Topic Guide
Global Marriage and Family Recognition Wins
Short answer
Marriage and family recognition expanded through court rulings, national registry decisions, referendums, parliamentary votes and state-by-state reform.
- Status
- reviewed
- Reviewed
- 5 June 2026
- Sources
- 7
- High trust
- 6
Curated Routes
Appears in these journeys
Use a journey when you want to keep reading through a connected route.
Overview
Global marriage equality did not follow a single legal route. Brazil and Colombia relied on judicial or registry authority, Taiwan implemented a special marriage law, Cuba used a national referendum and Family Code, Mexico reached nationwide coverage through state reforms, and Greece legislated marriage equality through parliament.
Courts and registries
Brazil and Colombia show how courts and registry authorities could remove barriers even without a single national parliamentary marriage act.
Legislation and referendum
Taiwan, Cuba and Greece show formal legislative or referendum routes to marriage and family recognition.
Nationwide coverage
Mexico illustrates how nationwide marriage equality can arrive once every state or relevant jurisdiction has removed remaining barriers.
Key Timeline Events
Brazil's National Council of Justice Orders Same-Sex Marriage
Brazil's National Council of Justice issued a resolution requiring all civil registry offices nationwide to perform same-sex marriages, effectively legalising marriage equality across the country. This followed a 2011 Supreme Court ruling recognising same-sex unions and years of patchwork legalisation across individual states. Brazil became the third country in Latin America and the largest in the world at that time to achieve nationwide marriage equality.
Colombia Legalises Same-Sex Marriage
Colombia's Constitutional Court ruled 6-3 to legalise same-sex marriage nationwide, finding that the existing legal framework discriminated against same-sex couples. The ruling came after years of legal challenges and political debate. Colombia became the fourth country in Latin America to achieve marriage equality nationwide, following Argentina, Uruguay, and Brazil.
Taiwan Becomes First in Asia to Legalise Same-Sex Marriage
Taiwan's Legislative Yuan passed the Enforcement Act of Judicial Yuan Interpretation No. 748, making Taiwan the first country in Asia to legalise same-sex marriage. The legislation followed a 2017 Constitutional Court ruling that declared the existing marriage law unconstitutional for excluding same-sex couples. Hundreds of couples registered their marriages on the first day the law took effect.
Cuba Approves Same-Sex Marriage by Referendum
Cuban voters approved a new Family Code in a national referendum with 66.9% support, legalising same-sex marriage, same-sex adoption, and surrogate pregnancy. The code also strengthened protections against gender-based violence and gave grandparents legal rights. The reform was remarkable given Cuba's history of persecuting LGBTQ+ people, including the UMAP forced labour camps of the 1960s.
Mexico Achieves Nationwide Same-Sex Marriage
With the state of Tamaulipas becoming the last of Mexico's 32 states to legalise same-sex marriage, Mexico completed a 13-year process that began with Mexico City in 2009. The journey was achieved primarily through state-by-state legislation and court rulings rather than a single national law. Mexico's Supreme Court had ruled in 2015 that state-level bans on same-sex marriage were unconstitutional.
Greece Legalises Same-Sex Marriage
The Greek parliament voted to legalise same-sex civil marriage and grant same-sex couples adoption rights, making Greece the first Orthodox Christian-majority country to do so. The legislation passed with 176 votes in favour and 76 against, with support from the ruling centre-right New Democracy party alongside left-wing opposition parties.
