Part of theLGBTQ rights series Notes
^a b Performed in the Netherlands proper (including theCaribbean Netherlands ), as well as inAruba and Curaçao . May be registered inSint Maarten in such cases, but the rights of marriage are not guaranteed. ^ Neither performed nor recognized inTokelau or the associated states of theCook Islands andNiue . ^ Same-sex marriage is also legal in theCrown Dependencies ofGuernsey , theIsle of Man andJersey , and theBritish Overseas Territories ofAkrotiri and Dhekelia , theBritish Antarctic Territory , theBritish Indian Ocean Territory , theFalkland Islands ,Gibraltar , thePitcairn Islands ,Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha , andSouth Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands . Same-sex marriage is not performed in six British Overseas Territories:Anguilla ,Bermuda , theBritish Virgin Islands , theCayman Islands ,Montserrat , and theTurks and Caicos Islands . ^a b Neither performed nor recognized insome tribal nations of the US. Recognized but not performed in several other tribal nations andAmerican Samoa . ^ Registered foreign marriages confer all marriage rights in Israel. Domestic common-law marriages confer most rights of marriage. Domestic civil marriage recognized by some cities. ^a b c d TheComan v. Romania ruling of theEuropean Court of Justice obliges the state to provide residency rights for the foreign spouses ofEU citizens . Some member states, including Romania, do not follow the ruling. ^ A "declaration of family relationship" is available in several of Cambodia's communes which may be useful in matters such as housing, but is not legally binding. ^ Guardianship agreements confer some limited legal benefits in China, including decisions about medical and personal care. ^ Hong Kong provides inheritance, guardianship rights, and residency rights for foreign spouses of legal residents. ^ Indian courts have recognizedguru–shishya ,nata pratha ormaitri karar –type contractual relationships, but they are not legally binding. ^ Most Japanese cities and prefectures issuepartnership certificates , but they are not legally binding. ^ Marriages conducted abroad between a Namibian national and a foreign spouse provide residency rights in Namibia. ^ Romania provides hospital visitation rights through a "legal representative" status.
LGBTQ portal
Many countries in the Americas grant legal recognition to same-sex unions, with almost 85 percent of people in bothNorth America andSouth America living in jurisdictions providing marriage rights to same-sex couples.
In North America, same-sex marriages are recognized and performed without restrictions inCanada ,Costa Rica ,Cuba ,Mexico , and theUnited States .[ nb 1]
Same-sex marriages are also performed in the Dutch territories ofAruba, Curacao ,Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba , the Danish autonomous territory ofGreenland , and in all French overseas departments and collectivities (Guadeloupe ,Martinique ,Saint Barthélemy ,Saint Martin andSaint Pierre and Miquelon ). Furthermore,Sint Maarten recognizes same-sex marriages performed in theNetherlands . The British Territories ofBermuda and the Cayman Islands also perform civil partnerships.
In South America, same-sex marriages are recognized and performed without restrictions inArgentina ,Brazil ,Chile ,Colombia ,Ecuador andUruguay as well as the jurisdictions ofFrench Guiana , theFalkland Islands andSouth Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands . Free unions that are equivalent to marriage have begun to be recognized inBolivia .
Recognition of same-sex unions in North America Marriage
Other type of partnership
States, provinces, and territories performing civil unions in North America Gender-neutral civil unions.
Former civil unions for same-sex couples, replaced by marriage.
Civil unions never performed.
Recognition of same-sex unions in South America Marriage
Other type of partnership
Country subject to
IACHR advisory opinion
Unrecognized
Constitution limits marriage to opposite-sex couples
Same-sex sexual activity illegal, though penalties not enforced
Countries performing civil unions in South America Gender-neutral civil unions.
Civil unions for opposite-sex couples only.
Civil unions never performed.
Homosexuality laws in Central America and the Caribbean Islands. Same-sex marriage
Other type of partnership
Unregistered cohabitation
Country subject to
IACHR advisory opinion
No recognition of same-sex couples
Constitution limits marriage to opposite-sex couples
Same-sex sexual activity illegal but law not enforced
Countries performing civil unions in Central America and the Caribbean Islands Gender-neutral civil unions.
Civil unions for opposite-sex couples only.
Civil unions never performed.
Status Country Legal since Country population(Last count, 2015 est.) Marriage(11 countries) Argentina 2010[ 1] 43,590,400 Brazil 2013[ 2] 205,574,000 Canada 2005[ 3] 35,819,000 Chile 2022[ 4] [ 5] 18,191,900 Colombia 2016[ 6] 48,509,200 Costa Rica 2020[ 7] 4,851,000 Cuba 2022[ 8] 11,252,000 Ecuador 2019[ 9] 16,278,844 Mexico 2022[ 10] 121,006,000 United States 2015[ 11] [ 12] 321,234,000 Uruguay 2013[ 13] 3,480,222 Subtotal — — 829,786,566 (84.62% of the American population) Other form of recognition Bolivia (free unions officially recognised starting in 2020; nationwide since 2023)2023[ 14] 10,985,059 Subtotal — — 10,985,059 (1.12% of the American population)
Total - Countries with some form of recognition of same-sex unions — — 840,771,625 (85.74% of the American population) No recognition(19 countries) Homosexuality is legal Antigua and Barbuda — 89,000 Bahamas — 379,000 Barbados — 283,000 Belize — 369,000 Dominica — 71,000 El Salvador — 6,460,000 Guatemala — 16,176,000 Haiti — 10,994,000 Nicaragua — 6,514,000 Panama — 3,764,000 Peru — 31,488,700 Saint Kitts and Nevis — 46,000 Saint Lucia — 172,000 Suriname — 534,189 Venezuela — 31,648,930 Homosexuality is illegal but legislation is not enforced Grenada — 104,000 Guyana — 746,900 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines — 110,000 Trinidad and Tobago — 1,357,000 Subtotal — 111,306,719 (11.35% of the American population) Constitutional ban on marriage(4 countries) * Homosexuality is illegal Dominican Republic 2010[ 15] 9,980,000 Honduras 2005[ 16] [ 17] 8,950,000 Jamaica *2011[ 18] 2,729,000 Paraguay 1992[ 19] 6,854,536 Subtotal — — 28,513,536 (2.91% of the American population) Total - Countries with no recognition of same-sex unions — — 139,820,255 (14.26% of the American population)
Status Country Jurisdiction Legal since Marriage(60 jurisdictions) Denmark 2016 France 2013 Netherlands 2012 2024 United Kingdom 2014 2017 United States [ note 1] 2015 Varies Other type of partnership(2 jurisdictions) United Kingdom2018 2020 Marriage recognized, but not performed(2 jurisdictions) Netherlands 2007 United Kingdom2025 No recognition(3 jurisdictions) United Kingdom—
2018 Inter-American Court of Human Rights advisory opinion [ edit ] On 9 January 2018, theInter-American Court of Human Rights issued an advisory opinion that states party to theAmerican Convention on Human Rights should grant same-sex couples accession to all existing domestic legal systems of family registration, including marriage, along with all rights that derive from marriage. The opinion was issued after the Government of Costa Rica sought clarification of its obligations to LGBT people under the convention.[ 77] The opinion sets precedent for all 23 member states, 19 of which did not recognize same-sex marriage at the time of the ruling: Barbados, Bolivia, Chile, Costa Rica, Dominica, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Grenada, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, and Suriname. Of these, all but Dominica, Grenada and Jamaica recognize the jurisdiction of the Court.[ 78] The Supreme Courts of Honduras,[ 79] Panama,[ 80] Peru[ 81] and Suriname[ 82] have rejected the IACHR advisory opinion, while the Supreme Courts of Costa Rica and Ecuador adhered to it.
Opposition proposals or proposals without a parliamentary majority [ edit ] Peru : On 20 November 2024, the Justice and Human Rights Commission of the Peruvian parliament approved a proposal aimed at legalizing same-sex civil unions in the country.[ 83]
Indicates the country/territory has legalized same-sex marriage nationwide
Indicates that same-sex marriage is legal in certain parts of the country
Indicates that the country has civil unions or registered partnerships
Indicates that same-sex sexual activity is illegal
^ Note: Whilelisted here under “subnational level,”US Tribes are considered Nations both in a legal sense and when it comes to preferred language. The United States Government recognizes US Tribal Nations as “Domestic Dependent Nations” under the law in a government-to government relationship. Tribal nations exercise sovereignty, though Congress has ultimate authority under the Plenary Power Doctrine which is why tribal nations are placed here under an imperfect multi-purpose umbrella term[ 26] [ 27] [ 28] ^a b Also comprises: Don't know; No answer; Other; Refused. ^a b c [+ more urban/educated than representative] ^ (in Spanish) Ley 26.618 ^ (in Portuguese) DIÁRIO DA JUSTIÇA CONSELHO NACIONAL DE JUSTIÇA Edição nº 89/2013 ^ "Canada passes bill to legalize gay marriage" .The New York Times . June 29, 2005. RetrievedNovember 3, 2013 .^ Nacional, Biblioteca del Congreso."LEY NÚM. 21.400 MODIFICA DIVERSOS CUERPOS LEGALES PARA REGULAR, EN IGUALDAD DE CONDICIONES, EL MATRIMONIO ENTRE PERSONAS DEL MISMO SEXO" .www.bcn.cl/leychile (in Spanish). Retrieved11 December 2021 . ^ (in Spanish) Ley número 20.830. - Crea el Acuerdo de Unión Civil ^ "Histórico: Colombia tiene matrimonio homosexual" .El Tiempo . 7 April 2016.^ WRAL (2020-05-26)."Costa Rica latest country to legalize same-sex marriage" .WRAL.com . Retrieved2020-05-26 . ^ "Cuba Family Code: Country votes to legalise same-sex marriage" .BBC News . 2022-09-26. Retrieved2022-09-26 .^ "Decisión de matrimonio igualitario deberá publicarse en Gaceta Constitucional" .El Universo (in Spanish). 2019-06-12. Retrieved2019-06-12 .^ "Supreme court rules gay weddings valid in all Mexico" . BBC News. 10 August 2010.^ Wolf, Richard (June 26, 2015)."Supreme Court strikes down bans on same-sex marriage" .USA Today . RetrievedJune 26, 2015 . ^ Liptak, Adam (26 June 2015)."Gay Marriage Backers Win Supreme Court Victory" .The New York Times . Retrieved26 June 2015 . ^ (in Spanish) Ley Nº 19.075 MATRIMONIO IGUALITARIO ^ Tribunal Constitucional Plurinacional."SENTENCIA CONSTITUCIONAL PLURINACIONAL 0577/2022-S2" .Opinión Bolivia (in Spanish). Retrieved2022-09-27 . ^ (in Spanish) Constitución Política de la República Dominicana, proclamada el 26 de enero 2010, Publicada en la Gaceta Oficial No. 10561, del 26 de enero de 2010. Archived 2012-11-21 at theWayback Machine ^ (in Spanish) CONSTITUCION POLITICA DE LA REPUBLICA DE HONDURAS DE 1982 ^ "Honduras Bans Gay Marriage & Adoption" . Global Gayz. March 30, 2005. Archived fromthe original on 2010-05-03. Retrieved2009-08-12 .^ Charter of Fundamental Rights and Freedoms (Constitutional Amendment) Act, 2011 ^ "Paraguay – Constitution" . Retrieved2010-10-15 .^ "Lov om ændring af myndighedsloven for Grønland, lov om ikrafttræden for Grønland af lov om ægteskabets retsvirkninger, retsplejelov for Grønland og kriminallov for Grønland" (in Danish).Government of Denmark . 4 February 2016. Retrieved3 April 2016 .^a b c d e f Vignal, Francois (April 15, 2013)."Mariage pour tous : le détail du vote au Sénat" (in French). Public Senat. RetrievedOctober 27, 2013 . ^a b c "Burgerlijk wetboek BES, boek 1" (in Dutch). overheid.nl. Retrieved12 October 2012 .^ "Supreme Court rules that same-sex marriage is now permitted in Aruba and Curaçao | NL Times" .nltimes.nl . 12 July 2024. Retrieved2024-07-12 .^ 12 facts about South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands - where you could be the first LGBTI couple to wed Archived 2018-01-26 at theWayback Machine .Gay Star News , 26 January 2018^ Falkland Islands Same-Sex Marriage Update ^ "About Native Americans" . 16 June 2014.^ "Frequently Asked Questions | Indian Affairs" .^ "Tribal Nations and the United States" (PDF) . Archived fromthe original (PDF) on 2015-11-29.^ Beard Rau, Alia (October 25, 2017)."Court orders Ak-Chin tribe to recognize marriages of same-sex couples" .The Arizona Republic . RetrievedOctober 25, 2017 . ^ "Bay Mills News, July 2019" (PDF) .www.baymillsnews.com . p. 3. Retrieved29 July 2019 .^ Federal Judge Rules Against Montana's Ban On Same-Sex Marriage ^ "Blue Lake Rancheria Ordinance 13-08" (PDF) .Bluelakerancheria-nsn.gov . RetrievedMarch 19, 2019 .^ "Tribal court to conduct same-sex marriages" .Juneau Empire . February 23, 2015. Archived fromthe original on August 10, 2018. RetrievedFebruary 23, 2015 .^ Cherokee Nation attorney general OKs same-sex marriage ^ "Same-sex Oklahoma couple marries legally under tribal law" . KOCO. September 26, 2013. RetrievedOctober 22, 2013 .^ "Chickasaw Nation Code Title 6" .^ " 'We're good enough to foster, but we're not good enough to adopt?' Tribal Nation denies citizens' adoption because of same-sex marriage" .KFOR.com Oklahoma City . 2023-05-24. Retrieved2023-05-24 .^ "Domestic Relations Code: Article 2: Marriage and Divorce" (PDF) . CRIT. August 8, 2019. RetrievedSeptember 19, 2019 .^ "Title Another tribe recognizes same-sex marriages" .Daily Kos . Retrieved2016-07-27 .^ Siletz Tribe becomes latest to join marriage equality movement ,Indianz.Com, June 4, 2015^ "Colvilles recognize same sex marriage" . 7 September 2013.^ "Tribal Council approves new marriage ordinance" .Confederated Tribes of Grande Ronde . Archived fromthe original on 5 November 2015. Retrieved2 November 2015 .^ Robinson, B.A. (May 5, 2012)."Adoption of SSM by the Coquille Nation of Oregon" .Same-sex marriage (SSM) among Native Americans . Ontario Consultants on Religious Tolerance. Archived from the original on September 10, 2012. ^a b "Wind River tribal judge presides over first same-sex marriage" . Indianz.Com. November 17, 2014. RetrievedNovember 18, 2014 .^ "Nahgahchiwanong Dibahjimowinn, August 2014 (page 5)" (PDF) . Archived fromthe original (PDF) on 2014-11-22. Retrieved2016-07-27 .^ Legal hurdles cleared, Nevada sees first same-sex marriage ^a b c d e Federal Judge Strikes Down Arizona's Same-Sex Marriage Ban ^ Minnesota set to legalize same-sex marriage ^ Resolution # 22-40.3452, Certification of Tribal Council Action. Special Session of May 25, 2022 ^ "Civil Code: Marriage" (PDF) . Hannahville Indian Community. Archived fromthe original (PDF) on November 9, 2022. RetrievedSeptember 21, 2022 .^ Same-sex marriage provisions approved by Ho-Chunk Legislature ^ "Santa Ysabel Tribe First in California to Support Same-Sex Marriage" . Indian Country Today Media Network. June 28, 2013. RetrievedJune 14, 2014 .^ "Keweenaw Bay Indian Community backs marriage equality law" . Indianz.com. June 10, 2015. RetrievedJune 11, 2015 .^ Supreme Court Rejects Gay Marriage Appeals From 5 States ^ "8th US Native American tribe allows same-sex couples to wed" .Gay Star News . 16 November 2013. Archived fromthe original on 30 July 2019. Retrieved12 September 2015 .^ "Council of Michigan Indian tribe OKs gay marriage" .Seattle Post-Intelligencer .Associated Press . March 5, 2013. RetrievedMarch 5, 2013 .^ Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Laws Annotated 2010-2011 Pocket Part ^ "Ord. No. 16-28" (PDF) .eCode360 . RetrievedJanuary 30, 2017 .^ Ernestine Chasing Hawk (3 February 2016)."Traditional elders question same-sex marriage" . Native Sun News. Archived fromthe original on 2016-05-07. Retrieved2016-04-30 . ^ "Oglala Sioux Tribe legalizes same-sex marriage, considering updated hate crime law" .Argus Leader .^ Ted Miller (28 May 2015)."Oneida Tribe approves same-sex marriage" . WBAY. Archived fromthe original on 21 June 2016. Retrieved12 September 2015 . ^ Native American Osage Nation Votes in Favor of Same-Sex Marriage ^ "POKAGON BAND OF POTAWATOMI INDIANS MARRIAGE CODE" (PDF) . Archived fromthe original (PDF) on 2017-01-30. Retrieved2015-09-12 .^ "Title 4 Domestic Relations (page 9)" (PDF) .Poncatribe-ne.org . Archived fromthe original (PDF) on April 23, 2020. RetrievedMarch 19, 2019 .^ "Forget Las Vegas. There's Heronswood" . Archived fromthe original on 2018-07-28. Retrieved2015-09-12 .^ "PRAIRIE ISLAND MDEWAKANTON DAKOTA COMMUNITY JUDICIAL CODE TITLE 3: DOMESTIC RELATIONS" (PDF) .prairieisland.org . Archived fromthe original (PDF) on 2017-04-06. RetrievedApril 5, 2017 .^ Nagle, Matt (July 16, 2014)."Puyallup Tribe Recognizes Same-Sex Marriages" . Tacoma Weekly. Archived fromthe original on September 24, 2015. RetrievedJuly 21, 2014 . ^ "Win Awenen Nisitotung, Vol.36, No.8 (page 5)" (PDF) . Archived fromthe original (PDF) on 2020-04-23. Retrieved2016-07-25 .^ "CHAPTER 61 STOCKBRIDGE-MUNSEE TRIBAL LAW MARRIAGE" (PDF) . Retrieved2016-07-25 .^ Gardner, Steven (August 1, 2011)."Suquamish Tribe approves same-sex marriage" .Kitsap Sun . Archived fromthe original on August 3, 2011. RetrievedAugust 2, 2011 . ^ "Tulalip Tribal Codes" . Retrieved2016-07-28 .^ "Turtle Mountain tribe passes marriage equality vote" . 2020-08-06. Retrieved2020-08-06 .^ Enactment of Ordinance No. 261, Amending the Domestic Relations Code of the White Mountain Apache Tribe ^ "Winnebago Tribe takes action to address marriage controversy" . 2022-04-13. Retrieved2022-06-14 .^ "Charter for the Kingdom of the Netherlands" (in Dutch).Government of the Netherlands . 10 October 2010. Retrieved29 December 2010 .^ "Same-sex marriages can be registered in St. Maarten" . 6 February 2025.^ "Landmark ruling recognizes marriage, trans rights in the Americas" .Washington Blade: Gay News, Politics, LGBT Rights . 2018-01-09. Retrieved2018-01-10 .^ The Inter-American System of Human Rights: A Research Guide ^ Vallecillo, Luis (21 January 2022)."Corte Suprema de Justicia de Honduras impide que personas LGBTQ puedan casarse y tengan derechos civiles" .The Washington Blade (in Spanish). ^ "La sentencia de la Corte Suprema de Justicia de Panamá sobre matrimonio igualitario: un desacierto interpretativo - Agenda Estado de Derecho" (in Spanish). 2023-05-24. Retrieved2023-12-24 .^ Gurmendi Dunkelberg, Alonso (15 June 2022)."Por qué la más reciente decisión en Perú contra el matrimonio igualitario es un despropósito legal" .infobae (in European Spanish). Retrieved2022-07-09 . ^ "LGBTQIA-gemeenschap krijgt bittere pil te slikken" [LGBTQIA community has a bitter pill to swallow].de Ware Tijd (in Dutch). 2023-02-01. Archived fromthe original on February 3, 2023. Retrieved2023-02-08 .^ "Ley de unión civil avanza en Congreso de Perú: Qué derechos se ganarían y lo que falta para su oficialización" . 21 November 2024.^a b c d e f g h i j k l m "Cultura polítical de la democracia en la República Dominicana y en las Américas, 2016/17" (PDF) .Vanderbilt University (in Spanish). 13 November 2017. p. 163.^a b c d e f g h LGBT+ PRIDE 2023 GLOBAL SURVEY (PDF) . Ipsos. 1 June 2023. Retrieved12 June 2023 .^ "Bevolking Aruba pro geregistreerd partnerschap zelfde geslacht" .Antiliaans Dagblad (in Dutch). 26 February 2021.^a b c d e "Barómetro de las Américas: Actualidad – 2 de junio de 2015" (PDF) .^ https://www.ciep.ucr.ac.cr/images/INFORMESUOP/EncuestaEnero/Informe-encuesta-ENERO-2018.pdf [dead link ] ^ "Encuesta: Un 63,1% de los cubanos quiere matrimonio igualitario en la Isla" . Retrieved26 July 2019 .^ Guzman, Samuel (February 5, 2018)."Encuesta de CDN sobre matrimonio homosexual en RD recibe más de 300 mil votos - CDN - El Canal de Noticias de los Dominicanos" [CDN survey on homosexual marriage in DR receives more than 300 thousand votes] (in Spanish). ^ America's Barometer Topical Brief #034,Disapproval of Same-Sex Marriage in Ecuador: A Clash of Generations? , 23 July 2019. Counting ratings 1–3 as 'disapprove', 8–10 as 'approve', and 4–7 as neither. ^ "Partido de Bukele se "consolida" en preferencias electorales en El Salvador" .SWI swissinfo.ch (in Spanish).^ "Más del 70% de los hondureños rechaza el matrimonio homosexual" .www.laprensa.hn .^ Staff (November 30, 2022)."New Marquette Law School Poll national survey finds small rebound in approval of U.S. Supreme Court, continued opposition to use of race as a factor in college admissions // News Center // Marquette University" .Marquette University . Retrieved2023-02-10 . ^ "September 20-25, 2022 Grinnell College National Poll" (PDF) .FiveThirtyEight . September 28, 2022. RetrievedNovember 16, 2022 .^ "Majority of Americans Believe Abortion and Same-Sex Marriage Should be Guaranteed Rights | Grinnell College" .Grinnell College . September 28, 2022. RetrievedSeptember 28, 2022 .Solid majorities across both parties agree that... marrying someone of the same sex...are rights that should be guaranteed to all citizens... ^ Staff (December 14, 2022)."Lowest Opinion Of Trump Among Voters In Seven Years, Quinnipiac University National Poll Finds; Biden Approval Rating Climbs | Quinnipiac University Poll" .Quinnipiac University . RetrievedDecember 15, 2022 . ^ "Opinión sobre el matrimonio igualitario" [Opinion on equal marriage].Equipos Consultores . 30 August 2019. Archived fromthe original on October 23, 2019.^ Crónica Uno,Encuesta refleja que mayoría de venezolanos apoya igualdad de derechos para la población LGBTIQ, 2 March, 2023 ^a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af "¿Quién está en contra del matrimonio gay?" .El Sol de México (in Spanish). 15 April 2019.^ "OUTBermuda: 53% Favour Same-Sex Marriage" . September 17, 2020.^ "Social Attitudes on Moral Issues in Latin America - Pew Research Center" .Pew Research Center's Religion & Public Life Project . November 13, 2014. RetrievedJune 29, 2015 .