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2017 has been a big year for LGBTQI rights.
Both Malta and Germany legalized same-sex marriage and, this week, Australia made big strides towards doing so as well.
In a nation-wide postal poll, 61.6% of Australian voters said they were in favor of same-sex marriage, ensuring the federal government will try to pass a marriage equality bill before the end of the year.
Yet while demand continues to grow for LGBTQI rights, there are currently only 25 countries that allow same-sex couples to marry.
Keep scrolling to read the full list:
1. In 2001, the Netherlands became the first country to legalize same-sex marriages.
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The legislation gave same-sex couples the right to marry, divorce, and adopt children.
Source: CBS News
2. Belgium followed suit in 2003 and granted equal rights to same-sex married couples.
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Beginning in 1998, the Belgian parliament offered limited rights to same-sex couples through registered partnerships. In 2003, the parliament legally recognized same-sex marriages.
Source: The Guardian
3. In 2005, the Canadian Parliament passed legislation making same-sex marriage legal nationwide.
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In 1999, some provincial governments extended common law marriages to gay and lesbian couples, providing them with most of the legal benefits of marriage but laws varied across the country.
Source: CBC News
See the rest of the story at Business Insider
