Global Trends in Legal Recognition of Same-Sex Couples: Cohabitation Rights, Registered Partnership, Marriage, and Joint Parenting

法律制度對於同性戀者保障之全球視野：同居權、伴侶法、婚姻與共同收養

本文檢視了全球四種在法律制度上承認同性婚姻內涵的趨勢，包括：同居權的賦予、伴侶法、婚姻制度以及賦予成為法律上雙親（共同收養、收養他方子女或者透過人工輔助生殖技術）等的法律制度保障。此外，本文將前開趨勢與臺灣於2017年後的對於同性婚姻承認以及現行收養制度的內涵加以比較。本文結論指出，臺灣的趨勢是完全「正常的」。其他承認同性婚姻的國家，同時禁止同性的收養以及非公民的結婚。如同其他國家的經驗，臺灣目前對於同性婚姻的法律限制可能是暫時的。因此，最終將迎來沒有例外的完全平等保障。

This article examines four global trends with regard to the legal recognition of same-sex couples: access to the rights of opposite-sex cohabiting couples, access to a registered partnership law as an alternative to marriage, access to marriage, and access to joint legal parenthood (through joint or second-parent adoption or after assisted reproduction). Developments since 2017 in Taiwan in relation to same-sex marriage and adoption by same-sex couples are then compared with these global trends. The article concludes that developments in Taiwan are entirely “normal”. Other countries have allowed same-sex couples to marry, while withholding access to joint adoption, or preventing non-citizens from marrying. Taiwan’s restrictions are likely to be temporary, as they have been in other countries. Full legal equality, with no exceptions, will eventually be achieved.