Australia and the Global Spread of Same-Sex Marriage

This year’s vote in Australia in favor of same-sex marriage will ultimately make the country the 26th in the world to legalize such unions. The worldwide trend began nearly two decades ago when the Netherlands voted in 2000 in favor of letting same-sex couples marry; most recently, Germany became the latest country to pass same-sex marriage legislation this summer.

While the legalization of same-sex marriage has spread rapidly in the 21st century, it hasn’t spread all that far. In Europe, just 15 countries have legalized same-sex marriage. Though Chile is among the latest countries to put forward legislation to legalize same-sex unions, it’s one of the few Latin Americanplace in Asia where same-sex marriage is legal. South Africa, too, is the sole place on the continent where same-sex unions are recognized.