On November 28, 2002, the Senate approved the opening of marriage to same-sex couples: 46 senators voted in favor, 15 against, and 4 abstained. A few months later, on January 30, 2003, the Chamber of Representatives also definitively approved same-sex marriage with 91 votes in favor, 22 against, and 9 abstentions. The fact that the legislative process started in the Senate is related to the fact that the government had withdrawn its original bill in May 2002. The Justice Committee in the Chamber was struggling with an overcrowded agenda, while the opening of marriage was among the policy priorities for Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt (VLD).
In the Chamber, the Flemish Christian Democrats voted largely in favour, because the bill decouples same-sex marriage from the issue of adoption by gays and lesbians. Among the Flemish Liberals, everyone voted in favour in January 2003, with the exception of one abstention by Jef Valkeniers. The Socialist and Green groups supported the proposal unanimously. Among the French-speaking Liberals, the votes were divided. Despite this internal division within the liberal family regarding the political importance of ethical themes, the Purple-Green Verhofstadt government was able to head into the elections with a strong track record regarding ethical innovation. After all, during the Verhofstadt I legislature (1999–2003), the Anti-Discrimination Act and the Euthanasia Act were also passed.
During the election campaign, the VLD distinguished itself with a striking poster featuring two men, accompanied by the slogan 'In this country you can be yourself again'. After the elections of May 18, 2003, the liberal family once again formed the largest political movement in the country. Liberals and socialists again formed a purple coalition led by Guy Verhofstadt. Under the Verhofstadt II government, additional reforms followed, including an adoption scheme for same-sex partners and a legal framework for transgender people.
The opening up of marriage symbolizes the legal equality of LGBTQ couples. In 2003, Belgium became only the second country in the world, after the Netherlands, where same-sex couples could marry in civil service. Building on this achievement, a further step followed as early as January 24, 2004, when a circular from Minister Laurette Onkelinx made it possible to marry in Belgium with a partner from a country that does not itself recognize same-sex marriage. Since then, same-sex marriage has been introduced in the majority of the member states of the European Union. At the same time, LGBTQ people worldwide continue to face discrimination and even persecution based on their sexual orientation or gender identity.
The introduction of same-sex marriage reflects an explicit ethical choice to place equality and respect for the LGBTI+ community at the center of legislative work. In the years that followed, the Belgian authorities took further steps to realize equal rights for the LGBTI+ community. Since 2006, same-sex couples have been able to adopt children. In both 2006 and 2018, procedures were simplified for transgender people to have their official gender registration changed. This evolution also receives symbolic recognition with the inclusion of same-sex marriage in the Canon of Flanders in 2023.
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