Taiwan has become the first place in Asia to legalise same-sex marriage. The island's lawmakers on May 17, 2019, comfortably passed a law allowing same-sex couples to form "exclusive permanent unions" and a second clause that allows such couples to apply for a "marriage registration" with government agencies. The vote came after Taiwan’s high-court ruled that a ban on same-sex marriage was unconstitutional, and ordered lawmakers to amend laws before a two-year deadline.