The new year got off to a joyous start for same-sex couples in Liechtenstein. As the Washington Blade reports, a law legalizing same-sex marriage in the small European country officially went into effect on Wednesday, January 1.In a Wednesday morning X post, the U.S. Embassy in Bern, Switzerlands capital city, congratulated Lichtenstein on the laws enactment. Related A small European country just made big news by legalizing same-sex marriage The 62-square mile nation just became the 22nd European country to let queer wedding bells ring. This milestone is a testament to the dedication and advocacy of countless individuals who worked tirelessly for equality, the embassys post read. Global perspectives delivered right to your inbox Our newsletter bridges borders to bring you LGBTQ+ news from around the world. Subscribe to our Newsletter today Congratulations to on the enactment of same-sex marriage, effective as of today! This milestone is a testament to the dedication and advocacy of countless individuals who worked tirelessly for equality. Wishing everyone a joyful and inclusive start to the New Year! pic.twitter.com/ZbG5Vd4tOf U.S. Embassy Bern (@USEmbassyBern) January 1, 2025The law was passed by Liechtensteins parliament, the Landtag, last May in a nearly unanimous vote of 241, the Liechetensteiner Vaterland reported at the time.Prior to January 1, Europes fourth-smallest country population just under forty thousand had offered registered partnerships for same-sex couples since 2011. The new law not only allows same-sex couples to legally marry; it also provides a simple administrative process with which couples who previously registered their partnerships can convert those partnerships to marriages.With the enactment of the new law, Liechtenstein becomes the 22nd of Europes 37 nations to legalize marriage equality.According to Liechtensteins Office of Statistics, between 2011 and 2022 only 43 same-sex partnerships were registered in the country, which has a population of 39,790. Following the passage of the 2011 law, the Landtag revised its family name laws in 2016 to allow registered partners to legally take on their same-sex partners last name. In June 2021, the Liechtensteins highest court ruled that same-sex couples should be allowed to adopt children, and the following year, the Landtag passed a bill allowing same-sex partners to adopt stepchildren.In the run-up to the countrys February 2021 parliamentary elections, over 80 percent of Landtag candidates said they supported legalizing same-sex marriage. In September 2022, the Landtag passed a motion to draft a same-sex marriage bill.Subscribe to theLGBTQ Nation newsletterand be the first to know about the latest headlines shaping LGBTQ+ communities worldwide.