Barack Obama’s announcement that he supports gay marriage has boosted the hopes of rights groups around the world that other leaders will follow his example.
Several countries, including Canada, Spain and Argentina, allow same-sex marriage, but far more countries ban it and dozens even forbid consensual same-sex relations. Gay rights groups now hope Mr Obama’s views will inspire more change.
“This is incredibly important, it’s excellent news. The United States is a global leader on everything, and that includes gay rights,” said Julio Moreira, president of the Rio de Janeiro-based Arco-Iris gay rights group.
“This will force other nations like Brazil to move forward with more progressive policies.”
The Vatican and other religious officials did not comment, but political leaders and others opposed to gay marriage condemned Mr Obama. In particular, politicians tied to Pentecostal and Catholic churches have spoken out strongly against same-sex marriage in Latin America.
“Barack Obama is an ethical man and a philosophically confused man,” said Peruvian congresswoman Martha Chavez of the conservative Catholic Opus Dei movement.
In Australia, where three Bills that would allow gay marriage have been introduced in Parliament, Prime Minister Julia Gillard said she would not be following Mr Obama’s lead.
She has consistently opposed gay marriage, though many members of her Labour Party support it.
“I’ve made my mind up and my position on this is well known,” Ms Gillard told reporters in Canberra.
Religion-based opposition is strong in Egypt’s conservative Muslim-dominated society, which rejects same-sex relations. Laws prohibiting “debauchery” or “shameless public acts” have been used to imprison gay men in recent years.
“This is unacceptable, because it is against religion, traditions and against God,” said engineer Shady Azer in Cairo. “God created Adam and Eve. He didn’t create two Adams or two Eves.”
Gay marriage is legal in several countries; most are in Europe but others include Canada and South Africa.
In 2010, Argentina became Latin America’s first country to approve gay marriage.
In France, outgoing President Nicolas Sarkozy opposes gay marriage – though recent polls suggest that a majority of French voters support it.
President-elect Francois Hollande made “the right to marry and adopt for all couples” part of his campaign platform, and has set legislative passage of a Bill ensuring that right for no later than next June.
Spain adopted its gay marriage law when the country was ruled by the centre-left Socialist Party, but the centre-right Popular Party took control of the government late last year.