Liechtenstein, one of Europe’s smallest countries, has legalized same-sex marriage, becoming the EU’s 22nd country to do so in a nearly unanimous vote.
Liechtenstein’s parliament, Landtag, voted in favor of this historic bill with 24 of 25 members in support, according to the Liechtensteiner Vaterland. The country, which only has a population of almost 40,000, is the last German speaking country to legalize marriage equality. The bill will go into effect starting in 2025 throughout the 62 square mile territory.
Prior to achieving marriage equality, Liechtenstein offered registered partnerships for same-sex couples for over a decade. Now, a simple administrative process will allow these partnerships to be recognized as official marriages.
Currently, though marriage equality is now recognized, there are still restrictions on gender affirming care, little protections for housing discrimination, and non-binary gender recognition has yet to be legalized.
This stands in contrast to more forward thinking nearby countries like Germany where nearly every protection for LGBTQ+ people is legalized and accounted for according to Equaldex’s reports.
Though there is still a ways to go, Liechtenstein has taken a massive step toward a better future for its LGBTQ+ residents and families.
