On Tuesday (Oct 17), a five-judge court issued a decision that denied same-sex marriage legal recognition in India. After a lengthy 10-day hearing, a five-judge constitution bench consisting of Chief Justice DY Chandrachud, Sanjay Kishan Kaul, Ravindra Bhat, Hima Kohli, and PS Narishma reserved its decision on the petitions on May 11. The central administration opposes legalizing same-sex unions, branding it a concept of the urban elite, and asserting that Parliament should decide and broach the matter.
Twenty-three nations throughout the world have made same-sex marriage lawful through national referendums, and ten more have done so through judicial rulings.
Here is a list of more than 30 nations that have legalized same-sex marriage:
- Netherlands: 2001
- Belgium: 2003
- Canada: 2005
- Spain: 2005
- South Africa: 2006
- Norway: 2009
- Sweden: 2009
- Iceland: 2010
- Portugal: 2010
- Argentina: 2010
- Denmark: 2012
- Uruguay: 2013
- New Zealand: 2013
- France: 2013
- Brazil: 2013
- England and Wales: 2014
- Scotland: 2014
- Luxembourg: 2015
- Ireland: 2015
- United States: 2015
- Greenland: 2016
- Colombia: 2016
- Finland: 2017
- Germany: 2017
- Malta: 2017
- Australia: 2017
- Austria: 2019
- Taiwan: 2019
- Ecuador: 2019
- Ireland: 2020
- Costa Rica: 2020
- Switzerland: 2022
- Mexico: 2022
- Chile: 2022
- Slovenia: 2022
- Cuba: 2022
- Andorra: 2023
- Estonia: 2024
The information came from the Human Rights Campaign publication “Marriage Equality Around the World.” Marriage equality debates are also taking place in the Czech Republic, Japan, the Philippines, and Thailand, according to the organization.