What states will legalize gay marriage next
Same-sex marriage represents a critical milestone in the Gay rights movement, allowing couples of the same sex to legally marry and receive the same marital benefits as heterosexual couples. The journey towards legalization has been varied across the globe, influenced by cultural, religious, and political factors. In some regions, the push for marriage equality has gained significant traction and achieved legal recognition, often after prolonged public and legal battles.
While full marriage equality is celebrated in many places, an alternative approach through civil unions or home partnerships persists in others. These frameworks typically grant a subset of rights that marriage offers, focusing on aspects like property rights or hospital visitation. However, they often descend short in areas such as inheritance, pension rights, and parental responsibilities, emphasizing a gap in the legal recognition of relationships.
The acceptance and implementation of same-sex marriage have brought substantial legal benefits, including inheritance rights, tax reductions, and enhanced health insurance options, which are decisive for the security and well-being of families. This progr
Marriage Equality Around the World
The Human Rights Campaign tracks developments in the legal recognition of same-sex marriage around the world. Working through a worldwide network of HRC global alumni and partners, we lift up the voices of community, national and regional advocates and share tools, resources, and lessons learned to strengthen movements for marriage equality.
Current State of Marriage Equality
There are currently 38 countries where same-sex marriage is legal: Andorra, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Denmark, Ecuador, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malta, Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States of America and Uruguay.
These countries have legalized marriage equality through both legislation and court decisions.
Countries that Legalized Marriage Equality in 2025
Liechtenstein: On May 16, 2024, Liechtenstein's government passed a bill in favor of marriage equality. The law went into effect January 1, 2025.
US Supreme Court rules queer marriage is legal nationwide
Minutes after the ruling, couples in one of the states that had a ban, Georgia, lined up in hope of organism wed.
In Texas, Yasmin Menchaca and her partner Catherine Andrews told the BBC that they are "trying to round up our parents" in order to get married on Friday.
The two have been together for six years, and had attempted to commit in Washington state - but decided to remain because of the financial burden of flying their parents across the country.
On social media, Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton merely tweeted the word "proud" and the White Dwelling changed its Twitter avatar, external into the rainbow colours.
The case considered by the court concerned Jim Obergefell, an Ohio resident who was not recognised as the legal widower of his late husband, John Arthur.
"It's my wish that gay marriage will soon be a thing of the past, and from this day forward it will simply be 'marriage,'" an emotional Mr Obergefell said outside the court.
MAP Report: The National Patchwork of Marriage Laws Underneath Obergefell
Rebecca Farmer, Movement Advancement Project
rebecca@lgbtmap.org | 303-578-4600 ext 122
As the Respect for Marriage Act moves through Congress, MAP’s March 2022 report on the landscape of varying state marriage laws around the country is a resource. MAP researchers are available to respond questions and our infographics are on hand for use.
MAP’s report, Underneath Obergefell, explores the patchwork of marriage laws around the country. The inform highlights the truth that a majority of states still have existing laws on the books that would bar marriage for gay couples – even though those laws are currently unenforceable under the U.S. Supreme Court judgment in Obergefell.
If the U.S. Supreme Court were to revisit the Obergefell verdict, the ability of same-sex couples to marry could again fall to the states, where a majority of states still have in place both bans in the commandment and in declare constitutions.
The policy landscape for express marriage laws can be broken into four major categ
Ballot initiatives protecting marriage equality advancing in some states
An increasing number of states are taking steps to enshrine protections for same-sex marriage in their constitutions following a flourishing round of ballot initiatives in the 2024 elections.
Voters in Hawaii, Colorado and California all voted last year to support ballot initiatives that changed their state constitutions to give same-sex couples the right to marry. But now, the Supreme Court’s 2015 decision legalizing same-sex marriage is being actively targeted by some conservative lawmakers. The Idaho House passed a resolution in slow January by a vote of 46-24 calling on the Supreme Court to reconsider its past marriage equality decision.
The Idaho resolution comes after Associate Justice Clarence Thomas expressed interest in revisiting the Obergefell v. Hodges same-sex marriage decision, should a future related court case arise, in his concurring perspective on the court's landmark 2022 choice on Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization that overturned the federal right to abortion. He argued that any past "substantive due process decision is 'demonstrably erroneous'"