Same-sex union legislation marriages performed in the Netherlands are recognized in Aruba, Curaçao and Sint Maarten. Whether same-sex couples should be allowed to marry has been and remains the topic of debate worldwide. Thirty-four countries and four jurisdictions worldwide have passed constitutional amendments that explicitly prohibit the legal recognition of same-sex marriage and sometimes other forms of legal unions as well. Seventeen countries and twenty-nine jurisdictions worldwide have authorized civil unions or unregistered cohabitation for same-sex couples as an alternative to marriage. The legal name of those unions as well as the number of rights that they provide can vary greatly. The first
LGBT rights in Spain degrees of liberty in the world to its LGBT citizens. After recognising unregistered cohabitation between same-sex couples countrywide and registered partnerships in certain cities and communities since 1994 and 1997, Spain legalised both same-sex marriage and adoption rights for same-sex couples in 2005. Individuals who identify as transgender are allowed to change their legal gender without the need of sex reassignment surgery or sterilisation. Discrimination in employment regarding sexual orientation has been banned nationwide since 1995. LGBT people are allowed to openly serve in the military and MSMs have been allowed to donate blood since 2005. Spain has been recognised