List of states where is gay marriage legal

I accept. Take action on UpLink. Explore context. Explore the latest strategic trends, research and analysis. This article was updated in September A Swiss referendum has backed same-sex marriage by a near two-thirds majority. Northern Ireland, Ecuador and Costa Rica have all also recently changed their laws. Have you read? The Timeline: - A same-sex couple in Minnesota applies for a marriage license. They are denied and their case goes to the state Supreme Court.

Nebraska voters approve a state constitutional ban on same-sex marriage - Nevada votes to approve a state constitutional ban on same-sex marriage - A proposed amendment to the federal Constitution is introduced to the House of Representatives.

It would define marriage as only between a man and a woman. The U. Supreme Court decides Lawrence v. Texas , striking down sodomy law and enshrining a broad constitutional right to sexual privacy. California passes a domestic partnership law which provides same-sex partners with almost all the rights and responsibilities as spouses in civil marriages.

President Bush states that he wants marriage reserves for heterosexuals and the Massachusetts Supreme Court hands down a decision that makes Massachusetts the first state to legalize gay marriage. Portland, Oregon also begins issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples. While San Francisco is told to halt same-sex unions, Oregon takes the more drastic step of halting all marriages until the state decides who can and cannot wed.

This prompted lawmakers to explicitly outlaw same-sex marriage. In , Maryland became the first state to do so. Other states quickly followed, with Virginia , Arizona and Oklahoma passing similar laws in , and Florida , California , Wyoming and Utah doing so in That ruling prompted state and federal lawmakers to take action.

Utah was first to enact a statutory ban in response to that decision in , and then a year later, Congress passed the federal Defense of Marriage Act, or DOMA, which defined marriage as between one man and one woman. In , Hawaii became the first state to pass a constitutional amendment specifically targeting same-sex marriage. The measure empowered the legislature to enact a ban, which it did that same year through a constitutional referendum.

Ultimately, 30 more states adopted constitutional amendments prohibiting gay marriage. While the Obergefell v. Hodges decision overrides all of those state measures, many of them, particularly the state constitutional amendments, remain on the books for one reason or another. In some cases, there is a lack of political willingness to remove them, while in others, the labor-intensive removal process makes them a low priority.

This is because amendments must pass both the state Senate and House of Delegates and be approved by Virginia voters. Any constitutional amendment in Nevada requires such a statewide vote. Sheena Kadi, One Colorado. The U. Supreme Court ruling in Obergefell extending marriage to same-sex couple s applies to American Samoa.

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