Marriage

====Sex====
[[File:World marriage-equality laws.svg|thumb|right|upright=1.8|
{{legend|#002255|Marriage open to same-sex couples (rings: individual cases)}}
{{legend|#71C837|Legislation or binding domestic court ruling establishing same-sex marriage, but marriage is not yet provided for}}
{{legend|#9900CC|Same-sex marriage recognized when performed in certain other jurisdictions, and accorded greater rights than local same-sex unions (if any)}}
{{legend|#0066FF|Civil unions or domestic partnerships}}
{{legend|#9FCFFF|Limited legal recognition (registered cohabitation)}}
{{legend striped|#99CCFF|#DCDCDC|Local certification without legal force|up=yes}}
{{legend|#CCAAFF|Limited recognition of marriage performed in certain other jurisdictions (residency rights for spouses)}}
{{legend|#C6E9AF|Country subject to an international court ruling to recognize same-sex marriage}}
{{legend|#CCCCCC|Same-sex unions not legally recognized}}]]
{{Main|Same-sex marriage}}
Same-sex marriage is legally performed and recognized in [[Same-sex marriage in Andorra|Andorra]], [[Argentina]], [[Same-sex marriage in Australia|Australia]], [[Same-sex marriage in Austria|Austria]], [[Same-sex marriage in Belgium|Belgium]], [[Same-sex marriage in Brazil|Brazil]], [[Same-sex marriage in Canada|Canada]], [[Same-sex marriage in Chile|Chile]], [[Same-sex marriage in Colombia|Colombia]], [[Same-sex marriage in Costa Rica|Costa Rica]], [[Same-sex marriage in Cuba|Cuba]], [[Same-sex marriage in Denmark|Denmark]], [[Same-sex marriage in Ecuador|Ecuador]], [[Same-sex marriage in Finland|Finland]], [[Same-sex marriage in France|France]], [[Same-sex marriage in Germany|Germany]], [[Same-sex marriage in Iceland|Iceland]], [[Same-sex marriage in the Republic of Ireland|Ireland]], [[Same-sex marriage in Luxembourg|Luxembourg]], [[Same-sex marriage in Malta|Malta]], [[Same-sex marriage in Mexico|Mexico]], the [[Same-sex marriage in the Netherlands|Netherlands]],{{efn|name=netherlands|text=Same-sex marriage is performed and recognized by law in [[Same-sex marriage in the Netherlands|the Netherlands proper]], including [[Same-sex marriage in Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba|Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba]]. Marriages entered into there have minimal recognition in [[Same-sex marriage in Aruba, Curaçao and Sint Maarten|Aruba, Curaçao and Sint Maarten]].}} [[Same-sex marriage in New Zealand|New Zealand]],{{efn|name=nz|text=Same-sex marriage is performed and recognized by law in [[New Zealand|New Zealand proper]], but not in [[LGBT rights in Tokelau|Tokelau]], the [[LGBT rights in the Cook Islands|Cook Islands]] or [[LGBT rights in Niue|Niue]], which together make up the [[Realm of New Zealand]].}} [[Same-sex marriage in Norway|Norway]], [[Same-sex marriage in Portugal|Portugal]], [[Same-sex marriage in Slovenia|Slovenia]], [[Same-sex marriage in South Africa|South Africa]], [[Same-sex marriage in Spain|Spain]], [[Same-sex marriage in Sweden|Sweden]], [[Same-sex marriage in Switzerland|Switzerland]], [[Same-sex marriage in Taiwan|Taiwan]], the [[Same-sex marriage in the United Kingdom|United Kingdom]],{{efn|name=uk|text= Except the British Overseas Territories of [[LGBT rights in Anguilla|Anguilla]], the [[LGBT rights in the British Virgin Islands|British Virgin Islands]], the [[LGBT rights in the Cayman Islands|Cayman Islands]], [[LGBT rights in Montserrat|Montserrat]] and the [[LGBT rights in the Turks and Caicos Islands|Turks and Caicos Islands]].|group=}} the [[Same-sex marriage in the United States|United States]],{{efn|name=usa|text=Same-sex marriage is performed and recognized by law in all [[Same-sex marriage law in the United States by state|fifty states]] and the [[Same-sex marriage in the District of Columbia|District of Columbia]], all territories except [[LGBT rights in American Samoa|American Samoa]], and in [[Same-sex marriage in tribal nations in the United States|some tribal nations]].}} and [[Same-sex marriage in Uruguay|Uruguay]]. [[Recognition of same-sex unions in Israel|Israel]] recognizes same-sex marriages entered into abroad as full marriages.

The introduction of same-sex marriage has varied by jurisdiction, being variously accomplished through legislative change to [[marriage law]], a court ruling based on constitutional guarantees of equality, or by direct popular vote (via [[ballot initiative]] or [[referendum]]). The recognition of same-sex marriage is considered to be a [[human rights|human right]] and a [[civil rights|civil right]] as well as a political, social, and religious issue.<ref>{{multiref2 | {{cite web|title=Inter-American Human Rights Court backs same-sex marriage|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-42633891|publisher=[[BBC]]|date=January 10, 2018|access-date=April 6, 2018}} | {{cite web|title=Obergefell v. Hodges, 576 U.S. ___ (2015)|url=https://supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/576/14-556/opinion3.html|publisher=[[Justia]]|date=June 26, 2015|access-date=April 6, 2018}} |  {{cite news|last=Smith|first=Susan K.|title=Marriage a Civil Right, not Sacred Rite|url=http://newsweek.washingtonpost.com/onfaith/panelists/susan_k_smith/2009/07/marriage_a_civil_right_not_sacred_rite.html|access-date=20 September 2012|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|date=30 July 2009|archive-date=3 October 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121003083717/http://newsweek.washingtonpost.com/onfaith/panelists/susan_k_smith/2009/07/marriage_a_civil_right_not_sacred_rite.html}} | {{cite web|title=Decision in Perry v. Schwarzenegger|url=https://ecf.cand.uscourts.gov/cand/09cv2292/files/09cv2292-ORDER.pdf|access-date=6 August 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130316191210/https://ecf.cand.uscourts.gov/cand/09cv2292/files/09cv2292-ORDER.pdf|archive-date=16 March 2013}} }}</ref> The most prominent supporters of same-sex marriage are human rights and civil rights organizations as well as the medical and scientific communities, while the most prominent opponents are religious groups. Various faith communities around the world support same-sex marriage, while many religious groups oppose it. [[Same-sex marriage#Public opinion|Polls consistently show]] continually rising support for the recognition of same-sex marriage in all developed democracies and in some developing democracies.<ref>{{multiref2 | {{cite web|url=http://news.gallup.com/poll/234866/two-three-americans-support-sex-marriage.aspx|title=Two in Three Americans Support Same-Sex Marriage|website=[[Gallup (company)|Gallup]]|date=May 23, 2018}} | {{cite web|title=For several years a majority of Australians have supported marriage equality|url=http://www.australianmarriageequality.org/who-supports-equality/a-majority-of-australians-support-marriage-equality/|publisher=Australian Marriage Equality Incorporated|access-date=22 May 2015}} | {{cite web|title=Support for Same-Sex Marriage in Latin America|url=http://www.vanderbilt.edu/lapop/insights/I0844.enrevised.pdf|publisher=[[Vanderbilt University]]|access-date=25 September 2012}} }}</ref>

The establishment of recognition in law for the marriages of same-sex couples is one of the most prominent objectives of the [[LGBT rights]] movement.