Recognition of same-sex unions in the Americas
Many countries in the Americas grant legal recognition to same-sex unions, with almost 85 percent of people in both North America and South America living in jurisdictions providing marriage rights to same-sex couples.
In North America, same-sex marriages are recognized and performed without restrictions in Canada , Costa Rica , Cuba , Mexico , and the United States .[ nb 1]
Same-sex marriages are also performed in the Dutch territories of Aruba, Curacao , Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba , the Danish autonomous territory of Greenland , and in all French overseas departments and collectivities (Guadeloupe , Martinique , Saint Barthélemy , Saint Martin and Saint Pierre and Miquelon ). Furthermore, Sint Maarten recognizes same-sex marriages performed in the Netherlands . The British Territories of Bermuda and the Cayman Islands also perform civil partnerships.
In South America, same-sex marriages are recognized and performed without restrictions in Argentina , Brazil , Chile , Colombia , Ecuador and Uruguay as well as the jurisdictions of French Guiana , the Falkland Islands and South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands . Free unions that are equivalent to marriage have begun to be recognized in Bolivia .
Maps
Recognition of same-sex unions in North America Marriage
Other type of partnership
States performing civil unions in North America Gender-neutral civil unions.
Former civil unions for same-sex couples, replaced by marriage.
Civil unions never performed.
Recognition of same-sex unions in South America Marriage
Other type of partnership
Country subject to
IACHR advisory opinion
Unrecognized
Constitution limits marriage to opposite-sex couples
Same-sex sexual activity illegal, though penalties not enforced
Countries performing civil unions in South America Gender-neutral civil unions.
Civil unions for opposite-sex couples only.
Civil unions never performed.
Homosexuality laws in Central America and the Caribbean Islands. Same-sex marriage
Other type of partnership
Unregistered cohabitation
Country subject to
IACHR ruling
No recognition of same-sex couples
Constitution limits marriage to opposite-sex couples
Same-sex sexual activity illegal but law not enforced
Countries performing civil unions in Central America and the Caribbean Islands Gender-neutral civil unions.
Civil unions for opposite-sex couples only.
Civil unions never performed.
Current situation
National level
Status
Country
Legal since
Country population(Last count, 2015 est.)
Marriage (11 countries)
Argentina
2010[ 1]
43,590,400
Brazil
2013[ 2]
205,574,000
Canada
2005[ 3]
35,819,000
Chile
2022[ 4] [ 5]
18,191,900
Colombia
2016[ 6]
48,509,200
Costa Rica
2020[ 7]
4,851,000
Cuba
2022[ 8]
11,252,000
Ecuador
2019[ 9]
16,278,844
Mexico
2022[ 10]
121,006,000
United States
2015[ 11] [ 12]
321,234,000
Uruguay
2013[ 13]
3,480,222
Subtotal
—
—
829,786,566 (84.62% of the American population)
Other form of recognition
Bolivia (free unions officially recognised starting in 2020; nationwide since 2023)
2023[ 14]
10,985,059
Subtotal
—
—
10,985,059
(1.12% of the American population)
Total - Countries with some form of recognition of same-sex unions
—
—
840,771,625 (85.74% of the American population)
No recognition (19 countries)
Homosexuality is legal
Antigua and Barbuda
—
89,000
Bahamas
—
379,000
Barbados
—
283,000
Belize
—
369,000
Dominica
—
71,000
El Salvador
—
6,460,000
Guatemala
—
16,176,000
Haiti
—
10,994,000
Nicaragua
—
6,514,000
Panama
—
3,764,000
Peru
—
31,488,700
Saint Kitts and Nevis
—
46,000
Suriname
—
534,189
Trinidad and Tobago
—
1,357,000
Venezuela
—
31,648,930
Homosexuality is illegal but legislation is not enforced
Guyana
—
746,900
Saint Lucia
—
172,000
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
—
110,000
Grenada
—
104,000
Subtotal
—
111,306,719 (11.35% of the American population)
Constitutional ban on marriage (4 countries) * Homosexuality is illegal
Dominican Republic
2010[ 15]
9,980,000
Honduras
2005[ 16] [ 17]
8,950,000
Jamaica *
2011[ 18]
2,729,000
Paraguay
1992[ 19]
6,854,536
Subtotal
—
—
28,513,536 (2.91% of the American population)
Total - Countries with no recognition of same-sex unions
—
—
139,820,255 (14.26% of the American population)
Sub-national level
Status
Country
Jurisdiction
Legal since
Marriage(60 jurisdictions)
Denmark
2016
France
2013
Netherlands
2012
2024
United Kingdom
2014 2017
United States [ note 1]
2015
Varies
Other type of partnership(2 jurisdictions)
United Kingdom
2018 2020
Marriage recognized, but not performed(1 jurisdictions)
Netherlands
2007
No recognition(4 jurisdictions)
United Kingdom
—
2018 Inter-American Court of Human Rights advisory opinion
On 9 January 2018, the Inter-American Court of Human Rights issued an advisory opinion that states party to the American Convention on Human Rights should grant same-sex couples accession to all existing domestic legal systems of family registration, including marriage, along with all rights that derive from marriage. The opinion was issued after the Government of Costa Rica sought clarification of its obligations to LGBT people under the convention.[ 76] The opinion sets precedent for all 23 member states, 19 of which did not recognize same-sex marriage at the time of the ruling: Barbados, Bolivia, Chile, Costa Rica, Dominica, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Grenada, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, and Suriname. Of these, all but Dominica, Grenada and Jamaica recognize the jurisdiction of the Court.[ 77] The Supreme Courts of Honduras,[ 78] Panama,[ 79] Peru[ 80] and Suriname[ 81] have rejected the IACHR advisory opinion, while the Supreme Courts of Costa Rica and Ecuador adhered to it.
Future legislation
Marriage
Opposition proposals or proposals without a parliamentary majority
Honduras : In May 2022, the deputy of the Libertad y Refundación Party , Manuel Rodríguez , presented a bill in congress to legalize same-sex marriage.[ 82] In December 2022, the Minister of Human Rights, Natalie Roque, said that the legalization of same-sex marriage was "not on the agenda" of the Castro Administration.[ 83]
Sint Maarten : Following the December 2022 court ruling that Aruba's and Curaçao's same-sex marriage bans were unconstitutional, Melissa Gumbs , a member of the Parliament of Sint Maarten , said her party was planning on introducing a same-sex marriage bill to Parliament, noting that "there is precedent now within the Caribbean part of the kingdom (of the Netherlands) that it's not right to withhold same-sex marriage rights from people."
Public opinion
Indicates the country/territory has legalized same-sex marriage nationwide
Indicates that same-sex marriage is legal in certain parts of the country
Indicates that the country has civil unions or registered partnerships
Indicates that same-sex sexual activity is illegal
See also
Notes
^ Note: While listed here under “subnational level,” US Tribes are considered Nations both in a legal sense and when it comes to preferred language. The United States Government recognizes US Tribal Nations as “Domestic Dependent Nations” under the law in a government-to government relationship. Tribal nations exercise sovereignty, though Congress has ultimate authority under the Plenary Power Doctrine which is why tribal nations are placed here under an imperfect multi-purpose umbrella term[ 26] [ 27] [ 28]
^ a b Also comprises: Don't know; No answer; Other; Refused.
^ a b c [+ more urban/educated than representative]
References
^ (in Spanish) Ley 26.618
^ (in Portuguese) DIÁRIO DA JUSTIÇA CONSELHO NACIONAL DE JUSTIÇA Edição nº 89/2013
^ "Canada passes bill to legalize gay marriage" . The New York Times . June 29, 2005. Retrieved November 3, 2013 .
^ Nacional, Biblioteca del Congreso. "LEY NÚM. 21.400 MODIFICA DIVERSOS CUERPOS LEGALES PARA REGULAR, EN IGUALDAD DE CONDICIONES, EL MATRIMONIO ENTRE PERSONAS DEL MISMO SEXO" . www.bcn.cl/leychile (in Spanish). Retrieved 11 December 2021 .
^ (in Spanish) Ley número 20.830. - Crea el Acuerdo de Unión Civil
^ "Histórico: Colombia tiene matrimonio homosexual" . El Tiempo . 7 April 2016.
^ WRAL (2020-05-26). "Costa Rica latest country to legalize same-sex marriage" . WRAL.com . Retrieved 2020-05-26 .
^ "Cuba Family Code: Country votes to legalise same-sex marriage" . BBC News . 2022-09-26. Retrieved 2022-09-26 .
^ "Decisión de matrimonio igualitario deberá publicarse en Gaceta Constitucional" . El Universo (in Spanish). 2019-06-12. Retrieved 2019-06-12 .
^ "Supreme court rules gay weddings valid in all Mexico" . BBC News. 10 August 2010.
^ Wolf, Richard (June 26, 2015). "Supreme Court strikes down bans on same-sex marriage" . USA Today . Retrieved June 26, 2015 .
^ Liptak, Adam (26 June 2015). "Gay Marriage Backers Win Supreme Court Victory" . The New York Times . Retrieved 26 June 2015 .
^ (in Spanish) Ley Nº 19.075 MATRIMONIO IGUALITARIO
^ Tribunal Constitucional Plurinacional. "SENTENCIA CONSTITUCIONAL PLURINACIONAL 0577/2022-S2" . Opinión Bolivia (in Spanish). Retrieved 2022-09-27 .
^ (in Spanish) Constitución Política de la República Dominicana, proclamada el 26 de enero 2010, Publicada en la Gaceta Oficial No. 10561, del 26 de enero de 2010. Archived 2012-11-21 at the Wayback Machine
^ (in Spanish) CONSTITUCION POLITICA DE LA REPUBLICA DE HONDURAS DE 1982
^ "Honduras Bans Gay Marriage & Adoption" . Global Gayz. March 30, 2005. Archived from the original on 2010-05-03. Retrieved 2009-08-12 .
^ Charter of Fundamental Rights and Freedoms (Constitutional Amendment) Act, 2011
^ "Paraguay – Constitution" . Retrieved 2010-10-15 .
^ "Lov om ændring af myndighedsloven for Grønland, lov om ikrafttræden for Grønland af lov om ægteskabets retsvirkninger, retsplejelov for Grønland og kriminallov for Grønland" (in Danish). Government of Denmark . 4 February 2016. Retrieved 3 April 2016 .
^ a b c d e f Vignal, Francois (April 15, 2013). "Mariage pour tous : le détail du vote au Sénat" (in French). Public Senat. Retrieved October 27, 2013 .
^ a b c "Burgerlijk wetboek BES, boek 1" (in Dutch). overheid.nl. Retrieved 12 October 2012 .
^ "Supreme Court rules that same-sex marriage is now permitted in Aruba and Curaçao | NL Times" . nltimes.nl . Retrieved 2024-07-12 .
^ 12 facts about South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands - where you could be the first LGBTI couple to wed Archived 2018-01-26 at the Wayback Machine . Gay Star News , 26 January 2018
^ Falkland Islands Same-Sex Marriage Update
^ "About Native Americans" . 16 June 2014.
^ "Frequently Asked Questions | Indian Affairs" .
^ http://www.ncai.org/attachments/policypaper_vmqazpeqbvzdmeadvbupwtszlmzyzbkoknqrxnuyovmoyfkewgh_tribal%20nations%20and%20the%20united%20states_an%20introduction.pdf [bare URL PDF ]
^ Beard Rau, Alia (October 25, 2017). "Court orders Ak-Chin tribe to recognize marriages of same-sex couples" . The Arizona Republic . Retrieved October 25, 2017 .
^ "Bay Mills News, July 2019" (PDF) . www.baymillsnews.com . p. 3. Retrieved 29 July 2019 .
^ Federal Judge Rules Against Montana's Ban On Same-Sex Marriage
^ "Blue Lake Rancheria Ordinance 13-08" (PDF) . Bluelakerancheria-nsn.gov . Retrieved March 19, 2019 .
^ "Tribal court to conduct same-sex marriages" . Juneau Empire . February 23, 2015. Archived from the original on August 10, 2018. Retrieved February 23, 2015 .
^ Cherokee Nation attorney general OKs same-sex marriage
^ "Same-sex Oklahoma couple marries legally under tribal law" . KOCO. September 26, 2013. Retrieved October 22, 2013 .
^ "Chickasaw Nation Code Title 6" .
^ " 'We're good enough to foster, but we're not good enough to adopt?' Tribal Nation denies citizens' adoption because of same-sex marriage" . KFOR.com Oklahoma City . 2023-05-24. Retrieved 2023-05-24 .
^ "Domestic Relations Code: Article 2: Marriage and Divorce" (PDF) . CRIT. August 8, 2019. Retrieved September 19, 2019 .
^ "Title Another tribe recognizes same-sex marriages" . Daily Kos . Retrieved 2016-07-27 .
^ Siletz Tribe becomes latest to join marriage equality movement , Indianz.Com, June 4, 2015
^ "Colvilles recognize same sex marriage" . 7 September 2013.
^ "Tribal Council approves new marriage ordinance" . Confederated Tribes of Grande Ronde . Archived from the original on 5 November 2015. Retrieved 2 November 2015 .
^ Robinson, B.A. (May 5, 2012). "Adoption of SSM by the Coquille Nation of Oregon" . Same-sex marriage (SSM) among Native Americans . Ontario Consultants on Religious Tolerance.
^ a b "Wind River tribal judge presides over first same-sex marriage" . Indianz.Com. November 17, 2014. Retrieved November 18, 2014 .
^ "Nahgahchiwanong Dibahjimowinn, August 2014 (page 5)" (PDF) . Retrieved 2016-07-27 .
^ Legal hurdles cleared, Nevada sees first same-sex marriage
^ a b c d e Federal Judge Strikes Down Arizona's Same-Sex Marriage Ban
^ Minnesota set to legalize same-sex marriage
^ Resolution # 22-40.3452, Certification of Tribal Council Action. Special Session of May 25, 2022
^ "Civil Code: Marriage" (PDF) . Hannahville Indian Community. Retrieved September 21, 2022 .
^ Same-sex marriage provisions approved by Ho-Chunk Legislature
^ "Santa Ysabel Tribe First in California to Support Same-Sex Marriage" . Indian Country Today Media Network. June 28, 2013. Retrieved June 14, 2014 .
^ "Keweenaw Bay Indian Community backs marriage equality law" . Indianz.com. June 10, 2015. Retrieved June 11, 2015 .
^ Supreme Court Rejects Gay Marriage Appeals From 5 States
^ "8th US Native American tribe allows same-sex couples to wed" . Gay Star News . 16 November 2013. Archived from the original on 30 July 2019. Retrieved 12 September 2015 .
^ "Council of Michigan Indian tribe OKs gay marriage" . Seattle Post-Intelligencer . Associated Press . March 5, 2013. Retrieved March 5, 2013 .
^ Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Laws Annotated 2010-2011 Pocket Part
^ "Ord. No. 16-28" (PDF) . eCode360 . Retrieved January 30, 2017 .
^ Ernestine Chasing Hawk (3 February 2016). "Traditional elders question same-sex marriage" . Native Sun News. Archived from the original on 2016-05-07. Retrieved 2016-04-30 .
^ "Oglala Sioux Tribe legalizes same-sex marriage, considering updated hate crime law" . Argus Leader .
^ Ted Miller (28 May 2015). "Oneida Tribe approves same-sex marriage" . WBAY. Archived from the original on 21 June 2016. Retrieved 12 September 2015 .
^ Native American Osage Nation Votes in Favor of Same-Sex Marriage
^ "POKAGON BAND OF POTAWATOMI INDIANS MARRIAGE CODE" (PDF) . Archived from the original (PDF) on 2017-01-30. Retrieved 2015-09-12 .
^ "Title 4 Domestic Relations (page 9)" (PDF) . Poncatribe-ne.org . Archived from the original (PDF) on April 23, 2020. Retrieved March 19, 2019 .
^ "Forget Las Vegas. There's Heronswood" . Archived from the original on 2018-07-28. Retrieved 2015-09-12 .
^ "PRAIRIE ISLAND MDEWAKANTON DAKOTA COMMUNITY JUDICIAL CODE TITLE 3: DOMESTIC RELATIONS" (PDF) . prairieisland.org . Archived from the original (PDF) on 2017-04-06. Retrieved April 5, 2017 .
^ Nagle, Matt (July 16, 2014). "Puyallup Tribe Recognizes Same-Sex Marriages" . Tacoma Weekly. Archived from the original on September 24, 2015. Retrieved July 21, 2014 .
^ "Win Awenen Nisitotung, Vol.36, No.8 (page 5)" (PDF) . Archived from the original (PDF) on 2020-04-23. Retrieved 2016-07-25 .
^ "CHAPTER 61 STOCKBRIDGE-MUNSEE TRIBAL LAW MARRIAGE" (PDF) . Retrieved 2016-07-25 .
^ Gardner, Steven (August 1, 2011). "Suquamish Tribe approves same-sex marriage" . Kitsap Sun . Archived from the original on August 3, 2011. Retrieved August 2, 2011 .
^ "Tulalip Tribal Codes" . Retrieved 2016-07-28 .
^ "Turtle Mountain tribe passes marriage equality vote" . 2020-08-06. Retrieved 2020-08-06 .
^ Enactment of Ordinance No. 261, Amending the Domestic Relations Code of the White Mountain Apache Tribe
^ "Winnebago Tribe takes action to address marriage controversy" . 2022-04-13. Retrieved 2022-06-14 .
^ "Charter for the Kingdom of the Netherlands" (in Dutch). Government of the Netherlands . 10 October 2010. Retrieved 29 December 2010 .
^ "Landmark ruling recognizes marriage, trans rights in the Americas" . Washington Blade: Gay News, Politics, LGBT Rights . 2018-01-09. Retrieved 2018-01-10 .
^ The Inter-American System of Human Rights: A Research Guide
^ Vallecillo, Luis (21 January 2022). "Corte Suprema de Justicia de Honduras impide que personas LGBTQ puedan casarse y tengan derechos civiles" . The Washington Blade (in Spanish).
^ "La sentencia de la Corte Suprema de Justicia de Panamá sobre matrimonio igualitario: un desacierto interpretativo - Agenda Estado de Derecho" (in Spanish). 2023-05-24. Retrieved 2023-12-24 .
^ de 2022, Por Alonso Gurmendi Dunkelberg15 de Junio (15 June 2022). "Por qué la más reciente decisión en Perú contra el matrimonio igualitario es un despropósito legal" . infobae (in European Spanish). Retrieved 2022-07-09 . {{cite web }}
: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link )
^ "LGBTQIA-gemeenschap krijgt bittere pil te slikken" [LGBTQIA community has a bitter pill to swallow]. de Ware Tijd (in Dutch). 2023-02-01. Archived from the original on February 3, 2023. Retrieved 2023-02-08 .
^ "Presentarán iniciativa de ley para que el matrimonio igualitario sea legal en Honduras" . 18 May 2022.
^ "Matrimonio gay no está en agenda de presidenta Xiomara Castro, asegura ministra Natalie Roque" . El Heraldo (in Spanish). 2 December 2022.
^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m "Cultura polítical de la democracia en la República Dominicana y en las Américas, 2016/17" (PDF) . Vanderbilt University (in Spanish). 13 November 2017. p. 163.
^ a b c d e f g h LGBT+ PRIDE 2023 GLOBAL SURVEY (PDF) . Ipsos. 1 June 2023. Retrieved 12 June 2023 .
^ "Bevolking Aruba pro geregistreerd partnerschap zelfde geslacht" . Antiliaans Dagblad (in Dutch). 26 February 2021.
^ a b c d e "Barómetro de las Américas: Actualidad – 2 de junio de 2015" (PDF) .
^ https://www.ciep.ucr.ac.cr/images/INFORMESUOP/EncuestaEnero/Informe-encuesta-ENERO-2018.pdf [dead link ]
^ "Encuesta: Un 63,1% de los cubanos quiere matrimonio igualitario en la Isla" . Retrieved 26 July 2019 .
^ Guzman, Samuel (February 5, 2018). "Encuesta de CDN sobre matrimonio homosexual en RD recibe más de 300 mil votos - CDN - El Canal de Noticias de los Dominicanos" [CDN survey on homosexual marriage in DR receives more than 300 thousand votes] (in Spanish).
^ America's Barometer Topical Brief #034, Disapproval of Same-Sex Marriage in Ecuador: A Clash of Generations? , 23 July 2019. Counting ratings 1–3 as 'disapprove', 8–10 as 'approve', and 4–7 as neither.
^ "Partido de Bukele se "consolida" en preferencias electorales en El Salvador" . SWI swissinfo.ch (in Spanish).
^ "Más del 70% de los hondureños rechaza el matrimonio homosexual" . www.laprensa.hn .
^ Staff (November 30, 2022). "New Marquette Law School Poll national survey finds small rebound in approval of U.S. Supreme Court, continued opposition to use of race as a factor in college admissions // News Center // Marquette University" . Marquette University . Retrieved 2023-02-10 .
^ "September 20-25, 2022 Grinnell College National Poll" (PDF) . FiveThirtyEight . September 28, 2022. Retrieved November 16, 2022 .
^ "Majority of Americans Believe Abortion and Same-Sex Marriage Should be Guaranteed Rights | Grinnell College" . Grinnell College . September 28, 2022. Retrieved September 28, 2022 . Solid majorities across both parties agree that... marrying someone of the same sex...are rights that should be guaranteed to all citizens...
^ Staff (December 14, 2022). "Lowest Opinion Of Trump Among Voters In Seven Years, Quinnipiac University National Poll Finds; Biden Approval Rating Climbs | Quinnipiac University Poll" . Quinnipiac University . Retrieved December 15, 2022 .
^ "Opinión sobre el matrimonio igualitario" [Opinion on equal marriage]. Equipos Consultores . 30 August 2019. Archived from the original on October 23, 2019.
^ Crónica Uno, Encuesta refleja que mayoría de venezolanos apoya igualdad de derechos para la población LGBTIQ, 2 March, 2023
^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af "¿Quién está en contra del matrimonio gay?" . El Sol de México (in Spanish). 15 April 2019.
^ "OUTBermuda: 53% Favour Same-Sex Marriage" . September 17, 2020.
^ "Social Attitudes on Moral Issues in Latin America - Pew Research Center" . Pew Research Center's Religion & Public Life Project . November 13, 2014. Retrieved June 29, 2015 .