Same Sex Marriages: Worldwide

Same-Sex Marriage has been on hot debate these days. Canada has legalized gay marriage throughout the country, and several states have legalized it in the United States, but what is going on in the rest of the world?

Several European countries have legalized same-sex marriage. The Netherlands, also known as Holland, became the first country to legalize same-sex marriage in 2001. Then, in 2003, Belgium became the second state to legalize same-sex marriage, and also passed a law in 2006 which allows gay or lesbian couples to adopt children. In 2005, Spain extended their marriage rights to also include gay and lesbian couples. In Ireland during 2009, lawmakers were in the process of debating a bill that gave same-sex couples the same rights as heterosexual couples on matters including property ownership, inheritance and medical care. However, this bill does not recognize same-sex couples as being in a civil union. It simply grants long-term couples with similar rights.

Many countries in Eastern Europe do not legally recognize same- sex partnerships at all. These countries include Belarus, Bulgaria, Bosnia, Georgia and Greece. Some European countries, like the Czech Republic, offer domestic partnership. The Czech Republic offers many of the rights given to heterosexual couples, like inheritance and alimony rights, to same-sex couples. However, same-sex couples are still barred from the ability to adopt children and joint property rights.

Same-sex marriage is still in debate in some areas of the world, like Russia and Australia. Russia does not recognize gay marriage. In 2006, two lesbian women tried to have the first gay marriage in Russia, however they were denied. Likewise, in Australia, same-sex marriage is not allowed by federal law. In Tasmania and Victoria couples can apply for domestic partnership, and civil unions are performed in the Australia Capital Territory. In 2008, Australia passed a set of laws that recognize same- sex couples in federal law, and offered them the same rights as unmarried straight couples in the country. Though they receive most of the same rights as married couples in areas like taxation and social security, their partnership is still not recognized as a legal union.