Gay Marriage Around the World | Pew Rearch Center

Contents:

• GAY MARRIAGE TIMELE

GAY MARRIAGE TIMELE

LONDON, April 1 (Thomson Rters Foundatn) - Exactly 20 years ago, one lbian uple and three gay upl tied the knot Amsterdam’s cy hall - makg history as the Netherlands beme the first untry to allow same-sex marriage, a step sce followed by nearly 30 other the two s sce the law took effect, thoands of gay and lbian upl have wed the Netherlands - reprentg 1. 7% of all marriag, acrdg to the natnal statistics 750 lbian upl and 620 gay male upl have married on average annually over the last five years, and there are now some 20, 000 married same-sex upl livg the untry, official data the past five years, more than 400 same-sex marriag have end divorce on average annually - wh the divorce rate for lbian upl almost twice as high as that of gay are some key facts about the legal regnn of same-sex upl around the world:- Same-sex marriage is legal 28 untri: Argenta, Atralia, Atria, Belgium, Brazil, Bra, Canada, Colombia, Costa Ri, Denmark, Ecuador, Fland, France, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Luxembourg, Malta, Mexi, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, South Ai, Spa, Swen, Uguay and the Uned Stat. "Rabbis belongg to the biggt and most liberal branch of Judaism the Uned Stat have voted to regnise the partnerships of gay and lbian upl.The Central Conference of Amerin Rabbis, which is part of the Jewish Reform movement, has agreed to sanctn relig ceremoni for same-sex upl.The Print of the Conference, Rabbi Charl Kroloff, said that gay and lbian people served the regnn and rpect due to people created the image of God.".

"A Dutch law now allows same sex marriag, and today four upl beme the world's first homosexuals to legally wed...Holland, long among the gay rights vanguard, enacted a bill last year nvertg the untri registered same-sex partnerships to full-fledged marriag.Same-sex upl now have the same legal stat as heterosexuals.

"The Vatin has lnched a global mpaign agast gay marriag, warng Catholic policians that support of same-sex unns is 'gravely immoral.' The Vatin issued a 12-page set of guil wh the approval of Pope John Pl II a bid to stem the crease laws grantg legal rights to homosexual unns Europe and North Ameri.'Marriage exists solely between a man and woman... "A unty clerk issued marriage licens Friday to at least 15 gay upl, some of whom then exchanged vows outsi the urthoe, as more same-sex upl led up for a chance to tie the knot...New Mexi law f marriage as a ntract between ntractg parti but do not mentn genr.".

The Bill giv the legal rights to same-sex upl who register their partnership at a civil ceremony.Gay upl would not have to live together for a certa length of time to be eligible for the rights and if the partnership breaks up, there would be a formal urt procs for dissolvg .".

In one sectn about the role of lawmakers, the Pope tak another swipe at gay marriag when he refers to 'prsur' on the European Parliament to allow them.'It is legimate and necsary to ask onelf if this is not perhaps part of a new iology of evil, perhaps more sid and hidn, which attempts to p human rights agast the fay and agast man,' he wr.". 'In view of the substance and signifince of the fundamental nstutnal right to form a fay relatnship,' he wrote, 'the California Constutn properly mt be terpreted to guarantee this basic civil right to all Californians, whether gay or heterosexual, and to same-sex upl as well as to oppose-sex upl.'".

4, 2008] electn, throwg to doubt the unns of an timated 18,000 same-sex upl who wed durg the last 4 1/2 months...Proposn 8 was the most expensive proposn on any ballot the natn this year, wh more than $74 ln spent by both sis.The measure's most fervent proponents believed that nothg ls than the future of tradnal fai was at stake, while opponents believed that they were fightg for the fundamental right of gay people to be treated equally unr the law...Eight years ago, Californians voted 61% to fe marriage as beg only between a man and a woman.The California Supreme Court overturned that measure, Proposn 22, s May 15 cisn legalizg same-sex marriage on the grounds that the state Constutn required equal treatment of gay and lbian upl.".

"The California Supreme Court today upheld Proposn 8's ban on same-sex marriage but also led that gay upl who wed before the electn will ntue to be married unr state law...Although the urt spl 6-1 on the nstutnaly of Proposn 8, the jtic were unanimo cidg to keep tact the marriag of as many as 18,000 gay upl who exchanged vows before the electn. Sent a letter to Congrs on Wednday sayg that the Jtice Department will now take the posn urt that the Defense of Marriage Act should be stck down as a vlatn of gay upl’ rights to equal protectn unr the law.'The Print and I have nclud that classifitns based on sexual orientatn warrant heightened scty and that, as applied to same-sex upl legally married unr state law,' a ccial provisn of the act is unnstutnal, Mr. Cuomo signed the measure after passed a Republin-ntrolled Senate on Friday night [June 24, 2011], raisg qutns as to whether the move reflects new momentum the gay rights movement.Cuomo said the law will grant same-sex upl equal rights to marry 'as well as hundreds of rights, benefs and protectns that are currently limed to married upl of the oppose sex.' A few of those are the right of herance, employer health benefs and a host of state tax benefs.

Print history to fully embrace that level of civil rights for gays.Obama’s announcement gave an immediate jolt to the s-long movement for gay equaly at a moment when a growg number of stat are movg to ban — or legalize — same-sex unns and as polls show a majory of Amerins support marriage rights.".