On January 1, 2009, Norway became the 6th country to offer full, legal marriage to same-sex couples. The law was enacted on June 17, 2008.
Norway began registering legal partnerships for same-sex couples on April 30, 1993.
[See Registered Partnership: The Scandinavian Approach]
Now allowing full legal marriage, same-sex couples will be granted the same rights as opposite-sex couples to marry, adopt and access alternative insemination.
A parliamentary majority had announced agreement on the legislation in May 2008, and the lower house voted 84-41 in favor on June 11, 2008. On June 17, 2008, Norway’s upper house of parliament voted 23-17 in favor of the gender-neutral marriage law. The King of Norway granted royal assent soon thereafter.
The gender-neutral marriage law replaces the 1993 registered partnerships law. The law gives individual congregations and clergy the right — but not the legal obligation — to perform wedding ceremonies for gay couples.
Three separate polls of the Norwegian population indicated the majority support gender-neutral marriage laws:
- EOS Gallup Europe (2003) 61 percent in favor
- Sentio (2005) 63 percent in favor
- Synovate MMI (2007) 66 percent in favor
Family Issues minister Anniken Huitfeldt, when introducing the bill in March 2008, called it “an historic step towards equality.” She told Parliament: “The new law won’t weaken marriage as an institution, rather, it will strengthen it. Marriage won’t be worth less because more can take part in it.”
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Warnings: Marriage Law Pitfalls for U.S. Citizens
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Should a Norwegian same-sex married couple come to the U.S., the U.S. would refuse to recognize the marriage because the DoMA law.
[See our article: Defense of Marriage Act]
Also, the majority of U.S. states have made laws denying recognition to any legal marriage licenses held by same-sex couples.
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Governments that offer Full Legal Marriage
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Nations
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Netherlands (2001)
Belgium (2003)
Canada (2005)
Spain (2005)
South Africa (2005)
Norway (2009)
Sweden (2009)
Iceland (2010)
Argentina (2010)
Portugal (2010)
Denmark (2012)
France (2013)
New Zealand (2013)
Brazil (2013)
Uruguay (2013)
New Zealand (2013)
United Kingdom
(England, Wales) (2013)
Luxembourg (2014)
Finland (2014)
Scotland (2014)
Ireland (2015)
Greenland (2015)
United States (2015)
Colombia (2016)
Germany (2017)
Malta (2017)
Australia (2017)
Austria (2019)
Taiwan (2019)
Ecuador (2019)
Costa Rica (2020)
Chile (2022)
Estonia (2023)
Nepal (2023)
Greece (2024)
Thailand (2025)
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US States
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U.S. Supreme Court, June 26, 2015 Ruling: All States must allow legal, same-sex marriage.
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These states had legal marriage before the ruling:
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Massachusetts (2004)
California (2008)
Connecticut (2008)
Iowa (2009)
Vermont (2009)
New Hampshire (2009)
District of Columbia (2009)
New York (2011)
Maine (2012)
Washington (2012)
Maryland (2013)
Rhode Island (2013)
Delaware (2013)
Minnesota (2013)
Illinois (2013)
Utah (2013)
New Jersey (2013)
Hawaii (2013)
New Mexico (2013)
Michigan (2014) - stayed pending legal challenge
Oregon (2014)
Wisconsin (2014)
Arkansas (2014) - stayed pending legal challenge
Pennsylvania (2014)
Indiana (2014)
Nevada (2014)
Virginia (2014)
Oklahoma (2014)
Idaho (2014)
West Virginia (2014)
Alaska (2014)
Arizona (2014)
Wyoming (2014)
Kansas (2014) - stayed pending legal challenge
Florida (2014)
Colorado (2014)
North Carolina (2014)
South Carolina (2014)
Montana (2014)
Alabama (2015)
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Native American Tribes
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Coquille Tribe, Oregon (2009)
Mashantucket Pequot Tribe, Connecticut (2010)
Suquamish Tribe, Washington (2011)
Port Gamble S’Klallam Tribe, Washington (2011)
Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians, Michigan (2013)
Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians, Michigan (2013)
Santa Ysabel Tribe, California (2013)
Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation, WA (2013)
Cheyenne & Arapaho Tribes, Oklahoma (2013)
Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe, Minnesota (2013)
Grand Portage Band of Chippewa, Minnesota (2013)
Puyallup Tribe of Indians, Washington (2014)
Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community, Arizona (2014)
Wind River Indian Reservation, Wyoming (2014)
Blackfeet Indian Reservation, Montana (2014)
San Carlos Apache Tribe, Arizona (2014)
Fort McDermitt Paiute & Shoshone Tribes, OR & NV (2014)
Fort McDowell Yavapai Community, Arizona (2014)
Lac du Flambeau Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, WI (2014)
Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa (2014)
Keweenaw Bay Indian Community (2014)
Pascua Yaqui Tribe (2014)
Confederated Tribes of Coos, Lower Umpqua, & Siuslaw Indians (2014)
Central Council of Tlingit & Haida Indian Tribes, Alaska (2015)
Oneida Nation, Wisconsin (2015)
Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians (2015)
Chemehuevi Indian Tribe (2015)
Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde (2015)
Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians (2015)
Stockbridge-Munsee Tribe (2016)
Oglala Sioux Tribe (2016)
Tulalip Tribe, Washington (2016)
Menominee Nation (2016)
Cherokee Nation (2016)
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