State of same-sex marriage around the world
Germany has voted on Friday to legalise same-sex marriage after Chancellor Angela Merkel did an about-face that freed members of her ruling conservative bloc to follow their personal conscience rather than the party line.
The parliament voted by 393 votes in favour of same-sex marriage to 226 against. The measure will likely be signed into law by the president some time after July 7.
Many other European countries, including France, Britain and Spain, have already legalised same-sex marriage. The newly-elected Prime Minister of Malta, Joseph Muscat has also pledged to legalise gay marriage in the country.
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Here are the facts about same-sex marriage around the world:
Aside from Germany, same-sex marriage is legal in 22 countries : Argentina, Belgium, Brazil, Britain, Canada, Colombia, Denmark, Finland, France, Greenland, Iceland, Luxembourg, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Uruguay, United States. In some of these countries, such as Mexico and Britain, marriage is only open to same-sex couples in some regions. Northern Ireland is the only part of the United Kingdom where same-sex marriage is not allowed.
The first country to legalise same-sex marriage was the Netherlands in 2001.
In Africa, where homosexuality is a crime in many countries and can lead to imprisonment or the death penalty, South Africa alone has granted the same access to gay couples. Same-sex marriage legislation came into force there in 2006. * There are no countries in Asia that allow same-sex couples to marry, or enter civil unions of any kind.
In May, Taiwan’s constitutional court ruled that same-sex couples have the right to legally marry, the first such ruling in Asia.
Almost one in three adults globally believe people of the same sex should be allowed to marry, a survey of almost 100,000 people in 65 countries showed in 2016.
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