MARRIAGE MOMENTUM ACROSS ASIA
TAIWAN
After being the first to win marriage in Asia in 2019, over 10,000 same-sex couples have legally married, while lawmakers have since strengthened the law, ensuring marriage for binational couples and adoption rights. Support for the freedom to marry has soared since the first couples married in 2019, with more than 62% of Taiwanese in support as of 2023.
For more information: Taiwan Equality Campaign
NEPAL
Big news in 2023 came from the Himalayas, where a Supreme Court judge ordered the country to begin registering same-sex marriages. The interim order instructed the government to create a separate register for marriages of gay and transgender couples. The 2023 ruling was the third ruling from the nation’s highest court since 2008 affirming the freedom to marry. Since then, many LGBTQ couples have married, while advocates continue pushing for additional clarity and a change in the civil code to secure marriage for gay and transgender people.
For more information: Blue Diamond Society Nepal, Mitini Nepal
CAMBODIA
In 2019, the Cambodian government accepted 3rd cycle Universal Periodic Review (UPR) recommendations that called on the country to pass a law extending marriage to same-sex couples and has since been in dialogue with civil society to discuss the path forward. Civil society has continued working on building more public acceptance for recognizing legal marriage equality for LGBT+ couples. Polling shows increases in support with a November 2023 Pew Research poll finding 57% of adults in Cambodia already support recognizing legal marriage equality for same-sex couples.
For more information: I Accept Marriage Equality Kampuchea Campaign
HONG KONG
In September 2023, Hong Kong’s highest court (Court of Final Appeal) ruled the government is required to enact a legal framework to protect same-sex couples within the next 2 years. Hong Kong Marriage Equality is pushing for that to be marriage, and has charted a path forward. This landmark decision was part of a series of rulings supporting same-sex couples and their families in Hong Kong, including two rulings in October 2023 that granted equal public housing rights and equal inheritance rights to same-sex couples. Recent polling shows that 60% of Hong Kongers support the freedom to marry.
For more information: Hong Kong Marriage Equality
INDIA
Five years after issuing a landmark ruling striking down colonial-era Section 377 prohibiting sex between men, the India Supreme Court ruled that the question of marriage for same-sex couples should be decided by Parliament – falling short of the demands of the dozens of plaintiff couples who brought the case before the Court. Though the court did not rule in favor of the freedom to marry, it made clear that same-sex couples and their families are an integral part of Indian society and that the government should pursue actions that lessen discrimination. A 2023 Pew Research poll shows that a 53% majority of the Indian public supports the freedom to marry for same-sex couples.
JAPAN
Since 2020, three Japanese district courts have ruled in favor of the freedom to marry, with more district and high court rulings expected in 2024 – teeing up a marriage case to reach the Supreme Court by mid-2025. Recent polls show that 72% of the Japanse public believe gay and lesbian couples should be able to marry. 100+ corporations and employers have joined together to call on Diet members to pass marriage – while nearly 80% of the Japanese population now lives in a municipality offering local registries.
For more information: Marriage for All Japan
SINGAPORE
Following the repeal of the infamous colonial-era Section 377A prohibiting sex between men, advocates have begun discussions on the groundwork necessary for a freedom to marry campaign. This will require legislative action,[3] as the repeal of Section 377A was coupled with a constitutional amendment barring court challenges against the heterosexual definition of marriage.
SOUTH KOREA
In February 2023, the Seoul High Court ruled that the government’s health insurance system cannot discriminate against a same-sex couple. This win marked the first time a Korean court has recognized the need to protect same-sex couples. The first-ever marriage bill was introduced in the Korean National Assembly in – with 12 MPs signing on as bill sponsors, two more than the 10 minimum required to introduce a bill. Thousands of Koreans have signed a petition calling on members of Parliament to pass the freedom to marry. And in June, the Marriage for All Korea campaign launched with a national ad campaign – featuring videos – a broad-based coalition solely focused on advancing the freedom to marry in Korea.
For more information: Marriage for All Korea
THAILAND
In November 2023, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin announced plans to pass legislation extending marriage to same-sex couples, with multiple versions of the marriage bill passing first reading on December 21st. All but 10 of 379 lawmakers present in Parliament voted to approve the draft legislation and further debate and votes are expected in early 2024. A 2023 Pew Research polling found that six-in-ten Thai adults favor allowing gays and lesbians to marry legally.
For more information: Rainbow Sky Association of Thailand (RSAT)
VIETNAM
"In 2014, the Vietnamese government lifted the ban on same-sex marriage from the 2000's Marriage and Family Code – an early step forward in Asia, while neither acknowledging nor extending any legal protection or recognition to LGBT families. Polling shows increases in support with a November 2023 Pew Research poll finding 65% of adults in Vietnam support legalizing same-sex marriage. Nearly 55,000 across Vietnam have signed a petition supporting the freedom to marry.
For more information: I Do Campaign
CHINA
In 2019, 230,000 people across China signed a petition urging the National People’s Congress to update the civil code to extend marriage to same-sex couples – while numerous lawsuits filed on behalf of same-sex couples underscore the harms of marriage discrimination on Chinese families.
