Who's Going Gay?

Here is a breakdown (posted on ABS-CBN.com) of legislation on gay marriages around the world, 10 years after the Netherlands led the way in authorising marriages between the same sex.


- NETHERLANDS: on April 1, 2001 became the first country in the world to legalise same-sex marriage. Includes the right to adoption.

- BELGIUM: Homosexual couples in Belgium won the right to marry in June 2003 and in April 2006 parliament voted into law a bill allowing homosexual couples to adopt children.

- SPAIN: In July 2005 became the third member of the European Union to pass a law to allow same-sex marriages. Gay couples can adopt children.

- CANADA: The law allowing gay couples to marry and adopt children came into force in July 2005.

- SOUTH AFRICA: In November 2006 became the first African country to legalise same-sex marriage.

- NORWAY: A January 2009 law allowed homosexuals to marry and adopt children and permitted lesbians to be artificially inseminated.

- SWEDEN: Sweden's homosexuals have been allowed to wed in religious or civil ceremonies since May 2009.

- PORTUGAL: Under a June 1, 2010 law Portugal legalised gay marriage, while excluding the right to adoption.

- ICELAND: Prime Minister Johanna Sigurdardottir married her long-time partner in June 2010 as a new law legalising homosexual marriages came into force.

- ARGENTINA: On July 15, 2010 a bill that legalizes same-sex marriage came into force -- a Latin American first. Homosexual couples can adopt children.

Two countries allow gay marriage on part of their territory: the United States, in the states of Iowa, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire and the capital Washington DC; and Mexico in the federal capital.

Other countries have adopted legislation on civil partnerships, notably Denmark, France, Germany, Finland, New Zealand, Britain, the Czech Republic, Switzerland, Uruguay and Colombia