Taiwan set to legalize gay marriage despite legislative hurdles

An official decree from the Vatican department in charge of doctrine has nixed any possibility that the Roman Catholic Church might accept same-sex marriages.

More than a dozen same-sex couples had filed lawsuits in 2019, asking the government to recognize gay marriage. The verdict is being hailed as a step towards marriage equality.

Well over 100 Catholic priests in Germany have offered blessings to same sex couples this week. It's a sensation, and a natural decision for many, though it goes against the Vatican and the German Church's rules.

Child protection campaigners say closed schools and rising poverty, along with the lack of a legal minimum age, are pushing more girls under 18 into marriage.

Many people in India have lost their jobs and life savings during the pandemic. This has forced parents to marry off their daughters at an early age to reduce the financial burden.

Europe's top human rights court had called on Russia to establish a legal framework for same sex partnerships. Russia said the verdict contradicted its laws and morality.

Switzerland is due to hold a vote this month on the legalization of same-sex marriage. Conservative politicians had called for the referendum to "protect traditions."

Nearly two-thirds of Swiss voters backed the government's plan to introduce same-sex marriage in a referendum, with campaigners calling it a historic day for gay rights in Switzerland.

Swiss same-sex couples have won the right to marry after voters overwhelmingly backed its legalization in a referendum. The vote was brought about by conservative politicians opposed to LGBTQ+ marriages.

Some 30 countries around the world have already legalised gay marriage, but just a handful of them are in Latin America. They include Brazil, Colombia, Argentina, and now Chile can be added to that list. People there celebrated this week as the Chilean Congress voted to legalise same-sex marriage and adoption. The decision now needs to be signed by the president, who backs the law.

Since the introduction of "marriage for all" in Germany, some 65,000 marriages have taken place between people of the same sex. The figures showed a rush to tie the knot once it became possible late in 2017.

A September referendum could see Cuba become the ninth Latin American country to legalize same-sex marriage, but the vote's outcome is anything but clear.