Our Latest Updates – Archive

Chile’s conservative President Sebastián Piñera came out in support of gay marriage over the summer and fast-tracked the legislation to legalize gay marriage. The law is set to take effect 90 days after the president signed the bill (Mar. 9, 2022).

64.1% voted to legalize gay marriage, to allow lesbian couples to access sperm banks and to allow all gay couples to adopt children. The law will likely take effect in July 2022. Italy remains the only country in western Europe that does not allow same-sex marriage, though it does allow civil unions.

Colorado Governor Jared Polis (D) married long-time partner Marlon Reis on Sep. 15, 2021, in the first same-sex marriage of a sitting US governor. Polis was the first openly gay man elected as governor in the US and the second openly LGBTQ+ person elected governor, after Oregon Governor Kate Brown who identifies as bisexual.

A June 2021 Gallup poll found 70% of all Americans support gay marriage, a record high in a continuation of an upward trend since Gallup began polling on the issue in 1996 when support was at 27%.

51% of Republicans supported same-sex marriage according to a 2020 PRRI poll, up from 47% in 2019.

While the landmark decision is the first time a court has ruled on gay marriage in Japan, the law will only change if Parliament passes legislation, something they have previously been hesitant to do.

The Holy See stated, “it is not licit to impart a blessing on relationships, or partnerships, even stable, that involve sexual activity outside of marriage (i.e., outside the indissoluble union of a man and a woman open in itself to the transmission of life), as is the case of the unions between persons of the same sex.”

Explore the debate about whether gay marriage should remain legal with an updated site.

Nevada voters approved Question 2, which will remove an unenforceable section of the state constitution that states “only a marriage between a male and female person shall be recognized and given effect in this state.”

PRRI recorded a 70% approval rating for legal same-sex marriage in Oct. 2020.

In a new documentary by director Evgeny Afineevsky, “Francesco,” amid a conversation about pastoral outreach to LGBTQ+ people, Pope Francis stated, “What we have to create is a civil union law. That way they are legally covered.”

Among the findings were that there were about 980,000 same-sex households in 2019.

The weddings have created a $3.8 billion influx to state and local economies, $244.1 million in state and local sales tax revenue, and 45,000 jobs, according to estimates.

President Alvaradp Quesada tweeted the news: “Today we celebrate liberty, equality and our democratic institutions.”

With the addition of Northern Ireland, 35 countries have legalized gay marriage since the Netherlands became the first country to do so in 2001.

Same-sex couples will be able to be married starting around Valentine’s Day 2020.

Learn about the presidential candidates’ views on important issues, compare them with a side-by-side chart, find your best match with a fun quiz, track their finances, and so much more on our 2020 Presidential Election website. The New York Times called our previous presidential election site “The most comprehensive tool for researching the candidate’s stance on issues.” Check back monthly for expanded issue coverage.

Lawmakers clarified that the vote would not make gay marriage legal immediately, but could by late October if Northern Ireland had not yet formed a government.

Ecuador became the 32nd country to legalize gay marriage on June 12, 2019 when the country’s top court ruled in favor of two same-sex couples who requested permission to marry.

The law will go into effect on May 24, 2019 and follows a 2017 Supreme Court ruling declaring a gay marriage ban unconstitutional.

Our new topic explores the pros and cons in the debate over making birth control pills available over-the-counter (OTC). 9.1 million women (12.6% of contraceptive users) use birth control pills, which are the second-most commonly used method of contraception in the United States. Proponents say making the birth control pill available over-the-counter would lower teen pregnancy rates, provide contraceptive access to medically underserved women, and ease access to a health-improving drug with decades of safe use. Opponents say making the Pill over-the-counter would raise the cost of contraception for women, pose a danger to teens’ and women’s health by removing the doctor’s visit requirement, and limit what options are made available.

Our new website presents the top pro & con arguments and quotes, a history of the debate, a video gallery, the prescription status of birth control pills around the world, and a list of drugs switched from prescription to OTC status.

ProCon.org, a Los Angeles-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit public charity,
seeks an in-house Researcher (full-time with benefits or part-time
without benefits) to develop content for websites devoted to a
nonpartisan in-depth presentation of 70+ controversial issues. Three
items are required for application, as specified in the job notice.

The Netherlands was the first country to legalize gay marriage in 2001. Discover which 28 countries have since legalized the practice.

We’re excited to announce 50 free lesson plan ideas for educators! Visit our Teachers’ Corner for inspiration, including lessons plans about distinguishing fact from opinion, how to write a “call-to-action” letter, and content from our partner Credo Reference.

The ruling stated that, although EU countries may set their own same-sex marriage laws, they must recognize marriages performed in other countries.

The ruling applies to twenty-three Latin American countries and those without legal gay marriage will be expected to change their laws.

Three weeks after the results of a national non-binding vote showed public support for gay marriage, the House of Representatives legalized gay marriage.

The ruling will allow gay couples to marry beginning on Jan. 1, 2019 and will also allow heterosexual couples to enter into civil unions that fall short of marriage.

President Frank-Walter Steinmeier signed the legislation on July 20, 2017 after a June 30 parliament vote.

66 of 67 lawmakers in the Maltese parliament voted to legalize gay marriage in the Western European nation on July 12, 2017.

Examine the pros and cons of legalizing same-sex marriage with quotes from Minister in the Church of Scotland Scott Rennie (pro), the National Association of Evangelicals (con), Presidents Barack Obama (pro) and George W. Bush (con), Vice President Dick Cheney (pro), and former Governor Mike Huckabee (con), among other organizations and experts.

On May 5, 2017, a Bermuda court struck down the ban on gay marriage, calling it a “discriminatory violation of human rights.” The Bermudan government has indicated it will not appeal.