Gay Marriage US Supreme Court Ruling: Countries Where Gays Can Marry © 2017 Time Inc. All rights reserved. Powered by WordPress.com VIP YOU BROKE TIME.COM! Dear TIME Reader, As a regular visitor to TIME.com, we are sure you enjoy all the great journalism created by our editors and reporters. Great journalism has great value, and it costs money to make it. One of the main ways we cover our costs is through advertising. The use of software that blocks ads limits our ability to provide you with the journalism you enjoy. Consider turning your Ad Blocker off so that we can continue to provide the world class journalism you have become accustomed to. The TIME Team Supreme Court Declares Same-Sex Marriage Legal In All 50 States : The Two-Way : NPR Supreme Court Declares Same-Sex Marriage Legal In All 50 States Embed Embed Enlarge this image Same-sex marriage supporters rejoice outside the Supreme Court in Washington, D.C., on Friday after the U.S Supreme Court handed down a ruling regarding same-sex marriage. The high court ruled that same-sex couples have the right to marry in all 50 states.

Alex Wong/Getty Images hide caption toggle caption Alex Wong/Getty Images Same-sex marriage supporters rejoice outside the Supreme Court in Washington, D.C., on Friday after the U.S Supreme Court handed down a ruling regarding same-sex marriage. The high court ruled that same-sex couples have the right to marry in all 50 states. Alex Wong/Getty Images States cannot keep same-sex couples from marrying and must recognize their unions, the Supreme Court says in a ruling that for months has been the focus of speculation. The decision was 5-4. Justice Anthony Kennedy, seen as a pivotal swing vote in the case, wrote the majority opinion. All four justices who voted against the ruling wrote their own dissenting opinions: Chief Justice John Roberts and Justices Antonin Scalia, Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito. "They ask for equal dignity in the eyes of the law," Kennedy wrote of same-sex couples in the case. "The Constitution grants them that right." Comparing the ruling to other landmark decisions, NPR's Nina Totenberg says, "This is probably right up there with Brown v. Board of Education, and Roe v. Wade — if you like it or hate it — and today, Obergefell v. Hodges.

This was a historic moment." Supreme Court Declares Same-Sex Marriage Legal In All 50 States Embed Embed <iframe src="" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player"> The opinion includes more than 100 pages; we've embedded it near the bottom of this post. Update at 11:30 a.m. ET: 'Our Love Is Equal,' Obergefell Says Friday's ruling "affirms what millions across this country already know to be true in their hearts: our love is equal," says lead plaintiff Jim Obergefell, who challenged Ohio's ban on same-sex marriage. Article continues after sponsorship Obergefell continued, "the four words etched onto the front of the Supreme Court — 'equal justice under law' — apply to us, too." He filed suit because he wasn't allowed to put his name on his late husband John Arthur's death certificate after Arthur died from ALS.

Holding a photograph of Arthur as he spoke Friday, Obergefell said, "No American should have to suffer that indignity." Obergefell has been traveling from Cincinnati to Washington every week, to be sure he would be in the court when a decision was announced in his case. Update at 11:15 a.m. ET: 'Like A Thunderbolt,' Obama Says Speaking at the White House , President Obama praised the Supreme Court's ruling, saying it arrived "like a thunderbolt" after a series of back-and-forth battles over same-sex marriage. Obama says the ruling "will strengthen all of our communities" by offering dignity and equal status to all same-sex couples and their families. The president calls the ruling "a victory for America." Update at 10:37 a.m. ET: More On The Ruling, And Obama's Reaction "The ancient origins of marriage confirm its centrality, but it has not stood in isolation from developments in law and society," Kennedy wrote. His opinion sketches a history of how ideas of marriage have evolved along with the changing roles and legal status of women.

Comparing that evolution to society's views of gays and lesbians, Kennedy noted that for years, "a truthful declaration by same-sex couples of what was in their hearts had to remain unspoken." "The nature of injustice is that we may not always see it in our own times," Kennedy wrote after recounting the legal struggles faced by same-sex partners. The Supreme Court said that the right to marry is fundamental — and Kennedy wrote that under the 14th Amendment's protections, "couples of the same-sex may not be deprived of that right and that liberty." In his dissent, Roberts wrote that the court had taken an "extraordinary step" in deciding not to allow states to decide the issue for themselves, saying that the Constitution does not define marriage. Calling the ruling "deeply disheartening," Roberts said that those on the winning side of the issue should celebrate a victory — "But do not celebrate the Constitution," he wrote. "It had nothing to do with it." Justice Scalia said the Supreme Court's "highly unrepresentative panel of nine" had violated "a principle even more fundamental than no taxation without representation." We've covered those dissents in a separate post .

Welcoming the news on Twitter, President Obama wrote, "Today is a big step in our march toward equality. Gay and lesbian couples now have the right to marry, just like anyone else. #LoveWins ." Our original post continues: The justices ruled in Obergefell v. Hodges , which is linked to three other same-sex marriage cases that rose up through the court system. Together, they involve a dozen couples who challenged same-sex marriage bans in Ohio, Michigan, Kentucky and Tennessee — the only states with bans on marriage between gay and lesbian couples that had been sustained by a federal appeals court. Friday's ruling overturned that decision by the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals. As the Supreme Court's summary states, "The history of marriage is one of both continuity and change." The justices had been asked to decide whether the 14th Amendment requires states to a) license same-sex marriages and b) recognize such unions that were made in other states. The 14th Amendment , we'll remind you, was ratified shortly after the Civil War. It has to do with U.S. citizenship — and with providing equal protection for all citizens.

Before Friday's ruling, gay marriage had already been made legal in 37 states and the District of Columbia — by either legislative or voter action or by federal courts that overturned state' bans. As NPR's Nina Totenberg reported when the Supreme Court heard the current case back in April, conservative justices had pointed questions for the attorneys: "Justice Scalia asked whether ministers would be able to refuse to marry two gay men. The answer was that it has to be worked out under state laws. He said, but that could happen — it could happen that a minister would be forced to marry two gay men, in violation of his beliefs. "Justice Alito asked, well then why not marry four gay men together? Why just two?" The ruling announced Friday adds new definition to an issue that has remained controversial even as an increasing number of Americans say they support equal marriage rights for same-sex couples. A recent Gallup poll found that 60 percent of Americans — an all-time high — support extending the same rights and privileges to same-sex marriages as traditional ones. That figure included "37 percent of Republicans, 64 percent of independents, and 76 percent of Democrats," as we reported last month .

And it included all age groups except for one: those 65 and over. The court noted the change in thinking, stating: "Well into the 20th century, many States condemned same-sex intimacy as immoral, and homosexuality was treated as an illness. Later in the century, cultural and political developments allowed same-sex couples to lead more open and public lives. Extensive public and private dialogue followed, along with shifts in public attitudes. Questions about the legal treatment of gays and lesbians soon reached the courts, where they could be discussed in the formal discourse of the law." For supporters of same-sex marriage, Friday's ruling comes as a long-awaited bookend to the Supreme Court's 2013 ruling that struck down the federal Defense of Marriage Act and required the U.S. government to provide the same benefits to both gay and heterosexual couples. Supreme Court rules states must allow same-sex marriage - CNNPolitics.com 1 of 33 Photos: Same-sex marriage in the U.S. Shante Wolfe, left, and Tori Sisson become the first same-sex couple to file their marriage license in Montgomery, Alabama, on February 9, 2015. However, seven months after the U.S.

Supreme Court ruling legalizing such nuptials nationwide, Alabama Chief Justice Roy Moore directed probate judges in his state to enforce the ban on same-sex marriage. Gay rights organizations swiftly denounced Moore's January 6, 2016, order. Hide Caption 2 of 33 Photos: Same-sex marriage in the U.S. Newlyweds Jeff Delmay and Todd Delmay hug during a marriage ceremony in a Miami courtroom January 5, 2015. Florida began allowing same-sex marriages after a federal judge struck down the state's ban. Hide Caption 3 of 33 Photos: Same-sex marriage in the U.S. Chad Biggs, left, and Chris Creech say their wedding vows at the Wake County Courthouse in Raleigh, North Carolina, on October 10, 2014, after a federal judge ruled that same-sex marriage can begin in the state. Hide Caption 4 of 33 Photos: Same-sex marriage in the U.S. Joshua Gunter, right, and Bryan Shields attend a Las Vegas rally to celebrate an appeals court ruling that overturned Nevada's same-sex marriage ban on October 7, 2014.

Hide Caption 5 of 33 Photos: Same-sex marriage in the U.S. From left, plaintiffs Moudi Sbeity; his partner, Derek Kitchen; Kody Partridge; and Partridge's wife, Laurie Wood, celebrate after a news conference in Salt Lake City on October 6, 2014. The U.S. Supreme Court cleared the way for same-sex marriage in Utah when it declined to hear the state's appeal of a lower court ruling. Hide Caption 6 of 33 Photos: Same-sex marriage in the U.S. Abbi Huber, left, and Talia Frolkis exit the City County Building in Madison, Wisconsin, after applying for a marriage license on October 6, 2014. Hide Caption 7 of 33 Photos: Same-sex marriage in the U.S. Rob MacPherson, right, and his husband, Steven Stolen, hug during a news conference at the American Civil Liberties Union in Indianapolis on October 6, 2014. Hide Caption 8 of 33 Photos: Same-sex marriage in the U.S.

Mary Bishop, second from left, and Sharon Baldwin, right, celebrate with family and friends following their wedding ceremony on the courthouse steps in Tulsa, Oklahoma, on October 6, 2014. Hide Caption 9 of 33 Photos: Same-sex marriage in the U.S. Jennifer Melsop, left, and Erika Turner kiss after they were married in front of the Arlington County Courthouse in Arlington, Virginia, on October 6, 2014. Hide Caption 10 of 33 Photos: Same-sex marriage in the U.S. Pastor Carol Hill from Epworth United Methodist Church speaks during a marriage-equality ceremony at the Kathy Osterman Beach in Chicago on June 1, 2014. The date marked the first day that all of Illinois' 102 counties could begin issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples. Hide Caption 11 of 33 Photos: Same-sex marriage in the U.S. William Roletter, left, and Paul Rowe get close after having their photo taken with their marriage certificate May 21, 2014, at Philadelphia City Hall. Hide Caption 12 of 33 Photos: Same-sex marriage in the U.S.

Julie Engbloom, left, and Laurie Brown embrace after marrying in Portland, Oregon, on May 19, 2014. A federal judge struck down the state's voter-approved ban on same-sex marriage. Hide Caption 13 of 33 Photos: Same-sex marriage in the U.S. Jennifer Rambo, right, kisses her Kristin Seaton after their marriage ceremony in front of the Carroll County Courthouse in Eureka Springs, Arkansas, on May 10, 2014. Rambo and Seaton were the first same-sex couple to be granted a marriage license in Eureka Springs after a judge overturned Amendment 83, which banned same-sex marriage in Arkansas. Hide Caption 14 of 33 Photos: Same-sex marriage in the U.S. Same-sex couples get their marriage licenses at the Oakland County Courthouse in Pontiac, Michigan, on March 22, 2014, a day after a federal judge overturned Michigan's ban on same-sex marriage. Hide Caption 15 of 33 Photos: Same-sex marriage in the U.S. On November 13, 2013, Hawaii Gov.

Neil Abercrombie, left, and former state Sen. Avery Chumbley celebrate with a copy of the Honolulu Star-Advertiser after Abercrombie signed a bill legalizing same-sex marriage in the state. Hide Caption 16 of 33 Photos: Same-sex marriage in the U.S. Utah state Sen. Jim Dabakis, left, and Stephen Justesen acknowledge the crowd after being married in Salt Lake City in December 20, 2013. Hide Caption 17 of 33 Photos: Same-sex marriage in the U.S. Plaintiffs Laurie Wood, left, and Kody Partridge, center, walk with attorney Peggy Tomsic on December 4, 2013, after a judge heard arguments challenging Utah's same-sex marriage ban. Hide Caption 18 of 33 Photos: Same-sex marriage in the U.S. On October 21, 2013, Cory Booker, right, officiates a wedding ceremony for Joseph Panessidi, center, and Orville Bell at the Newark, New Jersey, City Hall.

The New Jersey Supreme Court denied the state's request to prevent same-sex marriages temporarily, clearing the way for same-sex couples to marry. Hide Caption 19 of 33 Photos: Same-sex marriage in the U.S. A couple celebrates at San Francisco City Hall upon hearing about the U.S. Supreme Court rulings on same-sex marriage on June 26, 2013. The high court cleared the way for same-sex couples in California to resume marrying after dismissing an appeal on Proposition 8 on jurisdictional grounds. The court also struck down a key part of the Defense of Marriage Act, a 1996 federal law defining marriage as between a man and a woman. Hide Caption 20 of 33 Photos: Same-sex marriage in the U.S. At the state Capitol in St. Paul, Minnesota, Gov. Mark Dayton signs a bill legalizing same-sex marriage on May 14, 2013. Hide Caption 21 of 33 Photos: Same-sex marriage in the U.S. Delaware Gov. Jack Markell holds up legislation on May 7, 2013, allowing same-sex couples to wed in the state.

Hide Caption 22 of 33 Photos: Same-sex marriage in the U.S. Rhode Island state Sen. Donna Nesselbush, right, embraces a supporter after the Marriage Equality Act was signed into law at the statehouse in Providence on May 2, 2013. Hide Caption 23 of 33 Photos: Same-sex marriage in the U.S. Jamous Lizotte, right, and Steven Jones pose for photos while waiting for a marriage license in Portland, Maine, on December 29, 2012. Hide Caption 24 of 33 Photos: Same-sex marriage in the U.S. On March 1, 2012, Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley, center, shakes hands with Senate President Thomas V. "Mike" Miller after signing a same-sex marriage bill. The law was challenged, but voters approved marriage equality in a November 2012 referendum. Hide Caption 25 of 33 Photos: Same-sex marriage in the U.S. On February 13, 2012, Washington Gov. Chris Gregoire celebrates after signing marriage-equality legislation into law.

Voters there approved same-sex marriage in November 2012, defeating a challenge by opponents. Hide Caption 26 of 33 Photos: Same-sex marriage in the U.S. Phyllis Siegel, right, kisses her wife, Connie Kopelov, after exchanging vows at the Manhattan City Clerk's office on July 24, 2011, the first day New York's Marriage Equality Act went into effect. Hide Caption 27 of 33 Photos: Same-sex marriage in the U.S. On August 21, 2010, TV reporter Roby Chavez, right, shares a moment with gay rights activist Frank Kameny during Chavez and Chris Roe's wedding ceremony in the nation's capital. Same-sex marriage became legal in Washington in March 2010. Hide Caption 28 of 33 Photos: Same-sex marriage in the U.S. Olin Burkhart, left, and Carl Burkhart kiss on the steps of the New Hampshire Capitol on January 1, 2010, after the state's law allowing same-sex marriage went into effect. Hide Caption 29 of 33 Photos: Same-sex marriage in the U.S.

In May 2009, Maine state Sen. Dennis Damon, left, hands Gov. John Baldacci the bill that the state Senate passed to affirm the right of same-sex couples to marry. Hide Caption 30 of 33 Photos: Same-sex marriage in the U.S. Amy Klein-Matheny, left, and her wife, Jennifer, exchange vows in Iowa after same-sex couples were allowed to marry there with an April 3, 2009, court ruling. Hide Caption 31 of 33 Photos: Same-sex marriage in the U.S. Michael Miller, left, and Ross Zachs marry on the West Hartford Town Hall steps after same-sex marriage became legal in Connecticut on November 12, 2008. Hide Caption US Supreme Court rules gay marriage is legal nationwide - BBC News BBC News US Supreme Court rules gay marriage is legal nationwide 27 June 2015 Close share panel Media captionThe morning gay marriage came to the US The US Supreme Court has ruled that same-sex marriage is a legal right across the United States. It means the 14 states with bans on same-sex marriage will no longer be able to enforce them.

Justice Anthony Kennedy wrote that the plaintiffs asked "for equal dignity in the eyes of the law. The Constitution grants them that right." The ruling brings to an end more than a decade of bitter legal battles. Same-sex couples in several affected states including Georgia, Michigan, Ohio and Texas rushed to wed on Friday. However officials in other states, including Mississippi and Louisiana, said marriages had to wait until procedural issues were addressed. President Barack Obama said the ruling was a "victory for America". "When all Americans are treated as equal, we are all more free " he said. Media captionPresident Obama: "This ruling will strengthen all our communities" However, Christian conservatives condemned the decision. Former Arkansas governor and presidential candidate Mike Huckabee called it "an out-of-control act of unconstitutional, judicial tyranny". And Kellie Fiedorek, a lawyer for an anti-gay marriage advocacy group, said the decision "ignored the voices of thousands of Americans". Greg Abbott, the governor of Texas, a state where marriages licences will now be issued to same-sex couples, said the justices "have imposed on the entire country their personal views on an issue that the Constitution and the Court's previous decisions reserve to the people of the states".

Media captionEmotion of winners and losers outside Supreme Court At the scene - Paul Blake, BBC News Loud cheers erupted outside the court after the ruling was announced, and there were tears, hugs, and cheers of "USA USA USA!". A sea of rainbow flags overwhelmed the few anti-gay marriage activists who reacted in disbelief, and the demonstration seemed to turn into a street party. A tour bus drove past honking as hundreds cheered the decision. One of the demonstrators, Jordan Monaghan, called his mother from his mobile phone amid the celebrations. "Hey mom, I'm at the Supreme Court. Your son can have a husband now," Mr Monaghan said. Image caption Jordan Monaghan told his mum: "Your son can have a husband now." Minutes after the ruling, couples in one of the states that had a ban, Georgia, lined up in hope of being wed. In Texas, Yasmin Menchaca and her partner Catherine Andrews told the BBC that they are "trying to round up our parents" in order to get married on Friday. The two have been together for six years, and had attempted to marry in Washington state - but decided to wait because of the financial burden of flying their parents across the country.

On social media, Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton merely tweeted the word "proud" and the White House changed its Twitter avatar into the rainbow colours. The case considered by the court concerned Jim Obergefell, an Ohio resident who was not recognised as the legal widower of his late husband, John Arthur. "It's my hope that gay marriage will soon be a thing of the past, and from this day forward it will simply be 'marriage,'" an emotional Mr Obergefell said outside the court. Image copyright AP Image caption Couples in some parts of Texas were able to get married States affected: Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, most of Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, Tennessee and Texas. The first state to allow same-sex marriage was Massachusetts, which granted the right in 2004. In recent years, a wave of legal rulings and a dramatic shift in public opinion have expanded gay marriage in the US. In 2012, the high court struck down a federal anti same-sex marriage law.

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 Supreme Court: Gay Marriage Bans Are Unconstitutional | The Texas Tribune Donate Supreme Court: Gay Marriage Bans Are Unconstitutional Handing gay rights advocates a monumental victory, the U.S. Supreme Court on Friday ruled that marriages between couples of the same sex cannot be prohibited by states, a decision that overrides Texas’ ban on gay marriage.

9:07 AM Vic Holmes and Mark Phariss of Plano at an LBJ Library press conference celebrating the U.S. Supreme Court decision legalizing same-sex marriage on June 26, 2015. Holmes and Phariss had sued Texas over its same-sex marriage ban. Bob Daemmrich Editor's note: This story has been updated throughout. Handing gay rights advocates a monumental victory, the U.S. Supreme Court on Friday ruled that marriages between couples of the same sex cannot be prohibited by states, a decision that overrides Texas’ long-standing ban on gay marriage. In a 5-4 ruling, the high court found that same-sex couples have a constitutional right to marry and that states must license a marriage between two people of the same sex. "Today’s victory will bring joy to tens of thousands of Texans and their families who have the same dreams for marriage as any others," Chuck Smith, executive director for the gay rights group Equality Texas, said in a statement. "We hope state officials move swiftly to implement the Constitution’s command in the remaining 13 states with marriage discrimination." The Texas Tribune thanks its sponsors. Become one .

Though the Supreme Court ruled specifically on four gay marriage cases out of a Cincinnati-based federal appeals court, its decision legalized gay marriage nationwide, dismaying Texas' Republican leaders. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott vowed in a statement to defend the religious liberties of those who believe marriage is between one man and one woman. "No Texan is required by the Supreme Court’s decision to act contrary to his or her religious beliefs regarding marriage," Abbott said. Hours after the Supreme Court ruling, he issued a directive to state agencies: "The government must never pressure a person to abandon or violate his or her sincerely held religious beliefs regarding a topic such as marriage." He said his directive applies to any agency decision, including granting or denying benefits, entering agency contracts or enforcing state laws and regulations. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton on Thursday asked county clerks in Texas to hold off on issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples until further word from him. On Friday morning, he issued a statement that offered no specifics on that, but suggested that the state's next fight will be to defend those who oppose same-sex marriage based on their religious views. “It is not acceptable that people of faith be exposed to such abuse," Paxton said.

Writing for the majority, Justice Anthony Kennedy wrote that the 14th Amendment requires a state to license a marriage between two people of the same sex, and that the U.S. Constitution does not permit states to bar same-sex couples from marriage. The Texas Tribune thanks its sponsors. Become one . He wrote that same-sex couples are asking for "equal dignity" in the eyes of the law so they are not excluded "from one of civilization's oldest institutions," and that the Constitution grants them that right. "It would misunderstand these men and women to say they disrespect the idea of marriage," Kennedy wrote. "Their plea is that they do respect it, respect it so deeply that they seek to find its fulfillment for themselves." On behalf of the dissenters, Chief Justice John Roberts said the Supreme Court was wrongly intervening in the Democratic process through which state bans were put in place. "There will be consequences to shutting down the political process on an issue of such profound public significance," Roberts wrote. "Closing debate tends to close minds." Roberts added that the same-sex marriage bans did not violate the Constitution's Equal Protection Clause because marriage is a state issue. He criticized the majority for "unnecessarily resolving constitutional questions." "Celebrate the achievement of a desired goal.

Celebrate the opportunity for a new expression of commitment to a partner," Roberts wrote. "Celebrate the availability of new benefits. But do not celebrate the Constitution. It had nothing to do with it." Texas’ ban, which had been on the books for a decade, defined marriage in the state constitution as “solely the union of one man and one woman.” A legal challenge to Texas’ constitutional ban was making its way through the courts. The Texas Tribune thanks its sponsors. Become one . Two same-sex couples had sued Texas over its gay marriage ban, arguing that it did not grant them equal protection as intended by the 14th Amendment. Attorneys for the state of Texas defended the ban, saying it met equal protection laws and that the courts should not undermine a state’s sovereignty to impose such restrictions. The Texas case was among dozens of challenges to state same-sex marriage bans that cropped up and barreled through the judicial system after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down part of the federal Defense of Marriage Act in 2013. The Texas case was among the last to be heard at the appellate level, and it was left pending before the U.S.

5th Circuit Court of Appeals at the time the Supreme Court ruled on the issue. Texas’ gay marriage ban was believed to be on precarious legal ground as appellate courts across the country made gay marriage legal in almost three-quarters of U.S. states. The Texas ban was also dealt a blow last year when U.S. District Judge Orlando L. Garcia of San Antonio found the state’s ban was unconstitutional because it “violates plaintiffs’ equal protection and due process rights.” Anticipating an appeal, Garcia stayed his ruling, leaving the ban in place while the state appealed the case to the 5th Circuit. In light of the Supreme Court's ruling on Friday, Garcia lifted his stay to allow his ruling striking down the ban to go into effect. "The Supreme Court has now made clear that this court was correct, more than 16 months ago, when it held that Texas state law restrictions on same-sex marriage violate the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution," Garcia wrote. In a January hearing, a three-judge panel of the New Orleans-based appellate court signaled significant doubt about the constitutionality of Texas’ gay marriage ban, questioning a state attorney's argument that marriage is a “subsidy” the state has the right to grant and withhold.

Days later, the Supreme Court announced it would hear four gay marriage cases out of the 6th Circuit, which last year ruled in favor of same-sex marriage bans in Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio and Tennessee. Lawyers for Texas and the gay couples suing the state had hoped the appellate court would rule in the Texas case before the high court ruled. On Friday, the gay couples' attorney, Neel Lane, said he still expected a decision from the 5th Circuit "but the outcome is now clear." The case will now be a "footnote in history rather than a chapter in history," Lane said. June 26 was already a historic day for gay rights activists. On that same day in 2003, the Supreme Court struck down Texas' sodomy ban, invalidating it and similar laws across the country. A decade later on the same day, the high court struck down key portions of the Defense of Marriage Act, ruling that same-sex couples were entitled to federal benefits if they lived in states that allow same-sex marriage. On Friday, the plaintiffs in the Texas case gathered in Austin to celebrate the Supreme Court ruling. "It matters that I love him. It's not a trivial thing.

It's not something to be brushed aside as if it were nothing," Vic Holmes, one of the plaintiffs in the case, said before proposing to his longtime partner, Mark Phariss. Though the couple was already planning a November wedding, Phariss accepted. For the other plaintiffs, Nicole Dimetman and Cleopatra DeLeon, the high court's ruling means their 2009 marriage that took place in Massachusetts will now be recognized in Texas. "Our kids will never have to grow up feeling like there's an asterisk next to our marriage certificate," DeLeon said. "We are married and Texas has to accept that." Ally Mutnick contributed to this report. Supreme Court Legalizes Same-Sex Marriage Nationwide – TheBlaze Tweet The Supreme Court has ruled that same-sex couples have the right to get married anywhere in the United States. The 5-4 opinion means that the 14 states that still have same-sex marriage bans on the books may no longer enforce them. Thirty-six states plus the District of Columbia had already legalized gay marriage. Same-sex marriage supporters rejoice after the Supreme Court handed down the ruling that all couples have the right to marry in all 50 states.

(Alex Wong/Getty Images) “No union is more profound than marriage, for it embodies the highest ideals of love, fidelity, devotion, sacrifice and family,” Justice Anthony Kennedy wrote. Kennedy, who has written the last three of the court’s major gay rights rulings, said the 14th Amendment “requires a state to license a marriage between two people of the same sex and to recognize a marriage between two people of the same sex when their marriage was lawfully licensed and performed out of state.” Kennedy wrote for liberal justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Stephen Breyer, Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan. Chief Justice John Roberts and Justices Antonin Scalia, Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito dissented. “In forming a marital union, two people become something greater than once they were,” Kennedy wrote. “As some of the petitioners in these cases demonstrate, marriage embodies a love that may endure even past death. It would misunderstand these men and women to say they disrespect the idea of marriage. Their plea is that they do respect it, respect it so deeply that they seek to find its fulfillment for themselves. Their hope is not to be condemned to live in loneliness, excluded from one of civilization’s oldest institutions.

They ask for equal dignity in the eyes of the law. The Constitution grants them that right.” The chief justice, writing the principal dissent, said the decision has “nothing to do with” the Constitution. “If you are among the many Americans — of whatever sexual orientation — who favor expanding same-sex marriage, by all means celebrate today’s decision,” Roberts wrote. “Celebrate the achievement of a desired goal. Celebrate the opportunity for a new expression of commitment to a partner. Celebrate the availability of new benefits. But do not celebrate the Constitution. It had nothing to do with it.” Massive cheers and shouts of joy went up outside the Supreme Court as word of the decision came down. The Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington launched into the national anthem. VIDEO ( @SabrinaSiddiqui ): Gay men's chorus of Washington DC singing national anthem outside Supreme Court steps pic.twitter.com/ZKHjX6zwUG — TheBlazeNOW (@TheBlazeNOW) June 26, 2015 President Barack Obama reacted moments after the decision was announced with a post on Twitter: “Today is a big step in our march toward equality.

Gay and lesbian couples now have the right to marry, just like anyone else.” Today is a big step in our march toward equality. Gay and lesbian couples now have the right to marry, just like anyone else. #LoveWins — President Obama (@POTUS) June 26, 2015 Speaking in the White House Rose Garden, he declared the ruling “a victory for America.” Obama described the often slow march for progress, then said that “sometimes there are days when that slow steady effort is rewarded with justice that arrives like a thunderbolt.” Jim Obergefell, who was the lead plaintiff in the case after his home state of Ohio refused to recognize him as the widower of his late partner, said outside the court that the ruling “affirms what millions across this country know to be true in our hearts.” “Our love is equal. That the four words etched in the Supreme Court, ‘equal justice under law’ apply to us too,” Obergefell said. Reaction also poured in from the 2016 campaign trail , including from Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker — not yet a declared Republican candidate — who called for a constitutional amendment to put the matter back into the hands of the states.

Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus said the court “failed to recognize the states’ constitutional role in setting marriage policy, instead finding a federal role where there is none. In doing so, they have taken power away from the states and from the people to settle the relevant issues for themselves.” Priebus emphasized the GOP’s belief “in the importance of traditional marriage between a man and a woman and [we] remain committed to finding common ground to champion the family’s role in society.” Supporters of same-sex marriage rally in front of the Supreme Court awaiting a ruling to legalize gay marriage nationwide, June, 25, 2015 in Washington. (Bill O’Leary/The Washington Post via Getty Images) The ruling will not take effect immediately because the court gives the losing side roughly three weeks to ask for reconsideration. But some state officials and county clerks might decide there is little risk in issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples. The cases before the court involved laws from Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio and Tennessee that define marriage as the union of a man and a woman. Those states have not allowed same-sex couples to marry within their borders and they also have refused to recognize valid marriages from elsewhere.

Just two years ago, the Supreme Court struck down part of the federal anti-gay marriage law that denied a range of government benefits to legally married same-sex couples. Kennedy again formed the majority with Ginsburg, Breyer, Sotomayor and Kagan. The earlier decision in United States v. Windsor did not address the validity of state marriage bans, but courts across the country, with few exceptions, said its logic compelled them to invalidate state laws that prohibited gay and lesbian couples from marrying. The number of states allowing same-sex marriage has grown rapidly. As recently as last October, just over one-third of the states permitted it. There are an estimated 390,000 married same-sex couples in the United States, according to UCLA’s Williams Institute, which tracks the demographics of gay and lesbian Americans. Another 70,000 couples living in states that do not currently permit them to wed would get married in the next three years, the institute says. Roughly 1 million same-sex couples, married and unmarried, live together in the United States, the institute says. The Obama administration backed the right of same-sex couples to marry.

The Justice Department’s decision to stop defending the federal anti-marriage law in 2011 was an important moment for gay rights, and Obama declared his support for same-sex marriage in 2012. The states affected by Friday’s ruling are: Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, most of Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, Tennessee and Texas. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Same-sex marriage in the United States Map: Same-sex marriage in the United States Updated 12:05 PM ET, Fri June 26, 2015 In a landmark opinion, a divided Supreme Court ruled on June 26th that states cannot ban same-sex marriage. The U.S. is now the 21st country to legalize same-sex marriage nationwide. Married same-sex couples will now enjoy the same legal rights and benefits as married heterosexual couples and will be recognized on official documents such as birth and death certificates.

Question: Which nation's Supreme Court legalized same sex marriage in June 2015?
Answer: USA