Same-sex marriage in Luxembourg

Same-sex marriage has been legal in Luxembourg since January 1, 2015. A bill to allow same-sex marriages was approved by the Chamber of Deputies in 2014. The Grand Duke Henri signed it into law, and it became official on January 1, 2015.

Many people in Luxembourg support allowing same-sex couples to marry. Luxembourg was one of the later countries to allow this. Before same-sex marriage, Luxembourg allowed partnerships for couples since 2004. These partnerships gave couples some rights, but not all the same rights as marriage.

Partnerships

On 7 December 1995, a member of parliament named Lydie Err suggested creating special agreements for same-sex couples. These would give couples some of the same rights as married people. Another member, Renée Wagener, also suggested allowing same-sex marriage in May 1996.

In 2004, the government made a new type of partnership for couples, whether they were same-sex or opposite-sex. These partnerships gave couples many of the same rights as marriage, like welfare benefits and tax advantages, but did not allow adoption. The law for these partnerships started on 1 November 2004.

In 2011, most couples in Luxembourg were married. A small group were in partnerships, and some lived together without any official agreement.

Same-sex marriage

Legislative action

For many years, Luxembourg did not allow marriages between people of the same sex. In 2009, the new government wanted to change the law to allow same-sex marriage. After many discussions and votes, Parliament approved it in June 2014. The law started on January 1, 2015. This law let people in same-sex marriages adopt children and gave women the same rights to certain medical treatments as couples in opposite-sex marriages.

The first same-sex marriage in Luxembourg took place on January 1, 2015.

Royal same-sex weddings

In October 2021, Luxembourg announced that members of the royal family could marry someone of the same sex without losing their royal titles or position. They would still need approval from the Grand Duke or Grand Duchess.

Statistics

In 2015, about 120 same-sex marriages happened in Luxembourg. Most of these couples were older than 40 years old. The number of same-sex marriages each year has gone down since then.

Religious performance

In May 2015, the Protestant Church in Luxembourg decided to allow its pastors to bless same-sex marriages. The Catholic Church does not allow its priests to perform same-sex marriages.

Public opinion

In 2006, a survey found that many people in Luxembourg supported marriages between people of the same sex. By 2013, even more people agreed.

In 2015, another survey showed that most Luxembourgers thought marriages between people of the same sex should be allowed across Europe. By 2019, this support grew, and in 2023, it stayed strong. Most people in Luxembourg believed that relationships between two people of the same sex are okay.