First country that allowed gay marriage

Note: For the latest data on same-sex marriages, read our June fact sheet. Although Northern Island is a constituent of the United Kingdom, with its own parliament at Stormont, the change in its marriage laws ultimately came about due to action by the UK Parliament in London.

Privacy Policy

Same-sex marriage eventually became legal nationally after the Supreme Court declared state bans unconstitutional in First country to legalize same-sex marriage after its Parliament passed the law in December Only African country where same-sex marriage is legal; several countries on the continent have passed laws in recent years that ban homosexuality.

Send feedback

There is a long story lying behind the legalization of same-sex marriages in Portugal. They took the issue to court, claiming they were unjustly discriminated on the basis of their sexual orientation, which was not legal as per the Portuguese constitution. When the lower courts rejected their motion, they appealed to the Portuguese Constitutional Court in July of The court decided on the basis of a vote that, though the constitution does not legalize same sex marriages, it also does not oppose it.

Terms & Content License Agreement

Should you make a transaction or send an email containing your private information, this information may be shared with other government agencies for the purpose of providing the public with services that are more effective and more efficient. For instance, customer satisfaction surveys require feedback via email from other agencies.