Photo © www.flickr.com/people/joseanavas/

A total of 26 countries now recognise and perform gay marriages, including the UK (exc NI). In these places same-sex couples can wed, and the unions should, in theory, receive the same rights afforded to heterosexual couples.

The list of countries where same-sex marriages are performed and recognised is as follows:

• Argentina 
  
• Australia
  
• Belgium
  
• Brazil
  
• Canada
  
• Colombia
  
• Denmark
  
• Finland
  
• France
  
• Germany
  
• Iceland
  
• Ireland
  
• Luxembourg
  
• Malta
  
• Mexico
  
• Netherlands
  
• New Zealand
  
• Norway
  
• Portugal
  
• South Africa
  
• Spain
  
• Sweden
• Taiwan
• United Kingdom -not including Northern Ireland
  
• United States
  
• Uruguay
   

---

READ: Which countries criminalise homosexuality?