Marriage Equality Advocates in the LGBTQ Community

Tremendous advances have been made toward marriage equality in many countries around the world. Regrettably, there also remain many countries where legislation is lacking on the issue. According to the HRC, there are currently 29 countries where same-sex marriage is legal: Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Costa Rica, Denmark, Ecuador, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Luxembourg, Malta, Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Taiwan, the United Kingdom, the United States of America and Uruguay. The first country to recognize same-sex marriages was The Netherlands in 2001, followed by Belgium (2003) and Canada (2005). Taiwan made history in 2019, becoming the first government in Asia to welcome legislation on marriage equality.

Marriage equality has come about through three processes: legislation enacted by political bodies; through public referendum following civic action; and by court decisions that have mandated equality through adherence to a country's constitution. In contrast, in many countries constitutional measures have been adopted to prevent same-sex marriages from being sanctioned, or laws have been enacted which refuse to recognize such marriages performed elsewhere.

Gay marriage is hotly contested by religious groups and intolerant political and social organizations. A 2016 global survey found that one in three adults believe that people of the same sex should be allowed to marry.

For those living in countries where same-sex marriage is legal, knowing about those LGBTQ individuals who advanced the issue of marriage equality is important. Today's progress has been built by the commitment and hard work of those who came before us, and it behooves the community to celebrate the work of those individuals. For those living in countries where it remains illegal, the march forward continues by many of the individuals identified below.

This list contains lawyers, politicians, activists, and public leaders. Most are in influential positions related to the political system or NGOs working to advance the LGBTQ equality cause. Some are celebrities who are using their public visibility for the purpose.

Argentina

Australia