Order in which states legalized gay marriage

order in which states legalized gay marriage

Gay Marriage by Mention 2025

Gay marriage, also known as same-sex marriage, is the marriage of people of the equal sex or gender.

In 1970, a same-sex couple in Minnesota applied for a marriage license and was denied. The case was brought to the Minnesota Supreme Court and brought the question of civil marriage rights for gay couples to the general attention. Unfortunately, many of these early cases were unsuccessful. Gay marriages made progress in the 1980s, when Berkeley, California, passes the country’s first local partnership law. In 1987, the first mass homosexual wedding ceremony took place on the National Mall, where almost 2,000 queer couples were married. In 1989, court rulings in New York and California defined same-sex couples as families.

Massachusetts became the first state to legalize same-sex attracted marriage in 2003. California and Connecticut legalized same-sex attracted marriage in 2008, followed by Iowa, Vermont, and New Hampshire. Legalization came through state courts, the enactment of state legislation, or the result of the decisions of federal courts until 2012. On November 6, 2012, Maine, Maryland, and Washington became the first states to legalize gay marriage through a po

The Journey to Marriage Equality in the Combined States

The road to nationwide marriage equality was a long one, spanning decades of United States history and culminating in victory in June 2015. Throughout the long battle for marriage equality, HRC was at the forefront.

Volunteer with HRC

From gathering supporters in small towns across the country to rallying in front of the Supreme Court of the United States, we gave our all to secure every person, regardless of whom they love, is recognized equally under the law.

A Growing Call for Equality

Efforts to legalize lgbtq+ marriage began to pop up across the land in the 1990s, and with it challenges on the state and national levels. Civil unions for same-sex couples existed in many states but created a separate but matching standard. At the federal level, couples were denied access to more than 1,100 federal rights and responsibilities associated with the institution, as well as those denied by their given state. The Defense of Marriage Act was signed into law in 1996 and defined marriage by the federal government as between a dude and woman, thereby allowing states to deny marriage equality.

New Century &

US Supreme Court rules gay marriage is legal nationwide

Minutes after the ruling, couples in one of the states that had a exclude, Georgia, lined up in hope of being wed.

In Texas, Yasmin Menchaca and her partner Catherine Andrews told the BBC that they are "trying to round up our parents" in decree to get married on Friday.

The two have been together for six years, and had attempted to marry in Washington state - but decided to wait because of the financial burden of flying their parents across the country.

On social media, Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton merely tweeted the synonyms "proud" and the White House changed its Twitter avatar, external into the rainbow colours.

The case considered by the court concerned Jim Obergefell, an Ohio resident who was not recognised as the legal widower of his sdelayed husband, John Arthur.

"It's my hope that gay marriage will soon be a thing of the past, and from this day forward it will simply be 'marriage,'" an emotional Mr Obergefell said outside the court.

Источник: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-33290341


Date Same Sex Marriage Legalized By State

All 50 states in the United States have legalized lgbtq+ marriage. Below are the dates when each state did so. On June 26, 2015, the Supreme Court dominated that same-sex marriage is a right guaranteed by the Constitution, thus making same-sex marriage legal in the 13 states that include not legalized queer marriage up to that point.

By Date
Rank
State Name
Date Same Sex Marriage Legalized
1
MassachusettsMay 17, 2004
2
ConnecticutNovember 12, 2008
3
IowaApril 24, 2009
4
VermontSeptember 1, 2009
5
New HampshireJanuary 1, 2010
6
New YorkJuly 24, 2011
7
WashingtonDecember 9, 2012
8
MaineDecember 29, 2012
9
MarylandJanuary 1, 2013
10
CaliforniaJune 28, 2013
11
DelawareJuly 1, 2013
12-T
MinnesotaAugust 1, 2013
12-T
Rhode IslandAugust 1, 2013
14
New JerseyOctober 21, 2013
15
HawaiiDecember 2, 2013
16
New MexicoDecember 19, 2013
17
OregonMay 19, 2014
18
PennsylvaniaMay 20, 2014
19
IllinoisJune 1, 2014
20-T
IndianaOctober 6, 2014
20-T
OklahomaOctober 6, 2014

Marriage Equality Around the World

The Human Rights Campaign tracks developments in the legal recognition of same-sex marriage around the world. Working through a worldwide network of HRC global alumni and partners, we lift up the voices of community, national and regional advocates and share tools, resources, and lessons learned to allow movements for marriage equality.

Current State of Marriage Equality

There are currently 38 countries where same-sex marriage is legal: Andorra, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Denmark, Ecuador, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malta, Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States of America and Uruguay. 

These countries have legalized marriage equality through both legislation and court decisions. 

Countries that Legalized Marriage Equality in 2025

Liechtenstein: On May 16, 2024, Liechtenstein's government passed a bill in favor of marriage equality. The law went into effect January 1, 2025.

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