Around the world, marriage equality is seen differently from country to country. In some European countries, such as the “Netherlands (2001)” and “Belgium (2003)” were the first places that allowed same-sex marriages.[1] However, many countries still not only lack marriage equality, but have outlawed gay relationships. For example, Afghanistan and Singapore are just two of the seventy-six countries where same-sex marriages are illegal.[2] The fact that our global society creates boundaries that prevent same-sex couples’ marriages is why other issues are interconnected with this topic. Religion, gender roles, and body image are just some of the many topics that interlock with my chosen focus.
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One example of the complexity of marriage equality is Australia. Even with an estimated 60% of residents supporting marriage equality, gay marriage is still illegal. [3] Currently, in Australia this is limited to a woman and man. Unlike Australia, Senegal is one of the most anti-gay countries in the world. According to a 2013 Pew poll, which found “96 percent of Senegalese think society should not accept homosexuality, only surpassed by Nigeria at 97 percent”. [4] Gay sex is illegal and discrimination is ordinary for both of these countries. According to Mark Strasser(2014), journalist for newsweek.com, argues that Jamaica has been one of the many hostile countries in the world for LGBT people. In Strasser’s article about Homophobic Nations, Strasser says that “sex between men is illegal, hate crimes are quite common and the government seems unwilling to protect gays from violence.” [5] Just like in Jamaica for the past decade, Honduras has had a significant amount of ant-LGBT hate crimes. It is said in Strasser’s article that since 2009 “more than 80 LGBT people have been murdered”.[6] It appears that radicalized communities all over the world are hesitant to legalize homosexuality.
Although there are countries that don’t have same-sex marriage legal - there are many around the world that support gay marriage. For example, the Dutch were the first to eliminate any distinction between gay and straight, striking all references to gender in the marriage laws. Canada jumped to the forefront of gay rights in North America this past June when it announced plans to legalize same-sex marriages. In Portugal, and in Spain's Navarra and Basque regions, gay couples who live together long enough receive the same benefits as heterosexuals under common law unions. In Argentina's capital, Buenos Aires, gay couples can register for a civil union. This states that around the world, marriage equality is seen differently from country to country.
Although there are countries that don’t have same-sex marriage legal - there are many around the world that support gay marriage. For example, the Dutch were the first to eliminate any distinction between gay and straight, striking all references to gender in the marriage laws. Canada jumped to the forefront of gay rights in North America this past June when it announced plans to legalize same-sex marriages. In Portugal, and in Spain's Navarra and Basque regions, gay couples who live together long enough receive the same benefits as heterosexuals under common law unions. In Argentina's capital, Buenos Aires, gay couples can register for a civil union. This states that around the world, marriage equality is seen differently from country to country.