In some countries, marriage-like laws recognise "registered partnerships" rather than "marriage" for same-sex unions. This is the case in Denmark, where, in 1989, same-sex couples were able to "marry" with the same rights as heterosexual couples. Such equality, in all but name, was followed by Norway, Sweden, Iceland and Finland.
In Vermont, Canada, same-sex couples have had marriage rights in all but name since 2000; a partnership licence gives the same benefits for life insurance, health care and child custody. A similar situation exists in Conneticut.
More limited registered "life partnerships" exist in Germany (since 2001) and France (since 1999). These reforms are more restrictive: partnerships in Germany are restricted to inheritance and tenants' rights, while in France it does not even cover inheritance or tax.
In Britain, the Civil Partnership Act 2004 gives same-sex couples registered partnership rights that affect pensions, property, social security, housing, tenancies and employment. This act will not come into law until the end of 2005 (when Elton John has announced he will be one of the first to take advantage of it).
On April 26, New Zealand's Civil Unions Act came into force, allowing same-sex and different-sex couples to register their relationships, while falling short of allowing same-sex couples to marry.
Frustrated at the slow pace of legislative reform, city and provincial officials in various countries have attempted to force the issue by marrying same-sex couples without the legal back-up.
For instance a mayor in Bordeaux, France, tried to marry couples in 2004, but the French courts declared the marriages void.
In California, the City of San Francisco issued marriage licenses to same-sex couples in February 2004, following a private initiative by that city's mayor, supported by San Francisco's powerful gay community. The marriage licenses, issued to 3400 same-sex couples, were ruled void by the Californian Supreme Court in March 2004.
Local officials in Portland, Oregon, married thousands of same-sex couples in 2004 before a state constitutional amendment banning the practice was passed in November of that year.