This past May, Taiwan legalized same-sex unions, and in June, Hong Kong’s top court awarded spousal benefits to a married gay couple who exchanged vows in a country that recognized marriage equality.
But India stands out among countries in the region thanks to a ruling last year by its Supreme Court that did away with a law that criminalized homosexuality. This decision has prompted more multinational and local firms in India to begin or widen corporate programs favorable to their LGBT workers, says Aparna Mittal, founder of the Samana Centre for Gender, Policy and Law in Delhi. “Because they don’t have the criminalization issue anymore, they are a lot more vocal, visible and open to discussing these things,” she notes. “It’s really cascading into something bigger.”