Same-sex marriage in Europe

Same-sex marriage is a recent occurence that is still evolving. The first propositions in Europe for recognizing these types of union date back to the late nineteenth century, although legislation concerning them only appeared in the 1980s, initially in the form of a “registered partnership” (Denmark, 1989) and later as marriage in the Netherlands in 2001. While no European legislation requires a state to recognize same-sex marriage, a 2003 European Parliament resolution asked member states “to abolish all forms of discrimination to which homosexuals are victim, notably regarding marriage and the adoption of children.” As of 2016, 21 states of the European Union offered a legal framework for same-sex couples.