While the modern concept and legal recognition of gay marriage are relatively recent, the history of same-sex unions and relationships spans centuries across various cultures.
Historical Instances of Same-Sex Unions:
* Ancient Rome: Several Roman emperors reportedly entered into same-sex unions. Nero is said to have married two men on separate occasions, once taking the role of the bride and once the groom. Emperor Elagabalus also reportedly married two men. These unions, while documented, did not have legal provisions under Roman law and were later banned in the Roman Empire.
* Ancient Mesopotamia: The Almanac of Incantations, an ancient text, contains prayers that favored same-sex unions similarly to heterosexual unions.
* Ancient China: During the Zhou Dynasty, stories like that of Pan Zhang and Wang Zhongxian suggest domestic partnerships between men that were viewed by the community similarly to heterosexual marriages, though without formal religious ceremonies.
* Medieval Europe: The practice of "embrotherment" (affrrement) in late medieval France allowed unrelated adult males to enter legal contracts to live together and share resources. While not explicitly about sexual relationships due to the Church's stance, these unions were considered binding. Some scholars also argue that the Roman Catholic Church may have recognized same-sex unions in medieval Europe through the ritual of adelphopoiesis (brother-making), though this interpretation is debated.
* Early Modern Period:
* In 1590, the Boxer Codex recorded same-sex marriage as a normal occurrence among the indigenous population of the Philippines.
* In 1781, in Norway, Jens Andersson, who identified as male, was imprisoned for marrying Anne Kristine Mortensdotter in a Lutheran church.
* In 1834, Anne Lister, often called "the first modern lesbian," married Ann Walker in England, though this union was not legally recognized at the time.
* Africa: In pre-colonial Africa, some societies allowed women to marry other women, particularly widows who did not wish to remarry men.
* Native American Cultures: Some Native American tribes recognized "two-spirit" individuals, who were often seen as having both male and female spirits. In some tribes, these individuals were permitted to marry people of the same biological sex.
Modern Legalization of Same-Sex Marriage:
* The Netherlands became the first country in the world to legalize same-sex marriage nationwide in 2001.
* In the United States, the first legal same-sex marriage ceremony occurred in 2004 in San Francisco, although these licenses were later voided.
* Massachusetts became the first U.S. state to legalize same-sex marriage on May 17, 2004, following a ruling by the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court.
* On June 26, 2015, the U.S. Supreme Court ruling in Obergefell v. Hodges legalized same-sex marriage nationwide, recognizing the right to marry as guaranteed by the Fourteenth Amendment.
Therefore, while the formal legal recognition of gay marriage is a recent development in many parts of the world, historical records and anthropological studies indicate various forms of same-sex unions and relationships existed in different cultures throughout history. These unions often carried social significance and, in some cases, were formalized through rituals or societal acceptance, although they may not have always been considered "marriage" in the same way we understand it today.
