10 Facts About Gay Marriage From Around The World


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In less than 30 days, same-sex marriage will become legal in England and Wales.  As a country we should feel proud of the advances made to the gay rights movement at home, but we need to remember that we are not the first to offer marriage equality. There’s a healthy precedent for it abroad.

So, as we enter the home straight, here are ten facts about gay marriage from around the world.


  1. Gay marriage is legal in South Africa because preventing it would contravene the country’s post-apartheid constitution.

  1. Gay marriage has an 82% approval rating in The Netherlands: the highest rate in Europe.

  1. Every member of Iceland’s forty-nine strong Parliament voted yes to gay marriage in 2010.

  1. Shortly after this, Icelandic Prime Minister Johanna Sigurdardottir married her own partner and was one of the first to do so under the new law.

  1. March 29th will see gay marriage become legal in England and Wales. However, the same law will prohibit the Church of England from performing any.

  1. In 2004 Massachusetts became the first US state to allow gay marriage.

  1. In 1989 Denmark was the first country to allow same-sex civil unions. In 2012 it then legalised marriage.

  1. The Netherlands were the first country in the world to legalise gay marriage in 2000. They were followed in 2003 by neighbouring Belgium. 

  1. Argentina became the first South American country to legalise gay marriage.

  1. There will have been 3037 days between the first UK civil ceremony and the first marriage.

If you need any inspiration for planning your big day, or if you have a venue or wedding service that you'd like to advertise with us, then please visit the Pink Wedding Days website. 


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