Those that campaign for gay rights in China still face harassment from authorities or bureaucratic roadblocks.
The first gay wedding ceremonies in Scotland took place today just after the stroke of midnight, as two couples tied the knot in Glasgow.
Dressed in kilts, Joe Schofield and Malcolm Brown, both 42, entered the Trades Hall to the sound of bagpipes at 11:30 pm on Tuesday, and after the clock chimed midnight, the formalities got under way.
They exchanged rings and embraced before signing the marriage register. Then Liz Lochead, Scotland's national poet, read a specially-composed sonnet.
The couple also drank whisky from a quaich, a two-handled vessel often referred to as "the loving cup", as per the Scottish tradition.