Same-sex marriage in Minnesota has been fully recognized since August 1, 2013.
Same-sex marriage
Same-sex marriage, also known as gay marriage, is the marriage of two people of the same Legal sex and gender, sex or gender. marriage between same-sex couples is legally performed and recognized in 33 countries, with the most recent being ...
s have been recognized if performed in other jurisdictions since July 1, 2013, and the state began issuing
marriage license
A marriage license (or marriage licence in Commonwealth spelling) is a document issued, either by a religious organization or state authority, authorizing a couple to marry. The procedure for obtaining a license varies between jurisdiction ...
s to same-sex couples on August 1, 2013. After 51.9% of state voters rejected a
constitutional amendment
A constitutional amendment is a modification of the constitution of a polity, organization or other type of entity. Amendments are often interwoven into the relevant sections of an existing constitution, directly altering the text. Conversely, t ...
to ban same-sex marriage in November 2012, the
Minnesota Legislature
The Minnesota Legislature is the bicameral legislature of the U.S. state of Minnesota consisting of two houses: the Senate and the House of Representatives. Senators are elected from 67 single-member districts. In order to account for decennia ...
passed a same-sex marriage bill in May 2013, which Governor
Mark Dayton
Mark Brandt Dayton (born January 26, 1947) is an American politician who served as the 40th governor of Minnesota from 2011 to 2019. He was a United States Senator for Minnesota from 2001 to 2007, and the Minnesota State Auditor from 1991 to 1 ...
signed on May 14, 2013.
Minnesota
Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over to ...
was the second state in the
Midwest
The Midwestern United States, also referred to as the Midwest or the American Midwest, is one of four Census Bureau Region, census regions of the United States Census Bureau (also known as "Region 2"). It occupies the northern central part of ...
, after
Iowa
Iowa () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States, bordered by the Mississippi River to the east and the Missouri River and Big Sioux River to the west. It is bordered by six states: Wisconsin to the northeast, Illinois to the ...
, to legalize marriage between same-sex couples, and the first in the region to do so by enacting legislation rather than by court order. Minnesota was the first state to reject a constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage, though
Arizona
Arizona ( ; nv, Hoozdo Hahoodzo ; ood, Alĭ ṣonak ) is a state in the Southwestern United States. It is the 6th largest and the 14th most populous of the 50 states. Its capital and largest city is Phoenix. Arizona is part of the Fou ...
rejected one in 2006 that banned all legal recognition and later approved one banning only marriage.
Minnesota is also where one of the first same-sex marriage cases in the world took place. In ''
Baker v. Nelson
''Richard John Baker v. Gerald R. Nelson'', 291 Minn. 310, 191 N.W.2d 185 (1971), was a case in which the Minnesota Supreme Court decided that construing a marriage statute to restrict marriage licenses to persons of the opposite sex "does not ...
'', the
Minnesota Supreme Court
The Minnesota Supreme Court is the Supreme court, highest court in the U.S. state of Minnesota. The court hears cases in the Supreme Court chamber in the Minnesota State Capitol or in the nearby Minnesota Judicial Center.
History
The court wa ...
held unanimously in 1972 that it did not violate the
U.S. Constitution
The Constitution of the United States is the supreme law of the United States of America. It superseded the Articles of Confederation, the nation's first constitution, in 1789. Originally comprising seven articles, it delineates the natio ...
to limit
marriage
Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between ...
to opposite-sex couples, and the
U.S. Supreme Court
The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) is the highest court in the federal judiciary of the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all U.S. federal court cases, and over state court cases that involve a point o ...
refused to hear the case on appeal. This decision would finally be repealed on June 26, 2015 in the case of ''
Obergefell v. Hodges
''Obergefell v. Hodges'', ( ), is a landmark LGBT rights case in which the Supreme Court of the United States ruled that the fundamental right to marry is guaranteed to same-sex couples by both the Due Process Clause and the Equal Protect ...
''.
Legal history
Lawsuits
''
Baker v. Nelson
''Richard John Baker v. Gerald R. Nelson'', 291 Minn. 310, 191 N.W.2d 185 (1971), was a case in which the Minnesota Supreme Court decided that construing a marriage statute to restrict marriage licenses to persons of the opposite sex "does not ...
'' was the
first case in the history of the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
in which a same-sex couple sued for marriage rights. In late 1971, the
Minnesota Supreme Court
The Minnesota Supreme Court is the Supreme court, highest court in the U.S. state of Minnesota. The court hears cases in the Supreme Court chamber in the Minnesota State Capitol or in the nearby Minnesota Judicial Center.
History
The court wa ...
affirmed a lower court decision to prohibit marriages between same-sex partners, noting that its interpretation of state law did not violate the
Constitution of the United States
The Constitution of the United States is the supreme law of the United States of America. It superseded the Articles of Confederation, the nation's first constitution, in 1789. Originally comprising seven articles, it delineates the natio ...
.
["Minnesota Statutes Annotated", ''West Publishing Co. (1970)''
* Chapter 517.01: Marriage a civil contract. "Marriage, so far as its validity in law is concerned, is a civil contract, to which the consent of the parties, capable in law of contracting, is essential."
* Chapter 517.03: Marriages prohibited. ]he list does not include parties of the same gender.
He or HE may refer to:
Language
* He (pronoun), an English pronoun
* He (kana), the romanization of the Japanese kana へ
* He (letter), the fifth letter of many Semitic alphabets
* He (Cyrillic), a letter of the Cyrillic script called ''He'' in ...
/ref> The U.S. Supreme Court
The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) is the highest court in the federal judiciary of the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all U.S. federal court cases, and over state court cases that involve a point o ...
accepted their appeal but declined to review the case.[The U.S. Supreme Court was required to accept an appeal of the court's "opinion" as a matter of right, a practice that the '']Supreme Court Case Selections Act
The Supreme Court Case Selections Act of 1988 (, codified at ) is an act of Congress that eliminated appeals as of right from state court decisions to the Supreme Court of the United States. After the Act took effect, in most cases, the only av ...
'' ended in 1988. On October 10, 1972, a one-sentence order said, "The appeal is dismissed for want of a substantial federal question." In early 1971, the couple in question, Michael McConnell and Jack Baker
James Michael McConnell (born 1942) and Richard John "Jack" Baker (born 1942) are the first same-sex couple to be married legally with a license that was never revoked.Newsletter (p. 6), "Hidden Treasures from the Stacks", September 201 ...
, re-applied in Blue Earth County
Blue Earth County is a county in the State of Minnesota. As of the 2020 census, the population was 69,112. Its county seat is Mankato. The county is named for the Blue Earth River and for the deposits of blue-green clay once evident along the ...
and obtained a marriage license
A marriage license (or marriage licence in Commonwealth spelling) is a document issued, either by a religious organization or state authority, authorizing a couple to marry. The procedure for obtaining a license varies between jurisdiction ...
. Baker's name change to Pat Lyn may have encouraged county officials to assume they were a heterosexual couple. Reverend Roger Lynn, a minister from the Hennepin Avenue United Methodist Church
Hennepin Avenue United Methodist Church is a church across the Virginia Triangle (Hennepin Avenue/Lyndale Avenue) from the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Its address is 511 Groveland Avenue.
History
The church was organized as Henn ...
, conducted the ceremony at a private home. Because the license was never revoked,[Sources: Michael McConnell Files, "America’s First Gay Marriage" (binder #4), Tretter Collection in GLBT Studies, ''U of M Libraries''.
* Fifth Judicial District, File #07-CV-16-4559;
** 18 September 2018: CONCLUSIONS OF LAW by Assistant Chief Judge Gregory Anderson, at 4]
available online
from ''U of M Libraries''.
** . . . "The September 3, 1971 marriage of James Michael McConnell and Pat Lyn McConnell, a/k/a Richard John Baker, has never been dissolved or annulled by judicial decree and no grounds currently exist on which to invalidate the marriage."
** "The marriage is declared to be in all respects valid". their wedding became the earliest same-sex marriage ever to be recorded in the public files of any civil government.
Responding to the state Supreme Court ruling, at the Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party
The Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party (DFL) is the Minnesota affiliate of the U.S. Democratic Party. As of 2022, it controls four of Minnesota's eight U.S. House seats, both of its U.S. Senate seats, the Minnesota House of Represen ...
(DFL) State Convention in June 1972, delegates voted to add a plank to the party platform supporting same-sex marriage rights. This is the first known case of support by a major United States political party for same-sex marriage, though it is worth noting that many DFL state representatives disassociated themselves from the plank and the DFL party rules subsequently changed to make amendments to the party platform much harder to achieve for future conventions.
In May 2010, Marry Me Minnesota, a gay rights organization, sued the state of Minnesota, challenging the state's ''Defense of Marriage Act
The Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) was a United States federal law passed by the 104th United States Congress and signed into law by President Bill Clinton. It banned federal recognition of same-sex marriage by limiting the definition of marr ...
'', which was passed in 1997. The trial court dismissed the suit in March 2011, citing ''Baker v. Nelson'' as "binding precedent". Marry Me Minnesota, founded by same-sex couples for the purpose of suing the state, announced plans to appeal the decision.
Efforts to amend the State Constitution
In 2004, 2006, 2007 and 2009, bills were introduced to the Minnesota House of Representatives
The Minnesota House of Representatives is the lower house of the Legislature of the U.S. state of Minnesota. There are 134 members, twice as many as the Minnesota Senate. Floor sessions are held in the north wing of the State Capitol in Saint Pa ...
and Senate
A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the el ...
to have voters consider an amendment to the Minnesota Constitution
The Constitution of the State of Minnesota was initially approved by the residents of Minnesota Territory in a special election held on October 13, 1857, and was ratified by the United States Senate on May 11, 1858, marking the admittance of Minne ...
, restricting marriage
Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between ...
to unions between a man and a woman and outlawing civil union
A civil union (also known as a civil partnership) is a legally recognized arrangement similar to marriage, created primarily as a means to provide recognition in law for same-sex couples. Civil unions grant some or all of the rights of marriage ...
s that offer comparable rights.
On May 11, 2011, the Minnesota Senate passed a bill by 37 votes to 27 to place a proposed amendment to the State Constitution on the ballot that would ban same-sex marriage, though not civil unions. It passed the House ten days later 70–62. The question presented to voters on the ballot on November 8, 2012 read: "Shall the Minnesota Constitution be amended to provide that only a union of one man and one woman shall be valid or recognized as a marriage in Minnesota?" The amendment was defeated by Minnesota voters, making Minnesota the first U.S. state
In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sover ...
to reject a constitutional ban on same-sex marriage. Arizona rejected a ban on same-sex marriages and civil unions in 2006 but then adopted a ban on only same-sex marriages in 2008. Minnesota's constitutional amendment proposal was rejected by 51.9% of voters.
The amendment was opposed by the grassroot organization Minnesotans United for All Families. President Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, Obama was the first African-American president of the U ...
also expressed his opposition to the amendment, as did Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the National Football Conference (NFC) North division. Founded in 1960 as an expansion ...
football player Chris Kluwe
Christopher James Kluwe (; born December 24, 1981) is a former American football punter and writer. Kluwe played at Los Alamitos High School in Los Alamitos, California, where he was a 1999 USA Today All-USA high school football team, 1999 ''USA ...
who featured in numerous advertisements opposing the amendment. The main organization to support the amendment was Minnesota for Marriage, which was supported by the state's Roman Catholic
Roman or Romans most often refers to:
*Rome, the capital city of Italy
*Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD
*Roman people, the people of ancient Rome
*'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...
bishops.
Same-sex marriage law
In 1997, the Minnesota Legislature
The Minnesota Legislature is the bicameral legislature of the U.S. state of Minnesota consisting of two houses: the Senate and the House of Representatives. Senators are elected from 67 single-member districts. In order to account for decennia ...
passed a statutory
A statute is a formal written enactment of a legislative authority that governs the legal entities of a city, state, or country by way of consent. Typically, statutes command or prohibit something, or declare policy. Statutes are rules made by le ...
ban on same-sex marriage shortly after passage of the federal ''Defense of Marriage Act
The Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) was a United States federal law passed by the 104th United States Congress and signed into law by President Bill Clinton. It banned federal recognition of same-sex marriage by limiting the definition of marr ...
'' in the United States Congress
The United States Congress is the legislature of the federal government of the United States. It is bicameral, composed of a lower body, the House of Representatives, and an upper body, the Senate. It meets in the U.S. Capitol in Washing ...
.
In late 2008, Senator John Marty
John J. Marty (born November 1, 1956) is a member of the Minnesota Senate, representing District 40, which includes parts of Ramsey County in the northern Twin Cities metropolitan area. As a young state senator, he ran for governor of Minnesota ...
, announced plans to introduce a bill legalizing same-sex marriage. On February 19, 2009, a bill to allow civil union
A civil union (also known as a civil partnership) is a legally recognized arrangement similar to marriage, created primarily as a means to provide recognition in law for same-sex couples. Civil unions grant some or all of the rights of marriage ...
s was introduced to the Minnesota House of Representatives
The Minnesota House of Representatives is the lower house of the Legislature of the U.S. state of Minnesota. There are 134 members, twice as many as the Minnesota Senate. Floor sessions are held in the north wing of the State Capitol in Saint Pa ...
, and sponsored by representatives Joe Mullery
Joseph J. Mullery (born June 1944) is a Minnesota politician and former member of the Minnesota House of Representatives. A member of the Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party (DFL), he represented District 59A, which includes parts of Min ...
, Mindy Greiling
Mindy Greiling is a former Minnesota politician and a member of the Minnesota House of Representatives who represented the former districts 54B and 54A in Ramsey County, part of the Twin Cities metropolitan area. (These districts have since bee ...
, and Tom Tillberry. A same-sex marriage bill was introduced to the Minnesota Senate
The Minnesota Senate is the upper house of the Legislature of the U.S. state of Minnesota. At 67 members, half as many as the Minnesota House of Representatives, it is the largest upper house of any U.S. state legislature. Floor sessions are hel ...
on March 5, 2009. Its authors were senators Scott Dibble, Linda Higgins, John Marty
John J. Marty (born November 1, 1956) is a member of the Minnesota Senate, representing District 40, which includes parts of Ramsey County in the northern Twin Cities metropolitan area. As a young state senator, he ran for governor of Minnesota ...
, Mee Moua
Mee Moua ( RPA: Qaav Ruom, born June 30, 1969 in Xieng Khouang, Laos), is an American politician, and is the former president and executive director of the Asian Americans Advancing Justice -AAJC (Advancing Justice-AAJC) She served as the vice ...
, and Patricia Torres Ray
Patricia Torres Ray (born March 25, 1964) is a Colombian-American politician and former member of the Minnesota Senate. A member of the Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party (DFL), she represented District 63, which includes portions of sou ...
. The bill failed to get a hearing by the Senate Judiciary Committee.
In December 2012, Representative Alice Hausman
Alice Hausman (born July 31, 1942) is a Minnesota politician and former member of the Minnesota House of Representatives. As a member of the Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party (DFL), she represented District 66A, which includes portions ...
and Senator Marty announced plans to introduce same-sex marriage legislation in 2013. They and legislative leaders expressed varying views on its prospects. In January 2013, Senator Dibble said Democrats planned to focus early in the session on "kitchen-table issues" of improving the economy and creating jobs and would wait at least a month or two before pressing for the legalization of same-sex marriage. On February 28, 2013, ''HF 1054'', officially titled ''Marriage between two persons provided for, and exemptions and protections based in religious associations provided for'', was introduced in the Minnesota Legislature to legalize same-sex marriage in the state. On March 12, both the Senate and House policy committees passed the same version of the marriage bill, ''Senate Bill SF925'' and ''House Bill HF1054''. Other committees of each chamber reviewed the financial impact of the legislation on 6 and 7 May. On May 9, 2013, the House passed the legislation by a vote of 75–59, with all but two Democrats voting for the bill and all but four Republicans voting against. On May 13, 2013, the Senate passed the bill on a vote of 37–30, with all but three Democrats voting for the bill and all but one Republican voting against. Governor
A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...
Mark Dayton
Mark Brandt Dayton (born January 26, 1947) is an American politician who served as the 40th governor of Minnesota from 2011 to 2019. He was a United States Senator for Minnesota from 2001 to 2007, and the Minnesota State Auditor from 1991 to 1 ...
signed the bill into law on May 14, 2013 on the south steps of the Minnesota State Capitol
The Minnesota State Capitol is the seat of government for the U.S. state of Minnesota, in its capital city of Saint Paul. It houses the Minnesota Senate, Minnesota House of Representatives, the office of the Attorney General and the office o ...
before a crowd of 6,000 people. Under the provisions of the legislation, the first same-sex marriage were likely to take place on August 1, 2013. The legislation also gives Minnesota courts authority over divorce
Divorce (also known as dissolution of marriage) is the process of terminating a marriage or marital union. Divorce usually entails the canceling or reorganizing of the legal duties and responsibilities of marriage, thus dissolving the ...
proceedings in the case of a same-sex couple married in Minnesota when neither party resides in a state that recognizes their marriage. Some Minnesota counties
There are 87 County (United States), counties in the U.S. state of Minnesota. There are also several List of counties in Minnesota#Historical counties, historical counties.
On October 27, 1849, nine counties were established: Benton, Dahkotah, I ...
announced plans to make marriage licenses available as early as June 6.
The law took effect on July 1, 2013, and Minnesota has recognized the validity of same-sex marriage from other jurisdictions since then. The state began issuing its own marriage certificates to same-sex couples on August 1, 2013. Margaret Miles and Cathy ten Broeke were the first couple to be married in Minneapolis
Minneapolis () is the largest city in Minnesota, United States, and the county seat of Hennepin County. The city is abundant in water, with thirteen lakes, wetlands, the Mississippi River, creeks and waterfalls. Minneapolis has its origins ...
at midnight on August 1, 2013, in a ceremony at Minneapolis City Hall
Minneapolis City Hall and Hennepin County Courthouse (also known as the Municipal Building), designed by Long and Kees in 1888, is the main building used by the city government of Minneapolis, as well as by Hennepin County, in the U.S. state of Mi ...
officiated by Mayor R.T. Rybak. The definition of marriage in the state of Minnesota is now the following:
Native American nations
Same-sex marriage is legal on the reservations of the Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa
Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa (or Wayekwaa-gichigamiing Gichigamiwininiwag in the Ojibwe language, meaning "Lake Superior Men at the far end of the Great Lake") is an Anishinaabe (Ojibwe) band located near Cloquet, Minnesota. Their l ...
, the Grand Portage Band of Chippewa
The Grand Portage Indian Reservation (Ojibwe language: Gichi-onigamiing) is the Indian reservation of the Grand Portage Band of Minnesota Chippewa Tribe, a federally recognized tribe in Minnesota.
The reservation is in Cook County, Minnesota, Cook ...
, and the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe
The Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe, also known as the Leech Lake Band of Chippewa Indians or the Leech Lake Band of Minnesota Chippewa Tribe (Ojibwe: ''Gaa-zagaskwaajimekaag Ojibweg'') is an Ojibwe band located in Minnesota and one of six making up the ...
, three Ojibwe
The Ojibwe, Ojibwa, Chippewa, or Saulteaux are an Anishinaabe people in what is currently southern Canada, the northern Midwestern United States, and Northern Plains.
According to the U.S. census, in the United States Ojibwe people are one of ...
tribes forming part of the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe
The Minnesota Chippewa Tribe (MCT) is the centralized governmental authority for six Chippewa (Ojibwe or Anishinaabe) bands in the U.S. state of Minnesota. The tribe was created on June 18, 1934; the organization and its governmental powers are ...
, as well as the Prairie Island Indian Community
Prairie Island Indian Community (Dakota: ''Tinta Winta'') is a Mdewakanton Sioux Indian reservation in Goodhue County, Minnesota, along the Mississippi River. Most of the reservation now lies within the city of Red Wing, which developed after ...
, a Dakota
Dakota may refer to:
* Dakota people, a sub-tribe of the Sioux
** Dakota language, their language
Dakota may also refer to:
Places United States
* Dakota, Georgia, an unincorporated community
* Dakota, Illinois, a town
* Dakota, Minnesota, a ...
tribe. The Ojibwe people have traditionally recognized two-spirit
Two-spirit (also two spirit, 2S or, occasionally, twospirited) is a modern, , umbrella term used by some Indigenous North Americans to describe Native people in their communities who fulfill a traditional third-gender (or other gender-variant) ...
people who were born male but wore women's clothing and performed everyday household work and artistic handiwork which were regarded as belonging to the feminine sphere. They are known in the Ojibwe language
Ojibwe , also known as Ojibwa , Ojibway, Otchipwe,R. R. Bishop Baraga, 1878''A Theoretical and Practical Grammar of the Otchipwe Language''/ref> Ojibwemowin, or Anishinaabemowin, is an indigenous language of North America of the Algonquian lan ...
as (), or also as ''niizh manidoowag'' (). Many ''agokwe'' were wives in polygnyous households. Two-spirit individuals are known in the Dakota language
Dakota (''Dakhótiyapi, Dakȟótiyapi''), also referred to as Dakhota, is a Siouan language spoken by the Dakota people of the Sioux tribes. Dakota is closely related to and mutually intelligible with the Lakota language. It is critically endan ...
as (). Many married cisgender
Cisgender (often shortened to cis; sometimes cissexual) is a term used to describe a person whose gender identity corresponds to their sex assigned at birth. The word ''cisgender'' is the antonym of ''transgender''. The prefix ''wiktionary:cis ...
men, without indicating of polygyny, but some remained unmarried and lived in their own tipi
A tipi , often called a lodge in English, is a conical tent, historically made of animal hides or pelts, and in more recent generations of canvas, stretched on a framework of wooden poles. The word is Siouan languages, Siouan, and in use in Dakot ...
s, and were visited by married men for sexual intercourse
Sexual intercourse (or coitus or copulation) is a sexual activity typically involving the insertion and thrusting of the penis into the vagina for sexual pleasure or reproduction.Sexual intercourse most commonly means penile–vaginal penetrat ...
when the men's wives were pregnant or menstruating, and therefore when sexual intercourse was forbidden to them. The two-spirit status thus allowed for marriages between two biological males to be performed in these tribes.
Economic impact
The Williams Institute
The Williams Institute on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Law and Public Policy, usually shortened to Williams Institute, is a public policy research institute based at the UCLA School of Law focused on sexual orientation and gender ident ...
estimated in April 2013 that if marriage were extended to same-sex couples in Minnesota, the state would see an economic boost of $42 million over the course of three years, with a boost of $27 million in the first year alone. This net impact would be the result of savings in expenditures on state means-tested public benefit programs and an increase in state income and sales tax revenue.
Marriage statistics
Approximately 1,640 same-sex couples married in Minnesota from August to September 2013, representing about one-third of all marriages performed during that time. 75% of same-sex marriage licenses were issued in Hennepin and Ramsey
Ramsey may refer to:
Geography British Isles
* Ramsey, Cambridgeshire, a small market town in England
* Ramsey, Essex, a village near Harwich, England
** Ramsey and Parkeston, a civil parish formerly called just "Ramsey"
* Ramsey, Isle of Man, t ...
counties. Approximately 1,433 marriage licenses were issued in the twelve counties that rejected Minnesota Amendment 1 in 2012. Of the counties that favored the amendment, Clay County Clay County is the name of 18 counties in the United States. Most are named for Henry Clay, U.S. Senator and statesman:
* Clay County, Alabama
* Clay County, Arkansas (named for John Clayton, and originally named Clayton County)
* Clay County, Flor ...
issued the most marriage licenses at 31.
The Minnesota State Demographer's office announced that there were 8,594 married same-sex households in the state in July 2016.
Domestic partnerships
Eighteen cities in Minnesota, covering a total population of more than one million, have domestic partnership
A domestic partnership is a legal relationship, usually between couples, who live together and share a common domestic life, but are not married (to each other or to anyone else). People in domestic partnerships receive benefits that guarantee r ...
registries allowing unmarried same-sex and opposite-sex couples the right to obtain a certificate signifying that they are not related by blood and are committed to each other. Minneapolis
Minneapolis () is the largest city in Minnesota, United States, and the county seat of Hennepin County. The city is abundant in water, with thirteen lakes, wetlands, the Mississippi River, creeks and waterfalls. Minneapolis has its origins ...
was the first city to establish a domestic partnership registry in the state in 1991, followed by Duluth
, settlement_type = City
, nicknames = Twin Ports (with Superior), Zenith City
, motto =
, image_skyline =
, image_caption = Clockwise from top: urban Duluth skyline; Minnesota ...
(2009), St. Paul (2009), Edina
EDINA is a centre for digital expertise, based at the University of Edinburgh as a division of the Information Services Group.
Services
EDINA front-end services (those accessed directly by the user) are available free at the point of use for ...
(2010), Rochester (2010), Maplewood (2010), Golden Valley (2010), St. Louis Park (2011), Red Wing (2011), Richfield (2011), Shoreview (2011), Robbinsdale (2011), Falcon Heights (2011), Hopkins
Hopkins is an English, Welsh and Irish patronymic surname. The English name means "son of Hob". ''Hob'' was a diminutive of ''Robert'', itself deriving from the Germanic warrior name ''Hrod-berht'', translated as "renowned-fame". The Robert spell ...
(2011), Shorewood (2011), Crystal
A crystal or crystalline solid is a solid material whose constituents (such as atoms, molecules, or ions) are arranged in a highly ordered microscopic structure, forming a crystal lattice that extends in all directions. In addition, macros ...
(2011), Eagan Eagan may refer to:
People
* Daisy Eagan (born 1979), American actress
* Dennis Eagan (1926–2012), British field hockey player
* Eddie Eagan (1897–1967), American sportsman
* James Eagan (1926-2000), American politician from Missouri
* John J. ...
(2012), and Eden Prairie
Eden Prairie is a city southwest of downtown Minneapolis in Hennepin County and the 16th-largest city in the State of Minnesota, United States. As of the 2020 census, it has a population of 64,198. The city is adjacent to the north bank of th ...
(2012).
Public opinion
{, class="wikitable"
, +style="font-size:100%" , Public opinion for same-sex marriage in Minnesota
, -
! style="width:190px;", Poll source
! style="width:200px;", Date(s)
administered
! class=small , Sample
size
! Margin of
error
! style="width:100px;", % support
! style="width:100px;", % opposition
! style="width:40px;", % no opinion
, -
Public Religion Research Institute
, align=center
March 8–November 9, 2021
, align=center, ?
, align=center, ?
, align=center, 82%
, align=center, 17%
, align=center, 1%
, -
Public Religion Research Institute
, align=center
January 7–December 20, 2020
, align=center, 886 random telephone
interviewees
, align=center, ?
, align=center, 78%
, align=center, 19%
, align=center, 3%
, -
Public Religion Research Institute
, align=center
April 5–December 23, 2017
, align=center, 1,412 random telephone
interviewees
, align=center, ?
, align=center, 67%
, align=center, 27%
, align=center, 6%
, -
Public Religion Research Institute
, align=center
May 18, 2016–January 10, 2017
, align=center, 2,060 random telephone
interviewees
, align=center, ?
, align=center, 63%
, align=center, 27%
, align=center, 10%
, -
Public Religion Research Institute
, align=center
April 29, 2015–January 7, 2016
, align=center, 1,496 random telephone
interviewees
, align=center, ?
, align=center, 57%
, align=center, 37%
, align=center, 6%
, -
, rowspan=2 colspan=1
Edison Research
, rowspan=2 colspan=1 align=center , November 4, 2014
, rowspan=2 colspan=1 align=center , ?
, rowspan=2 colspan=1 align=center , ?
, align=center, 58%
, align=center, 39%
, align=center, 3%
, -
, align=center, 58%
, align=center, 39%
, align=center, 3%
, -
New York Times/CBS News/YouGov
, align=center, September 20–October 1, 2014
, align=center, 2,562 likely voters
, align=center, ± 2.2%
, align=center, 52%
, align=center, 34%
, align=center, 13%
, -
Public Religion Research Institute
, align=center
April 2, 2014–January 4, 2015
, align=center, 1,035
, align=center, ?
, align=center, 58%
, align=center, 33%
, align=center, 8%
, -
, align=center, June 11–13, 2013
, align=center, 800 adults
, align=center, ± 3.5%
, align=center, ''46%''
, align=center, 44%
, align=center, 10%
, -
SurveyUSA
, align=center, April 19–21, 2014
, align=center, 500 adults
, align=center, ± 4.5%
, align=center, 51%
, align=center, 47%
, align=center, 2%
, -
Public Policy Polling
, align=center, January 18–20, 2013
, align=center, 1,065 voters
, align=center, ± 3%
, align=center, ''47%''
, align=center, 45%
, align=center, 8%
, -
Public Policy Polling
, align=center, November 2–3, 2012
, align=center, 1,164 likely voters
, align=center, ± 2.9%
, align=center, ''49%''
, align=center, 41%
, align=center, 10%
, -
Public Policy Polling
, align=center, October 5–8, 2012
, align=center, 937 likely voters
, align=center, ± 3.2%
, align=center, ''47%''
, align=center, 43%
, align=center, 10%
, -
Public Policy Polling
, align=center, September 10–11, 2012
, align=center, 824 likely voters
, align=center, ± 3.4%
, align=center, 43%
, align=center, ''46%''
, align=center, 11%
, -
Public Policy Polling
, align=center, May 31–June 3, 2012
, align=center, 973 voters
, align=center, ± 3.1%
, align=center, ''47%''
, align=center, 42%
, align=center, 11%
, -
Public Policy Polling
, align=center, January 21–22, 2012
, align=center, 1,236 voters
, align=center, ± 2.8%
, align=center, 43%
, align=center, ''47%''
, align=center, 10%
, -
Public Policy Polling
, align=center, May 27–30, 2011
, align=center, 1,179 voters
, align=center, ± 2.9%
, align=center, ''46%''
, align=center, 45%
, align=center, 9%
, -
See also
*LGBT rights in Minnesota
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) persons in the U.S. state of Minnesota have the same rights and responsibilities as non-LGBT people. Minnesota became the first U.S. state to outlaw discrimination based on sexual orientation and g ...
*Same-sex marriage in the United States
The availability of legally recognized same-sex marriage in the United States expanded from one state (Massachusetts) in 2004 to all fifty states in 2015 through various court rulings, state legislation, and direct popular votes. States each ...
References
External links
HF 1054 Status in the House for the 88th Legislature (2013 - 2014)
''MN Revisor's Office''
* McConnell, Michael
''The Wedding Heard Heard 'Round the World: America's First Gay Marriage.''
Minneapolis, MN: University of Minnesota Press, 2016.
{{Same-sex marriage in the United States
Minnesota
Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over to ...
LGBT rights in Minnesota
2013 in LGBT history
2013 in Minnesota