On June 26th, 2015, the Supreme Court ruled that gay marriage
would become legal nationwide, lifting marriage bans for same sex couples in 13
states. Growing up in Washington, D.C., I have had the privilege of
attending two Gay Pride Parades and experiencing the court ruling first hand.
To believe there were still over a dozen states that refused the right of
marriage to same sex couples the year I entered college is hard to swallow and
difficult for me to understand, living somewhere so liberal. As we approach the
first anniversary of this momentous occasion, my curiosity surrounding the
subject has grown tremendously, branching to how different countries in the
world perceive and handle same sex marriage. Using this post, I am interested
in looking at what same sex marriage looks like across the globe and what
happens with a label of legal or illegal.
As of the
United States 2015 Supreme Court ruling, there are 22 countries that allow same
sex marriage. Of these countries, more than half are in Europe. In 2000, The
Netherlands became the first country to legalize same sex marriage and by 2010,
nine more countries had joined in legalization, including Canada, Spain, South
Africa, and Argentina. It is important to note that many of these countries
laws still allowed churches and religious groups to deny any marriage they did
not want to preform. It is interesting to look at how Ireland gained its
legalization. In 2013, Queen Elizabeth II legalized same sex marriage in England
and Wales. Northern Ireland and Scotland, however, are semi-autonomous and have
their own governing bodies. In April 2014, Ireland did not pass a measure to
legalize same sex marriages, which lead Ireland to become the only country in
the world to choose to allow same sex marriage by popular vote. This was such a
huge moment in Ireland law and for all countries where same sex marriage is
illegal as “the decision by the Irish people will encourage LGBT people in
all those countries where they are still denied the right to marry.” (Gilmore) It
showed these countries that the people’s voice is quite often as strong or
stronger than the government. Although some religious groups in countries with
legalization are still permitted to prohibit marriage between same sex couples,
citizens of these 22
countries have incredible privileges over those in countries where same sex
marriage is illegal.
Shifting our focus from
Europe to the Middle East, we gain access to the other side of the picture
surrounding global gay rights. In many countries where same sex marriage is
illegal and LGBT rights are not observed, it is punishable by law to be found
participating in intimate same sex activities. There are currently 80 countries
in the world where being LGBT is a criminal offense and is punishable by law.
Uganda enacted the Anti-Homosexuality Act in 2014, allowing officials to
sentence people to life in prison for engaging in same sex activities and even
supporting LGBT rights. In Iran, women are punished with 100 lashes for
engaging in same sex relations, where men receive the death penalty. It is
estimated that 4000 men have been executed since 1979. Grave acts of violence are enacted on LGBT members and supporters, with especially harsh realities in
Iraq. Once an Iraqi has come out, they often face horrible violence from their
families and communities. Often their only hope is to run and hide. Today,
Iraqis must fear their lives if they wish to be openly homosexual, as there are
many “religious militias and vigilante groups” (Alizadeh) who have set out to
kill and scare any LGBT members from participating.
I would love to talk of the
strides the world has made as a whole in accepting gay rights and I can for 22
of the 196 countries. But sadly with the reality or Iraq and many African
countries, people live in fear for their lives and very little is being done
and can be done to help ease their pain and suffering. Although it is becoming
more accepted, it is key to remember that this practice is still highly
stigmatized in many countries and is something that will be a continuous fight.
Works Cited
“Should Gay
Marriage Be Legal?”
“Gay
Marriage Around the World”
“Is Same Sex
Marriage the Civil Rights Issue of this Generation?”
“When Coming
Out Is a Death Sentence: The Rising Tide of Violence Against LGBT Iraqis”
International LGBT Rights: The Canaries in the Mine Shaft
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