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 with a vote of 56 to 4 on June 18, 2014. The Grand Duke Henri signed it into law on July 4, and it became official on January 1, 2015.

Many people in Luxembourg support allowing same-sex couples to marry. Luxembourg was the last country in the Benelux region, the tenth in Europe, and the sixteenth country in the world to make same-sex marriage legal everywhere.

Before same-sex marriage, Luxembourg allowed partnerships for couples since November 2004. These partnerships gave couples some, but not all, of the same rights as marriage.

Partnerships

On 7 December 1995, a member of parliament named Lydie Err suggested creating special agreements called free unions 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 a little later, in May 1996.

In 2004, the government created 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, about 88.1%, were married. A small group, 2.7%, were in partnerships, and 9.1% 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. Even though a leader supported it, Parliament voted against it in 2007.

In 2009, the new government said they wanted to change the law to allow same-sex marriage. Over the next few years, there were many discussions and votes about the idea. Finally, in June 2014, Parliament voted to allow same-sex marriage, and it became law on January 1, 2015. This new law also allowed people in same-sex marriages to adopt children and gave women in these marriages the same rights to certain medical treatments as couples in opposite-sex marriages.

The first same-sex marriage in Luxembourg happened on January 1, 2015. In May 2015, the Prime Minister married his partner in a private ceremony, becoming one of the first leaders in the world to do so.

Royal same-sex weddings

In October 2021, Luxembourg said that members of the royal family could marry someone of the same sex without losing their royal titles or position in line to become the next ruler. They would still need approval from the Grand Duke or Grand Duchess, just like in opposite-sex marriages.

Statistics

In 2015, about 120 same-sex marriages happened in Luxembourg, which was about 7% of all marriages that year. Most of these couples were older than 40 years old. The number of same-sex marriages each year has gone down since then, with only 47 happening in 2023.

Religious performance

In May 2015, the Protestant Church in Luxembourg decided to allow its pastors to bless same-sex marriages, but pastors could choose not to if it went against their beliefs. The first blessing happened a few weeks later. The Catholic Church does not allow its priests to perform same-sex marriages. In December 2023, the Catholic Church said its priests could bless couples who are not married in the eyes of the Church, including same-sex couples.

Public opinion

In 2006, a survey found that 58% of people in Luxembourg supported marriages between people of the same sex. By 2013, support had grown to 83% for same-sex marriages and 55% for adoption by same-sex couples.

In 2015, another survey showed that 75% of Luxembourgers thought marriages between people of the same sex should be allowed across Europe. By 2019, this support rose to 85%, and in 2023, it was at 84%. Most people in Luxembourg also believed that relationships between two people of the same sex are okay.