Australia homosexual marriage
Australia is progressing towards LGBTIQA+ equality. In we voted for it. But the backlash to that progress poses a serious threat. The question before us is how do we continue to make progress despite the backlash?
From Bigots Island to the Rainbow Isle
Thirty years ago, my article for the first edition of the Human Rights Defender explained a ground-breaking appeal I was involved in to the UN Human Rights Committee against Tasmania’s then laws criminalising gay intimacy with up to 21 years in gaol.
That appeal was ultimately successful. It gave us a platform to seek federal legislation and a High Court ruling against the offending state law, it gave the Commonwealth Parliament a mandate to prohibit anti-LGBTIQA+ discrimination, and it set a precedent for decriminalisation in other countries from Belize to India.
The Tasmanian UN decision has played a critical role in LGBTIQA+ emancipation. But it would be wrong to attribute change in Tasmania and elsewhere solely to that decision. Its ramifications include been greatest where there was already a community-based campaign in place.
Same-sex marriage: How Australia's change compares to gay rights around the world
Millions of Australians are celebrating Parliament's passage of same-sex marriage laws after decades of political debate, activism and a drawn-out postal survey.
But as Australia joins the dozens of nations that have already extended the right to marry to the LGBT community, there are still many places around the world where simply being gay carries with it the risk of jail or even death.
Most countries with similar cultural backgrounds to Australia have already legalised same-sex marriage — including the United States, Canada, England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales.
But same-sex marriage is not legal anywhere in Asia or the Middle East, and South Africa is the only region in Africa to have legalised it.
Even in Europe, the legal status of same-sex marriage is mixed.
The Netherlands became the first country in the world to legalise same-sex marriage in
Since then, countries such as Portugal, the United Kingdom, France, Spain and Germany have followed su
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 disseminate tools, resources, and lessons learned to empower 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
Liechtenstein: On May 16, , Liechtenstein's gove