official position within the country is that there are no gays. LGBT inviduals, if discovered by the government, are likely to face intense pressure.

Punishments range from flogging to the death penalty. (Picture: Yemen's southern port of Aden.) Getty 5/7 Nigeria Both male and female same-sex sexual activity is illegal and in some northern states punishable with death by stoning. This is not a policy enacted across the entire country, although there is a prevalent anti-LGBT agenda pushed by the government. In 2007 a Pew survey established that 97 per cent of the population felt that homosexuality should not be accepted. It is publishable by 14 years in prison. (Picture: The northern Nigerian town of Damasak.) Reuters 6/7 Somalia Homosexuality was established as a crime in 1888 and under new Somali Penal Code established in 1973 homosexual sex can be punishable by three years in prison. (Picture: Families use a boat to cross a flooded Shebelle River, in Jowhar.) Reuters 7/7 Iraq Although same-sex relationships have been decriminalised, much of the population still suffer from intense discrimination. Additionally, in some of the country over-run by the extremist organisation Isis, LGBT individuals can face death by stoning.

(Picture: Purported Isis fighters in Iraq.) Getty Images “The definition of the institution of marriage in civil law applies to them in the same way as it does to couples of the same sex.” Thursday’s ruling had been anticipated after the constitutional court dismissed a petition against equal marriage rights for heterosexual and same sex couples on 7 April. Six of the court’s nine judges approved the ruling that “all people are free to choose independently to start a family in keeping with their sexual orientation… receiving equal treatment under the constitution and the law.” Previously gay couples in the conservative Roman Catholic nation were only allowed to form civil unions. However, these partnerships often occupied a grey legal area with many officials refusing to register such unions as congress had not enshrined equal marriage rights in law, prompting protests from gay rights campaigners. LGTB activists demonstrate outside the Colombian Congress in Bogota in 2013 (Getty images ) Around 70 unions previously registered as civil partnerships will now be automatically converted into full marriages under the new ruling, Alberto Rojas, the judge who presented the motion told AFP. The decision will become an irrevocable constitutional ruling within a month, making it legally valid.

To date 21 countries, including, Colombia have legalised same-sex marriage, the first being the Netherlands in 2001. In Mexico, gay marriage is legal in the capital and in certain other states. Additional reporting by Associated Press More about: Argentina 1st Latin American country to legalize same-sex marriage; gays to have same rights | Fox News Argentina 1st Latin American country to legalize same-sex marriage; gays to have same rights Published July 15, 2010 Facebook 0 Twitter 0 livefyre Email Print BUENOS AIRES, Argentina – BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) — Argentina became the first Latin American nation to legalize gay marriage Thursday, granting same-sex couples all the legal rights, responsibilities and protections that marriage brings to heterosexuals. The law's passage — a priority for President Cristina Fernandez's government — has inspired activists to push for similar laws in other countries, and a wave of gay weddings are expected in Buenos Aires. Some gay business leaders are predicting an economic ripple effect from an increase in tourism among gays and lesbians who will see Argentina as an even more attractive destination. But it also carries political risks for Fernandez and her husband, former President Nestor Kirchner .

The vote divided their governing coalition, and while gay rights have strong support in the capital, anti-gay feelings still run strong in much of Argentine society, where the vast majority of people are Roman Catholic. "From today onward, Argentina is a more just and democratic country," said Maria Rachid, president of the Argentine Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender federation. The law "not only recognizes the rights of our families, but also the possibility of having access to health care, to leave a pension, to leave our assets to the people with whom we have shared many years of life, including our children," she said. The 33-27 Senate vote was tallied shortly before dawn, after a marathon debate that touched on religion, ethics, the legacy of Argentina's dictatorship and the challenges of raising children. There were three abstentions. Since the lower house already approved it, the law takes effect within days. Gays and lesbians who have already found Buenos Aires to be a welcoming place to live will likely rush to the altar, but same-sex couples from other countries will need to live in Argentina before becoming eligible, and the necessary residency documents can take months to obtain.

The approval came despite a concerted campaign by the Roman Catholic Church and evangelical groups, which drew 60,000 people to march on Congress and urged parents in churches and schools to work against passage. Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio led the campaign, saying "children need to have the right to be raised and educated by a father and a mother." Opponents of gay marriage proposed a civil-union law instead that would have barred gays from adopting or undergoing in-vitro fertilization to have children, and enabled any civil servant to "conscientiously object" to register gay couples. In the end, parliamentary maneuvers kept the Senate from voting on civil unions as the government bet all or nothing on the more politically difficult option of marriage. "I'm proud that we never tried for civil unions, always for complete equality," said Esteban Paulon, the LGBT federation's general secretary. He credits "an enormous conviction that equality means the same rights with the same names." The final vote split both the governing coalition and the opposition, with lawmakers on both sides saying they went with their convictions. Sen.

Juan Perez Alsina, usually a loyal supporter of the president, called marriage between a man and a woman "essential for the preservation of the species." But others compared the discrimination closeted gays face to the oppression millions suffered under Argentina's dictatorship years ago, and urged their fellow senators to show the world how much Argentina has matured. "Society has grown up. We aren't the same as we were before," Sen. Daniel Filmus said. Same-sex civil unions have been legalized in Uruguay and some states in Mexico and Brazil , and the Colombian Constitutional Court has granted same-sex couples inheritance rights and allowed them to add their partners to health insurance plans. Mexico City went even further, not only legalizing gay marriage but launching a tourism campaign to encourage foreigners to come and wed. On Thursday, Mexico City officials offered a free honeymoon in Mexico to the first gay couple to wed under the new Argentine law. Argentina doesn't allow non-resident foreigners to tie the knot, but it is likely to draw more gay tourists who already spend millions in the country's economy, said Pablo De Luca, founder of the Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce in Buenos Aires.

"The fact that we are the first country in Latin America that respects the rights of the gay community by law sends a solid message that makes Argentina even more attractive," said De Luca, who estimates that 18 percent of the tourists who come to Argentina are gay or lesbian. Argentina now sets a new standard for other countries in the hemisphere. "Today's historic vote shows how far Catholic Argentina has come, from dictatorship to true democratic values, and how far the freedom-to-marry movement has come, as 12 countries on four continents now embrace marriage equality," said Evan Wolfson, who runs the U.S. Freedom to Marry lobby. Wolfson urged U.S. lawmakers to follow suit: "America should lead, not lag, when it comes to treating everyone equally under the law." Gay activists in neighboring Chile hope Argentina's milestone will improve chances for a gay-marriage law currently in committee in their own Congress. "Argentina's political class has provided a lesson to the rest of Latin America," said Rolando Jimenez in the Chilean capital, Santiago.

"We hope our own countries and political parties will learn that the human rights of sexual minorities are undeniable." Activists in Paraguay plan to propose a similar law in October, said Martin Viveros of the group Somosgay. And in Uruguay, gays unsatisfied with the partial civil-union rights are preparing legislation to replace "man and woman" with references to "spouse" throughout the civil code. Still, many Argentines, especially outside the capital, remain firmly opposed to gay marriage, and while the president's confrontation with the Roman Catholic Church may play well in the socially liberal Buenos Aires, the vote may encourage fissures in her ruling coalition. Some opposition leaders accused Fernandez and Kirchner of trying to gain votes in next year's presidential elections, when Kirchner is expected to run again. ___ Associated Press Writers Bridget Huber, Almudena Calatrava and Debora Rey in Buenos Aires; Eva Vergara in Santiago, Chile; Pedro Servin in Asuncion, Paraguay; and Raul O. Garces in Montevideo, Uruguay, contributed to this report.

Advertisement Argentina legalizes same-sex marriage - CNN.com Argentina legalizes same-sex marriage By the CNN Wire Staff Same-sex marriage in Argentina Senate passes bill after hours-long debate Congress had already passed the bill President Kirchner says she will sign the bill Argentina is a majority Roman Catholic country (CNN) -- Argentina became the first Latin American country on Thursday to legalize same-sex marriage. Lawmakers in the Senate passed the bill after 14 hours of debate that began Wednesday and carried well into early Thursday morning, the state-run Telam news agency reported. The bill had already passed the lower chamber of Congress. It gives same-sex couples equal marriage rights, including the ability to adopt children. The law was backed by the center-left government of President Cristina Kirchner, who has said she will sign it. The majority Roman Catholic country follows a few others around the world where same-sex marriage is legal. Among them are the Netherlands, Belgium and Spain.

Video: Argentina Legalizes Same-Sex Marriage RELATED TOPICS Argentine Senate backs bill legalising gay marriage - BBC News BBC News Argentine Senate backs bill legalising gay marriage 15 July 2010 Close share panel Media captionSupporters of the legalisation of gay marriage celebrate in the streets in Argentina Argentina has become the first country in Latin America to legalise gay marriage after the Senate voted in favour. The country's Chamber of Deputies had already approved the legislation. The vote in the Senate, which backed the bill by just six votes, came after 14 hours of at times heated debate. The law, which also allows same-sex couples to adopt, had met with fierce opposition from the Catholic Church and other religious groups. The legislation, backed by President Cristina Fernandez's centre-left government, passed by 33 votes to 27 with three abstentions. Image caption There were demonstrations for and against the bill outside Congress as senators debated Outside Congress, as the debate continued into the early hours of Thursday, supporters and opponents of the bill held rival demonstrations.

"Nearly every political and social figure has spoken out in favour of marriage equality," said Maria Rachid, president of the Argentine Federation of Lesbians, Gays, Bisexuals and Transsexuals. "And we hope that the Senate reflects this and that Argentina, from today forward, is a more just country for all families," she told the Associated Press. All that my boyfriend and I want is to adopt a child and be accepted by society Lionel, Cordoba, Argentina Your comments Q&A: Argentina gay marriage law Ines Frank, from a group called Argentine Families Argentina, said opposition was not discrimination "because the essence of a family is between two people of opposite sexes". There have been several gay marriages recently in Argentina, some of which were annulled by the Supreme Court, creating a legal controversy. Civil unions between people of the same sex are legal in Buenos Aires and in some other provinces but there was no law to regulate it on a country-wide level. Argentina's capital is widely considered to be among the most gay-friendly cities in Latin America. It was the first Latin American city to legalise same-sex unions. Same-sex civil unions are also legal in Uruguay and some states in Brazil and Mexico, while gay marriage is legal in Mexico City.

New Zealand legalises gay marriage | SBS News New Zealand legalises gay marriage New Zealand has voted to legalise gay marriage, making them the first Asia-Pacific nation to do so. Source: Parliament has voted to legalise gay marriage in New Zealand, making it the 13th country to allow it and the first in the Asia-Pacific. Gay marriage is legal in New Zealand. The 77-44 vote in parliament on Wednesday night was greeted with cheers and applause from packed public galleries and kicked off celebrations around the country. New Zealand is the 13th country to legalise gay marriage and the first in the Asia-Pacific. More than 1000 Australian same-sex couples say they will cross the Tasman to tie the knot. "Now that marriage equality is only three hours away there will be a flood of couples flying to New Zealand," said Australian Marriage Equality spokesman Rodney Croome. NZ Labour's gay MP Louisa Wall promoted the Marriage (Definition of Marriage) Amendment Bill and it was passed on conscience votes, with no instructions from parties. Prime Minister John Key was one of those supporting it.

MPs have been under intense pressure from churches and moral conservative lobby groups during the past few weeks but the final vote was almost identical to those cast during the bill's previous three stages. "Excluding a group in society from marriage is oppressive and unacceptable," Ms Wall said when she launched the third reading debate. "This is not about church teachings or philosophy, it never was. The principles of justice and equality aren't served if the key institution of marriage is reserved for heterosexuals only." The Green Party's gay MP Kevin Hague said he had been with his partner for nearly 29 years. "Until this day a basic human right has been denied us," he said. "The consequences of this bill will be that same sex couples will marry, transgender people will no longer have to divorce, prejudice and violence will be undermined, the world will be a better place and absolutely no one will be any worse off." National's Maurice Williamson, a strong supporter, said he had been appalled by some of the lobbying. "I had a letter saying I was going to burn in the fires of hell, some of the bullying tactics were really evil." NZ First leader Winston Peters again called for a referendum.

"Some say there is a groundswell for change, but how do we know that?" he said. "New Zealand is supposed to be a democracy and what we are about to do is circumvent any expression of public opinion." Mr Peters and his MPs voted against the bill. Nearly all the MPs who spoke in the debate supported the bill. One who didn't was National's Jonathan Young. "History has invested significant tradition in marriage and I believe we should maintain that tradition," he said. "This issue isn't as clear as some people think, many are struggling with it and the community is more divided than this parliament." Although Wednesday night's vote put the bill into law, gay couples who want to marry will have to wait a while. The Department of Internal Affairs which handles births, deaths and marriages has been given four months to get its act together and prepare the procedures and licence forms. Ms Wall expects there will be a rush. "The first week of August could work for a lot of people," she told NZ Newswire.

GAY MARRIAGE ACROSS THE WORLD With New Zealand becoming the first country in the Asia-Pacific region to legalise same-sex marriage , here is a breakdown of nations with similar laws on the books: - NETHERLANDS: On April 1, 2001 the Netherlands became the first country in the world to legalise same-sex marriage , with the same rights as heterosexuals. Includes the right to adoption. - BELGIUM: Homosexual couples in Belgium have almost the same rights as heterosexuals. They won the right to marry in 2003 and in 2006 parliament voted into law a bill allowing homosexual couples to adopt children. - SPAIN: In 2005 Spain became the third member of the European Union to pass a law allowing same-sex marriage s. Gay couples can adopt children, whether they are married or not. - CANADA: Canada adopted a national law allowing gays to marry and adopt in July 2005 though most provinces had already allowed same-sex unions before that date. - SOUTH AFRICA: The country legalised same-sex unions and adoptions by gay couples in November 2006, becoming the first African nation to do so.

- NORWAY: A 2009 law allowed homosexuals to marry and adopt children. Civil partnerships have existed in the country for 20 years. - SWEDEN: Sweden's homosexuals have been allowed to wed in religious or civil ceremonies since May 2009. - PORTUGAL: Under a 2010 law Portugal legalised gay marriage, while excluding the right to adoption. - ICELAND: Prime Minister Johanna Sigurdardottir married her long-time partner in June 2010 as a new law legalising homosexual marriages came into force. Same sex couples who have lived together for at least five years have had the right to adopt children since 2006. - ARGENTINA: Gays in Argentina became the first on the South American continent to be able to wed and adopt, after legislation passed on July 14, 2010. - DENMARK: Denmark, the first country in the world to allow gay couples to enter into civil unions in 1989, voted overwhelmingly in favour of allowing homosexuals to marry in the state Evangelical Lutheran Church in June 2012.

- URUGUAY: Uruguay voted this month to allow same-sex marriage s nationwide, making it only the second Latin American country to do so. -- PARTIAL RULES -- Gay couples can marry in nine US states, as well as in the capital Washington, while parts of Mexico and Brazil also allow same-sex marriage . -- EXPECTED SOON -- - FRANCE: France's upper house Senate voted last week to approve a landmark bill granting homosexual couples the right to marry and adopt, putting the bill on track to become law within weeks. - BRITAIN: British lawmakers voted in February in favour of controversial legislation allowing gay marriage despite fierce opposition from members of Prime Minister David Cameron's Conservative party. The bill must next be scrutinised by a committee of lawmakers and then go before the upper chamber the House of Lords before becoming law. -- CIVIL UNIONS -- A number of other countries have adopted laws that recognise civil partnerships and give couples more or less the same rights as heterosexuals.

Countries to have recognised civil unions without yet accepting gay marriage include Germany (2001), Finland (2002), the Czech Republic (2006), Switzerland (2007) and Colombia and Ireland (both 2011) Same-sex marriage: How many countries allow gay marriage? Home / Modern families / Same-sex marriage: How many countries allow gay marriage? Same-sex marriage: How many countries allow gay marriage? Posted on A number of countries have legalized same-sex marriage. Others allow for same-sex civil partnerships. 1. The Netherlands The first legal gay marriage in the world took place in Amsterdam in the Netherlands on April 1, 2001. 2. Belgium Belgium legalized gay marriage shortly after the Netherlands in 2003. 3 and 4. Spain and Canada The first same-sex couple married in Spain in 2005. National legislation was passed in Canada to allow for same-sex marriage in 2005. 5. South Africa South Africa was the first African country to legalize gay marriage in 2006. 6 and 7. Norway and Sweden Norway and Sweden legalized gay marriage three years later in 2009.

8, 9, 10. Portugal, Iceland and Argentina In the following year (2010) three more countries legalized gay marriage: Portugal, Iceland and Argentina. Argentina became the first Latin American country in the world to legalize gay marriage. 11. Denmark finally past the post Same-sex marriage became legal in Denmark in June 2012. This law was passed 23 years after their civil partnership act in 1989. 12 and 13. Uruguay and New Zealand The second Latin American country to legalize gay marriage was Uruguay . This happened in April 2013. The marriage equality law was approved by the Senate 23 votes to eight. The second country to legalize gay marriage in 2013 was New Zealand. The bill passed with a wide majority. Seventy votes in favor and 44 against. New Zealand was the first country in the Asia Pacific region to legalize gay marriage. 14. France France’s upper house of parliament voted to legalize gay marriage in April 2013. They approved the bill with small changes. The bill was passed in the lower house in May 2013.

France was the fourteenth country to legalize same-sex marriage. 15. Brazil Brazil also legalized same-sex marriage in 2013. This happened in May. This development followed years of having the rights of same-sex couples in the spotlight. In 2011 same-sex couples were legally entitled to legal recognition of their relationship but only if they lived together. It wasn’t until May 2013 when a ruling required civil registers in Brazil to perform same-sex marriages. 16. The UK In 2013 the UK government backed a bill to legalize gay marriage. The Queen’s Royal Assent was granted to the bill on July 18th 2013. The bill became law once its Royal Assent was announced in both the House of Commons and the House of Lords. The House of Lords formally approved the bill on July 15th 2013. The bill went back to the House of Commons for final approval on July 16th 2013 to ensure protections for transgender couples. The new law enabled married individuals to change their legal gender without having to end their marriage. Established Churches of England and Wales are still banned from conducting same-sex marriage.

Regardless, the first gay wedding took place one minute past midnight on Saturday March 29th 2014. 17. Luxembourg A Partenariat (PACS), which is a legal alternative to marriage, was available to heterosexual and same-sex couples in Luxembourg in 1994. Ten years later lawmakers in Luxembourg approved same-sex marriage in June 2014. The same-sex marriage bill passed with a majority of 56 votes to four votes. 18. Ireland Ireland was the first country in the world to approve same-sex marriage by a referendum. Voters were asked whether to add to the Constitution that “marriage may be contracted in accordance with law by two persons without distinction as to their sex.” The referendum took place on May 22nd 2015. All major political parties supported the change. It was approved by over one million voters (1,201,607 people or 62% of voters). 19. The USA The US Supreme Court ruled on Friday June 26th 2015 that all Americans, no matter their gender or sexual orientation, are legally allowed to marry. The ruling passed five votes to four.

The change followed decades of campaigning to ensure civil marriage rights for same-sex couples. Campaigning for this started in the US in the seventies. The 2015 ruling stated that all states must issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples. They must also recognize same-sex unions that have been legally performed in other states. The ruling followed on from the repeal of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) two years earlier in June 2013. The repeal of DOMA meant that the US federal government recognized same-sex marriage . However, US states were still able to make their own decisions regarding the legalization of same-sex marriage. The justices presiding over the 2015 ruling said that same-sex marriage protects families as “without the recognition, stability, and predictability marriage offers, children suffer the stigma of knowing their families are somehow lesser.” Recognition in countries In some countries same-sex marriage can only be legally performed in some states or it is only recognized in some states. This is the case in Mexico where same-sex marriages are recognized by all states and the federal government, but same-sex marriages can only take place in Mexico City and Quintana Roo. Israel recognizes same-sex marriages performed in other countries.

Since June 2014, same-sex couples have been able to use British law to marry in Australia. But, Australians in same-sex relationships can’t marry under Australian law. Same-sex civil unions are allowed in Malta. The first civil union in Malta took place in 2014. Growing support for same-sex marriage The number of countries that legalize gay marriage keep growing. In Slovenia, a bill to legalize same-sex marriage has been pending since March 2015. A bill to legalize same-sex marriage in Finland was approved in 2014 and is due to take effect in 2017. The number of countries that legalize same-sex civil unions is increasing. The body of research that shows the benefits of these developments is growing. These changes are, in part, due to the tireless efforts of all the campaigners who champion LGBTI rights around the globe. Pink Families acknowledges their contribution. These changes make a tangible difference to the lives of many families and individuals. Watch one of our favorite films that supports the legalization of same-sex marriage. This film is from Australia, a country where same-sex marriage isn’t legal. The film is from Get Up! Action for Australia. Tagged

Question: Which was the first Latin-American country to legalise same-sex marriage?
Answer: Argentina