Marriage equality is now legal in all of Mexico after the final states approve it
In a 23 to 12 vote (with two abstentions), Tamaulipas became the 32nd state to legalize same-sex marriage, after the state of Guerrero did so just the day before.
Gay rights
This archive tracks legal victories, policy shifts, and cultural milestones that have expanded rights and recognition for LGBTQ+ people worldwide. Stories span court rulings, legislative wins, and community-led advocacy across dozens of countries. The focus is on documented progress — what changed, where, and how it happened.
The State of Mexico legalizes marriage equality
In a 50 to 16 vote, the largest state in Mexico has legalized same-sex marriage, becoming the 29th of 32 Mexican states to do so.
Cuba approves same-sex marriage in historic turnabout
Same-sex marriage in Cuba is now legal, after roughly two-thirds of voters approved a sweeping new family code that also opens adoption to gay couples. Before the referendum, the draft was workshopped at more than 79,000 neighborhood meetings, drawing over 300,000 citizen suggestions that shaped the final text. The 100-page code goes well beyond marriage equality, condemning family violence, urging equal sharing of housework, and giving children a formal voice in family decisions. It’s a remarkable turn for a country that once sent gay men to labor camps, and it places Cuba alongside Argentina, Brazil, and Colombia in Latin America’s steady movement toward fuller recognition of who counts as a family.
The Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court strikes down ban on buggery
The Offenses Against the Person Act, imported from England, criminalized “unnatural offenses” and carried a maximum penalty of 10 years with hard labor.
Singapore to repeal colonial-era law against sex between men
Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong has announced the repeal of the colonial-era Section 377A of the penal code, under which sex between men is punishable by up to two years in prison.
Nintendo announces it will recognize same-sex partnerships even though Japan doesn’t
The Japanese video game company Nintendo has announced that it will extend marriage benefits to employees who are in same-sex partnerships.
Israel formally bans LGBTQ+ conversion therapy
While the Health Ministry has advised against conversion therapy for years, no formal prohibition had been issued against the practice until now.
France ends ban on gay and bisexual male blood donors
France passed its first ban on men who have sex with men donating blood in 1983, in the early years of the AIDS crisis.
Israel lifts surrogacy ban for same-sex parents
The new law will also grant equal access to surrogate pregnancy for all, including single men and transgender individuals.
U.K. to pardon all past convictions of consensual homosexual activity
The new amendment will pardon any conviction over homosexual activity that is no longer a crime today and that did not involve anyone under the age of 16.