Opposition to legalizing same-sex marriage often comes from religious organizations who claim that it destroys the sanctity of marriage. While many same-sex couples have no choice but to wait for legalization – some are together for decades before they are finally able to marry – in many countries, people who can choose to get married are doing so later in life.
To date, only 29 out of the 195 countries in the world have legalized same-sex marriage. Countries where same-sex marriage is legal in some areas but not nationwide were excluded. reviewed dozens of news articles and information from Pew Research Center. To compile the countries where same-sex marriage is officially legal, 24/7 Wall St. While heterosexual couples enjoy the right to marry, adopt children, and receive their partners’ pension benefits after death, homosexual couples in many countries face discrimination in all of these categories. While the new legislation guaranteeing that right is far from perfect – for example, it doesn’t allow a Taiwanese person to marry a same-sex national of another country where same-sex marriage is not legal – it is the first legislation legalizing same-sex marriage in any Asian country. May 24 marked the first day that gay and lesbian couples in Taiwan can register to marry. View Gallery: Marriage: Countries where same sex unions are officially legal
