Same sex equality
Quakers and same-sex marriage
History of Quaker views on homosexual relationships
[QUOTE-START]
It is the world and quality of a relationship that matters… the same criteria seem to us to apply whether a relationship is heterosexual or homosexual.
- Towards a Quaker view of sex, 1963
[QUOTE-END]
It was a extended, challenging journey towards this decision. In 1963, the booklet Towards a Quaker view of sex stated, "It is the world and quality of a relationship that matters… the same criteria seem to us to apply whether a relationship is heterosexual or homosexual."
In 1988 Meeting for Sufferings, then our national executive body, recognised same-sex relationships and suggested that individual meetings might celebrate them.
Following the 2004 Civil Partnership Act, which permitted the civil registration of same-sex relationships, many Friends began to convey unease. The ability of Quakers to recognise marriage in a religious context was excluded from the terms of civil partnership. The issue was then considered at various levels of our Yearly Conference over several years.
After consulting all British Quaker meetings in 2007 the group appointed to r
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 share tools, resources, and lessons learned to allow 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 2025
Liechtenstein: On May 16, 2024, Liechtenstein's government passed a bill in favor of marriage equality. The law went into effect January 1, 2025.
The fight for marriage equality is not over
As Northern Ireland noted its first queer marriages in January this year, we rejoiced in having made marriage equality a reality throughout the UK.
But, that’s not quite the case. In the Cayman Islands, a British Overseas area, same-sex marriage is still banned, as it is for many British Overseas Territories. And in many there is no legal recognition of same-sex partnerships at all.
Last week (27th July 2020), we were concerned to hear that the Cayman Islands’ legislature failed to pass the Home Partnerships Bill, sense that same-sex couples cannot have their relationship recognised by the state.
This is despite the Cayman Islands Court of Appeal ruling that the Cayman Islands Government must legislate for same-sex partnerships to meet its Constitutional duties.
Same-sex marriage is still banned in many British Overseas Territories.
Same-sex marriage is still banned in many British Overseas Territories.
Civil partnerships and marriage equality have been key milestones in our journey towards LGBT equality in the UK. There possess been many other vital steps (and many more we need to take), but to acquire the stat
Proposing change: How same-sex marriage became a government achievement story
Same-sex marriages are now famous all over the UK. They are a core part of the UK’s culture, communities and institutions.
Passing legislation to introduce same-sex marriage was a landmark moment – for many couples personally, but also for the wider sapphic, gay, bisexual, transsexual plus (LGBT+) collective. It marked an important step in addressing the UK’s past legal discrimination against same-sex couples, building on the achievements of a long history of campaigners who worked to expand LGBT+ rights.
This case research looks at how the government passed the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Perform 2013. It examines the policy’s journey, from a campaign aim of LGBT+ rights groups, to a contested issue in the 2010 general election, to official government policy, and finally to legislation that introduced same-sex marriage rights in England and Wales, while accommodating many of the concerns of those who remained opposed.
It draws on a policy reunion at the Institute for Government held in March 2023, which brought together officials, ministers, LGBT+ rights campaigners and representatives from
Even where countries in Europe recognise marriage equality, children born to lgbtq+ families remain at chance of statelessness
Every year the ILGA-Europe Rainbow Guide shows that the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual person, trans, intersex and homosexual people (LGBTIQ*) are still not equally respected in the European Union. This gap also affects children of LGBTIQ* parents and while many (mostly Western) countries have permanently changed their laws and regulations within the last two decades to adequately recognise LGBTIQ* people and their families, there are still many legal gaps to fill.
By now, 14 out of 28 EU countries have introduced marriage equality. A further eight countries offer different forms of registered partnerships. However, six EU Member States – Bulgaria, Lithuania, Latvia, Poland, Romania and Slovakia –still don’t provide any caring of recognition for LGBTIQ* couples. Of course, restrictions in this area impact the children of LGBTIQ* parents: whenever their parents can’t get married or enter into a civil union, they might also be denied tax credits, inheritance rights, access to healthcare and social security entitlements such as parental leave on an equivalent footing w