This article contains a timeline of significant events regarding
same-sex marriage in the United States. On June 26, 2015, the landmark
US 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 of ...
decision in ''
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 ...
'' effectively ended restrictions on same-sex marriage in the United States.
1960s
1964
* A woman in
Jess Stearn
Jess Stearn (April 26, 1914 – March 27, 2002) was an American journalist and author of more than thirty books, nine of which were bestsellers.
Early life
Stearn was born in Syracuse, New York to David Stearn, a rabbi. He graduated from Syracus ...
's popular non-fiction work ''The Grapevine: A Report on the Secret World of the Lesbian'' explains that she congratulated two men on their wedding because "Having no status in the law of the land...the homosexual marriage must be maintained only through mutual love and devotion of those involved."
1966
* ''Publishers Weekly'' reports that
Jean Genet's ''
The Miracle of the Rose
''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the ...
'' "delicately describes a secret homosexual marriage".
1967
* December 3: Theologians who object to acceptance of homosexual relationships are reported to be "dubious about how 'fulfilling' even a lasting homosexual relationship can be and point out that a homosexual 'marriage' lacks the discipline and formal commitment of legal sanctions".
1968
* December 22: A report in the ''
New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'' says the plot of ''
Spitting Image
''Spitting Image'' is a British satirical television puppet show, created by Peter Fluck, Roger Law and Martin Lambie-Nairn. First broadcast in 1984, the series was produced by 'Spitting Image Productions' for Central Independent Television ...
'', a play scheduled for Off Broadway in February, involves "a pair of homosexuals who marry and have a baby". It calls the premise "farcical" and an "outrageous charade".
1970s
1970
The modern gay movement for
PRIDE
Pride is defined by Merriam-Webster as "reasonable self-esteem" or "confidence and satisfaction in oneself". A healthy amount of pride is good, however, pride sometimes is used interchangeably with "conceit" or "arrogance" (among other words) w ...
and marriage equality in the United States began on the
Minneapolis campus (U of M) of the University of
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 ...
. James Michael McConnell, librarian, and
Richard John Baker, law student, applied for 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 jurisdictio ...
. Gerald R. Nelson, Clerk of District Court, denied the license because both applicants were men.
* Baker sued Nelson, insisting that the license was
not forbidden.
["Minnesota Statutes Annotated", ''West Publishing Co.''
* 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'' ...
/ref>
* Courts were not persuaded.
1971
* June 4: Members of the Gay Activists Alliance
The Gay Activists Alliance (GAA) was founded in New York City on December 21, 1969, almost six months after the Stonewall riots, by dissident members of the Gay Liberation Front (GLF). In contrast to the Liberation Front, the Activists Alliance ...
demand marriage rights for same-sex couples at New York City's Marriage License Bureau.
* Jack Baker and Michael McConnell apply and are granted a marriage licence in Blue Earth County, Minnesota
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 ...
after discovering the county has no laws prohibiting same sex marriage. Therefore on 3, Sept, 1971 both men became the first legally married same sex couple in US and modern recorded history.
* October 15: The Minnesota Supreme Court
The Minnesota Supreme Court is the 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 was first assemb ...
rules in '' Baker v. Nelson'' that the state's statute limiting marriage to different-sex couples does not violate the U.S. Constitution. However this ruling did not invalidate the 1971 licence in Blue Earth County
1972
* The National Coalition of Gay Organizations calls for the repeal of all statutes that limit marriage to different-sex couples and for extending the legal benefits of marriage to all cohabiting couples.
* March 21: Senator Birch Bayh
Birch Evans Bayh Jr. (; January 22, 1928 – March 14, 2019) was an American Democratic Party politician who served as U.S. Senator from Indiana from 1963 to 1981. He was first elected to office in 1954, when he won election to the India ...
of Indiana, principal sponsor of the Equal Rights Amendment, defends it against critics who contend it would require states to permit same-sex marriages: "All it says is that if a state legislature makes a judgment that it is wrong for a man to marry a man, then it must say that it is wrong for a woman to marry a woman".
* October 10: The United States 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 ...
dismisses appeal in '' Baker v. Nelson'', a decision that refused to invalidate Minnesota's restriction of marriage to different-sex couples, "for want of a substantial federal question."
** Until 26 June 2015, dismissal of the appeal challenging the Minnesota opinion[Title of decision, as posted by the court.
* NOTE: The U.S. Supreme Court was required to accept the appeal as a matter of right, a practice that the Supreme Court Case Selections Act ended in 1988.] was treated as a binding precedent. Thus, lower federal courts could not offer a contrary conclusion when presented with the precise issue "necessarily decided" by the Court.[See, e.g. ]
Mandel v. Bradley
', 432 U.S. 173, 176 (1977)
* " smissals for want of a substantial federal question without doubt reject the specific challenges presented in the statement of jurisdiction.... They do prevent lower federal courts from coming to opposite conclusions on the precise issues presented and necessarily decided by those actions.";
** ''see generally'' Note,
** Because Hennepin County had argued that the marriage license issued previously in Blue Earth County rendered this case Moot
Moot may refer to:
* Mootness, in American law: a point where further proceedings have lost practical significance; whereas in British law: the issue remains debatable
* Moot court, an activity in many law schools where participants take part in s ...
, the "precise issue" necessarily decided by the Court may not have been the inherent right of gay citizens to marry the adult of one's choice.
1973
* January: The ''Yale Law Journal'' publishes an unsigned article, "The Legality of Homosexual Marriage", which argues that " credible case can be made that the denial of marriage licenses to all homosexual couples violates the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment" and that the proposed Equal Rights Amendment would make such a claim irrefutable.
* July 1: Maryland
Maryland ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It shares borders with Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware and the Atlantic Ocean to ...
bans same-sex marriage, the first state to enact such a statute.
* November 9: The Kentucky Court of Appeals
The Kentucky Court of Appeals is the lower of Kentucky's two appellate courts, under the Kentucky Supreme Court. Prior to a 1975 amendment to the Kentucky Constitution the Kentucky Court of Appeals was the only appellate court in Kentucky.
Th ...
rules in ''Jones v. Hallahan
Jones may refer to:
People
*Jones (surname), a common Welsh and English surname
*List of people with surname Jones
* Jones (singer), a British singer-songwriter
Arts and entertainment
* Jones (''Animal Farm''), a human character in George Orwell ...
'' that two women were properly denied a marriage license based on dictionary definitions of marriage, despite the fact that state statutes do not restrict marriage to a female-male couple.
1974
* May 2: The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) airs an installment of its one-hour debate series ''The Advocates'' that considers the question "Should Marriage Between Homosexuals Be Permitted?". Participants include Frank Kameny, Elaine Noble
Elaine Noble (born January 22, 1944) is an American politician and LGBT activist who served in the Massachusetts House of Representatives for two terms starting in January 1975. She was the first openly lesbian or gay candidate elected to a stat ...
, and Charles Socarides.
* May 20: The Washington Court of Appeals
The Washington Court of Appeals is the intermediate level appellate court for the state of Washington. The court is divided into three divisions. Division I is based in Seattle, Division II is based in Tacoma, and Division III is based in Spok ...
holds in '' Singer v. Hara'' that the state's statute banning same-sex marriage does not violate the state constitution and raises no federal issues.
1975
* March 26 – April 22: In Colorado, the Boulder County Clerk, Clela Rorex
Clela Ann Rorex (July 23, 1943 – June 19, 2022) was an American county clerk who issued the first same-sex marriage license in the United States. Serving as the Boulder County Clerk, Rorex issued a marriage license to a gay couple in 1975 aft ...
, issues marriage licenses to 6 same-sex couples after receiving a favorable opinion from an assistant district attorney. When one of those married in Boulder tried to use it to sponsor his husband for immigration purposes, he lost his case, '' Adams v. Howerton'', years later in federal court.
* Virginia enacts a statute that says "A marriage between persons of the same sex is prohibited."
1977
* June 8: Governor Reubin Askew
Reubin O'Donovan Askew (September 11, 1928 – March 13, 2014) was an Politics of the United States, American politician, who served as the 37th governor of Florida from 1971 to 1979. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic P ...
signs legislation banning same-sex marriage in Florida.
* August 18: Governor Jerry Brown
Edmund Gerald Brown Jr. (born April 7, 1938) is an American lawyer, author, and politician who served as the 34th and 39th governor of California from 1975 to 1983 and 2011 to 2019. A member of the Democratic Party, he was elected Secretary of ...
signs legislation banning same-sex marriage in California.
* Wyoming bans same-sex marriage by statute.
1980s
1980
* March: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, informally known as the LDS Church or Mormon Church, is a nontrinitarian Christian church that considers itself to be the restoration of the original church founded by Jesus Christ. The ch ...
opposes to the Equal Rights Amendment in part because its passage "could extend legal protection to same-sex lesbian and homosexual marriages", citing the arguments made by Paul A. Freund
Paul Abraham Freund (February 16, 1908February 5, 1992) was an American jurist and law professor. He taught most of his life at Harvard Law School and is known for his writings on the United States Constitution and the Supreme Court of the United ...
of Harvard Law School before the Senate Judiciary Committee.
1982
* February 25: The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals
The United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit (in case citations, 9th Cir.) is the U.S. federal court of appeals that has appellate jurisdiction over the U.S. district courts in the following federal judicial districts:
* District ...
, deciding '' Adams v. Howerton'', holds that for immigration purposes Congress intended its use of the words ''marriage'' and ''spouse'' to have their "ordinary meaning" which "contemplates a relationship between a man and a woman".
* May: San Francisco Board of Supervisors passes Harry Britt
Harry Britt (June 8, 1938 – June 24, 2020) was an American political activist and politician in San Francisco. Britt was involved during the late-1960s in the civil rights movement when he was a Methodist minister in Chicago. He was first appoi ...
's measure to extend health insurance coverage to same-sex domestic partners of public employees, largely because of the reaction to the early days of AIDS, but does not provide for a registry available to the general public. Mayor Dianne Feinstein
Dianne Goldman Berman Feinstein ( ; born Dianne Emiel Goldman; June 22, 1933) is an American politician who serves as the senior United States senator from California, a seat she has held since 1992. A member of the Democratic Party, she wa ...
vetoes the measure.
1984
* May 11: A three-judge panel of the Superior Court of Pennsylvania rules in ''De Santo v. Barnsley'' that a same-sex couple cannot contract a common law marriage: "the limits of common law marriage must be defined in light of the limits of statutory marriage."
* The Unitarian Universalist Association endorses "services of union" for same-sex couples.
* 4 December: The Berkeley City Council passes a domestic partnership policy to offer insurance benefits to city employees in same-sex relationships, which made Berkeley the first city in the U.S. to do so. Among the people who fought for the approval of the policy was Tom Brougham
Tom Brougham (born March 20, 1943) is a Berkeley, California gay rights activist who was the first to suggest a new legal category for recognizing couples other than marriage, and who coined the phrase domestic partnership.
Brougham is a former m ...
, a Berkeley city employee who coined the term "domestic partner" and created the concept in a letter sent to the Berkeley City Council a few years earlier.
1985
* 25 March: Newly incorporated city of West Hollywood
West Hollywood is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. Incorporated in 1984, it is home to the Sunset Strip. As of the 2020 U.S. Census, its population was 35,757. It is considered one of the most prominent gay villages ...
becomes the first US city to enact a domestic partnership registry open to all its citizens.
1987
*New Hampshire bans same-sex marriage by statute.[
]
1989
* 30 May: San Francisco Board of Supervisors passes a domestic partnership registry ordinance, which is closely defeated by San Francisco voters as Proposition S on 7 November.
* Andrew Sullivan's essay "Here Comes the Groom: A (Conservative) Case for Gay Marriage" appears in the '' New Republic''.
1990s
1991
* California Assemblyman John L. Burton, D-San Francisco, proposed Assembly Bill 167 that would have changed the state civil marriage code to permit same-sex marriages
Same-sex marriage, also known as gay marriage, is the marriage of two people of the same sex or gender. marriage between same-sex couples is legally performed and recognized in 33 countries, with the most recent being Mexico, constituting ...
.
* June: Berkeley becomes the third city in California to create a domestic partnership registry for same- and opposite-sex couples.
* October: Fox Broadcasting Company
The Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly known simply as Fox and stylized in all caps as FOX, is an Television in the United States, American Commercial broadcasting, commercial terrestrial television, broadcast television network owned by Fox C ...
airs the first same-sex wedding on national television in the episode "Can't Help Loving That Man" of its sitcom '' Roc''.
1993
* May 5: The Supreme Court of Hawaii
The Supreme Court of Hawaii is the highest court of the State of Hawaii in the United States. Its decisions are binding on all other courts of the Hawaii State Judiciary. The principal purpose of the Supreme Court is to review the decisions of ...
sends the case of ''Baehr v. Miike
''Baehr v. Miike'' (originally ''Baehr v. Lewin'') was a lawsuit in which three same-sex couples argued that Hawaii's prohibition of same-sex marriage violated the state constitution. Initiated in 1990, as the case moved through the state courts ...
'' to a trial court after ruling that the state same-sex marriage ban was presumed to be unconstitutional and that the State would need to demonstrate a compelling interest in denying same-sex couples the right to marry.
* The Conference of Bishops of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America write in a pastoral letter that they find no scriptural basis for blessing same-sex unions.
* December: In ''A Place at the Table'', Bruce Bawer
Theodore Bruce Bawer (born October 31, 1956) is an American writer who has been a resident of Norway since 1999. He is a literary, film, and cultural critic and a novelist and poet, who has also written about gay rights, Christianity, and Islam.
...
argues for the legal and religious recognition of same-sex relationships as marriages, arguing for what he calls the "silent majority" of non-radicals like himself and criticizing the gay community's identification of homosexuality with sexual behavior.
1994
* September: Governor Pete Wilson
Peter Barton Wilson (born August 23, 1933) is an American attorney and politician who served as the 36th governor of California from 1991 to 1999. A member of the Republican Party, he also served as a United States senator from California betw ...
from California
California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...
vetoes a bill that would have legalized domestic partnerships in the state.
1995
* January 19: The District of Columbia Court of Appeals ruling in '' Dean v. District of Columbia'' upholds the denial of a marriage license to two men.
1996
* 21 September: As a direct result of the ''Baehr v. Lewin
''Baehr v. Miike'' (originally ''Baehr v. Lewin'') was a lawsuit in which three same-sex couples argued that Hawaii's prohibition of same-sex marriage violated the state constitution. Initiated in 1990, as the case moved through the state courts ...
'' ruling of 1993, President Bill Clinton
William Jefferson Clinton ( né Blythe III; born August 19, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 42nd president of the United States from 1993 to 2001. He previously served as governor of Arkansas from 1979 to 1981 and agai ...
signs the 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 ...
(DOMA) into law, which banned the federal Government from recognizing same-sex unions.
* December 3: A Hawaii trial court holds that no compelling interests support Hawaii's statute limiting marriage to opposite-sex couples. The decision is stayed pending review by the Supreme Court of Hawaii.
* The Unitarian Universalist Association adopts a resolution calling for full marriage equality for same-sex couples
* At its General Convention, the United Methodist Church
The United Methodist Church (UMC) is a worldwide mainline Protestant denomination based in the United States, and a major part of Methodism. In the 19th century, its main predecessor, the Methodist Episcopal Church, was a leader in evangelic ...
, which in 1972 said that "the practice of homosexuality sincompatible with Christian teaching", votes 553 to 321 to adopt a rule that "Ceremonies that celebrate homosexual unions shall not be conducted by our ministers and shall not be conducted in our churches."
1997
* June 3: 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 ...
bans same-sex marriage by statute and prohibits the recognition of same-sex marriages legalized elsewhere.
* November 2: The Union of American Hebrew Congregations
The Union for Reform Judaism (URJ), known as the Union of American Hebrew Congregations (UAHC) until 2003, founded in 1873 by Rabbi Isaac Mayer Wise, is the congregational arm of Reform Judaism in North America. The other two arms established b ...
calls for legislation to allow gays and lesbians access to civil marriage and supports efforts to consider a religious ceremony to celebrate such marriages.
* As a direct result of the ''Baehr v. Lewin
''Baehr v. Miike'' (originally ''Baehr v. Lewin'') was a lawsuit in which three same-sex couples argued that Hawaii's prohibition of same-sex marriage violated the state constitution. Initiated in 1990, as the case moved through the state courts ...
'' ruling of 1993, Hawaii
Hawaii ( ; haw, Hawaii or ) is a state in the Western United States, located in the Pacific Ocean about from the U.S. mainland. It is the only U.S. state outside North America, the only state that is an archipelago, and the only state ...
passes a law to establish Reciprocal beneficiary relationships, which made Hawaii the first state in the country to offer statewide recognition for same-sex couples.
1998
* February 27: In ''Brause v. Bureau of Vital Statistics'', an Alaska court orders the state to show it has a compelling reason for prohibiting same-sex couples from marrying.
* November 3: Hawaii voters pass a constitutional amendment to give the Hawaii State Legislature the power to reserve marriage to different-sex couples.
* November 3: Voters in Alaska approve a state constitutional amendment defining marriage as the union of one man and one woman.
1999
* 22 September: Governor Gray Davis from California
California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...
signs a domestic partnerships bill into law that provided limited rights for same-sex couples, which made California the first state in the country to have a statewide domestic partnership scheme and the second to provide a registry for same-sex couples after Hawaii
Hawaii ( ; haw, Hawaii or ) is a state in the Western United States, located in the Pacific Ocean about from the U.S. mainland. It is the only U.S. state outside North America, the only state that is an archipelago, and the only state ...
.
* December 9: The Supreme Court of Hawaii in ''Baehr v. Miike
''Baehr v. Miike'' (originally ''Baehr v. Lewin'') was a lawsuit in which three same-sex couples argued that Hawaii's prohibition of same-sex marriage violated the state constitution. Initiated in 1990, as the case moved through the state courts ...
'' upholds the state's ban on same-sex marriage.
* December 20: The Vermont Supreme Court
The Vermont Supreme Court is the highest judicial authority of the U.S. state of Vermont. Unlike most other states, the Vermont Supreme Court hears appeals directly from the trial courts, as Vermont has no intermediate appeals court.
The Court ...
holds in '' Baker v. Vermont'' that excluding same-sex couples from marriage violates the Vermont Constitution and orders the legislature to establish same-sex marriage or an equivalent status.
2000s
2000
* March 7: California voters approve Proposition 22, adding the statement "Only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in California" to the state's statutes.
* 26 April: Governor Howard Dean
Howard Brush Dean III (born November 17, 1948) is an American physician, author, lobbyist, and retired politician who served as the 79th governor of Vermont from 1991 to 2003 and chair of the Democratic National Committee (DNC) from 2005 to 2009 ...
from Vermont
Vermont () is a state in the northeast New England region of the United States. Vermont is bordered by the states of Massachusetts to the south, New Hampshire to the east, and New York to the west, and the Canadian province of Quebec to ...
signs a civil unions bill in response to the ruling of '' Baker v. Vermont'', thus making Vermont the first state in the U.S. to give civil union rights to same-sex couples. It became law on 1 July.
* November 7: Voters in Nebraska
Nebraska () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by South Dakota to the north; Iowa to the east and Missouri to the southeast, both across the Missouri River; Kansas to the south; Colorado to the sout ...
approve a constitutional amendment defining marriage as the union of one man and one woman.
2002
* May 15: Rep. Ronnie Shows
Clifford Ronald Shows (born January 26, 1947) is an American educator and former Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives from Mississippi. He served from 1999 to 2003.
Biography
Shows was born in Moselle, Mississippi. ...
(D-MS) introduces the Federal Marriage Amendment
The Federal Marriage Amendment (FMA), also referred to by proponents as the Marriage Protection Amendment, was a proposed amendment to the United States Constitution that would legally define marriage as a union of one man and one woman. The FMA ...
, a law to amend the U.S. Constitution to define marriage as the union of a man and a woman and to prevent the extension of the rights of marriage to unmarried persons.
* November 5: Voters in Nevada approve a state constitutional amendment defining marriage as the union of one man and one woman.
2003
* 18 November: The Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts
Massachusetts (Massachusett: ''Muhsachuweesut Massachusett_writing_systems.html" ;"title="nowiki/> məhswatʃəwiːsət.html" ;"title="Massachusett writing systems">məhswatʃəwiːsət">Massachusett writing systems">məhswatʃəwiːsət'' En ...
rules in ''Goodridge v. Department of Public Health
''Goodridge v. Dept. of Public Health'', 798 N.E.2d 941 ( Mass. 2003), is a landmark Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court case in which the Court held that the Massachusetts Constitution requires the state to legally recognize same-sex marriage ...
'' that same-sex couples have the right to marry, setting the start date for the ruling to come into effect on 17 May 2004, to allow the legislature six months to modify state law if it chooses to.
2004
* 12 January: The Legislature of New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...
passes a registered partnerships bill. It came into effect on 10 July.
* February 4: The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, responding to a query from the state Senate, issues an opinion that same-sex couples must be allowed to marry and that a designation like ''civil union'' constitutes discrimination.
* February 12 – March 11: San Francisco
San Francisco (; Spanish for " Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the fourth most populous in California and 17th ...
issues marriage licenses to same-sex couples.
* February 20: A clerk in Sandoval County, New Mexico, issues licenses to same-sex couples until state Attorney General Patricia Madrid issues an opinion stating that the licenses are "invalid under state law".
* February 25: President George W. Bush
George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 43rd president of the United States from 2001 to 2009. A member of the Republican Party, Bush family, and son of the 41st president George H. W. Bush, he ...
calls for a constitutional amendment "defining and protecting marriage as a union of a man and woman as husband and wife."
* February 27: Several same-sex couples are wed in New Paltz, New York. The marriages are later invalidated.
* March 5–9: A clerk in Asbury Park
Asbury Park () is a beachfront city located on the Jersey Shore in Monmouth County in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It is part of the New York metropolitan area.
As of the 2020 U.S. census, the city's population was 15,188 , New Jersey, processes several marriage licenses for same-sex couples until warned by the state attorney general to stop. A deputy mayor officiates at the marriage of one couple on March 8.
* March 3: Multnomah County
Multnomah County is one of the 36 counties in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2020 census, the county's population was 815,428. Multnomah County is part of the Portland–Vancouver– Hillsboro, OR–WA Metropolitan Statistical Area. Th ...
, Oregon, issues marriage licenses to same-sex couples.
* April: The U.S. state of Maine
Maine () is a state in the New England and Northeastern regions of the United States. It borders New Hampshire to the west, the Gulf of Maine to the southeast, and the Canadian provinces of New Brunswick and Quebec to the northeast and ...
adopts a registered partnerships bill. The law came into effect on 30 July.
* April 20: An Oregon state judge orders Multnomah County
Multnomah County is one of the 36 counties in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2020 census, the county's population was 815,428. Multnomah County is part of the Portland–Vancouver– Hillsboro, OR–WA Metropolitan Statistical Area. Th ...
to stop issuing same-sex marriage licenses, declares the 3,000 issued since March 3 valid, and orders the state legislature to create an equivalent of marriage for same-sex couples.
* May 17: Same-sex marriage starts in Massachusetts.
* August 3: Voters in Missouri
Missouri is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking 21st in land area, it is bordered by eight states (tied for the most with Tennessee): Iowa to the north, Illinois, Kentucky and Tennessee to the east, Arkansas t ...
approve a state constitutional amendment defining marriage as the union of one man and one woman.
* August 12: The California Supreme Court
The Supreme Court of California is the highest and final court of appeals in the courts of the U.S. state of California. It is headquartered in San Francisco at the Earl Warren Building, but it regularly holds sessions in Los Angeles and Sac ...
rules that the same-sex marriages performed in San Francisco in February and March are void.
* September 18: Voters in Louisiana
Louisiana , group=pronunciation (French: ''La Louisiane'') is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It is the 20th-smallest by area and the 25th most populous of the 50 U.S. states. Louisiana is borde ...
approve a state constitutional amendment defining marriage as the union of one man and one woman.
* November 2: Voters in Arkansas
Arkansas ( ) is a landlocked state in the South Central United States. It is bordered by Missouri to the north, Tennessee and Mississippi to the east, Louisiana to the south, and Texas and Oklahoma to the west. Its name is from the O ...
, Georgia
Georgia most commonly refers to:
* Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia
* Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States
Georgia may also refer to:
Places
Historical states and entities
* Related to the ...
, Kentucky
Kentucky ( , ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States and one of the states of the Upper South. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north; West Virginia and Virginia ...
, Michigan
Michigan () is a U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest, upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the List of U.S. states and ...
, Mississippi
Mississippi () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States, bordered to the north by Tennessee; to the east by Alabama; to the south by the Gulf of Mexico; to the southwest by Louisiana; and to the northwest by Arkansas. Miss ...
, Montana
Montana () is a state in the Mountain West division of the Western United States. It is bordered by Idaho to the west, North Dakota and South Dakota to the east, Wyoming to the south, and the Canadian provinces of Alberta, British Columb ...
, North Dakota
North Dakota () is a U.S. state in the Upper Midwest, named after the indigenous Dakota Sioux. North Dakota is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Saskatchewan and Manitoba to the north and by the U.S. states of Minnesota to the east, So ...
, Ohio
Ohio () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Of the fifty U.S. states, it is the 34th-largest by area, and with a population of nearly 11.8 million, is the seventh-most populous and tenth-most densely populated. The sta ...
, Oklahoma, Oregon
Oregon () is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. The Columbia River delineates much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington, while the Snake River delineates much of its eastern boundary with Idaho. T ...
, and Utah
Utah ( , ) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. Utah is a landlocked U.S. state bordered to its east by Colorado, to its northeast by Wyoming, to its north by Idaho, to its south by Arizona, and to it ...
approve state constitutional amendments defining marriage as the union of one man and one woman.
2005
* January 20: An Indiana appeals court upholds the constitutionality of the state's statute defining marriage as the union of a man and a woman. The plaintiffs do not appeal to the state supreme court.
* April 5: Kansas voters approve a state constitutional amendment defining marriage as the union of one man and one woman.
* April 14: Oregon's highest court rules in ''Li & Kennedy v. State of Oregon'' that the 3,000 same-sex marriages performed in the state in March and April 2004 were never valid.
* April 20: Governor Jodi Rell
Mary Carolyn "Jodi" Rell (née Reavis; born June 16, 1946) is an American former Republican politician and the 87th governor of Connecticut from 2004 until 2011. Rell also served as the state's 105th lieutenant governor of Connecticut.
Rell was C ...
from the U.S. State of Connecticut
Connecticut () is the southernmost state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. Its capita ...
signs a same-sex civil unions bill into law after passing the State Senate 26 to 8 earlier that day. The bill was previously approved on 13 April by the State House of Representatives in an 85–63 vote. It came into effect on 1 October.
* May 12: U.S. District Judge Joseph Bataillon
Joseph Francis Bataillon (born October 3, 1949) is a senior United States district judge of the United States District Court for the District of Nebraska.
Education and career
Born in Omaha, Nebraska, Bataillon received a Bachelor of Arts deg ...
rules in ''Citizens for Equal Protection v. Bruning
''Citizens for Equal Protection v. Bruning'', 455 F.3d 859 (8th Cir. 2006), was a federal lawsuit filed in the United States District Court for the District of Nebraska and decided on appeal by the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circ ...
'' that a constitutional amendment to the Nebraska Constitution that denies recognition of same-sex couples under any designation violates the U.S. Constitution. (His decision is overruled in 2006 by the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals.)
* July 4: At the 25th General Synod of the United Church of Christ in Atlanta, Georgia, delegates voted to adopt the resolution, "Equal Marriage Rights for All," affirming homosexuality as compatible with Christian living and allowing for same-sex marriage ceremonies to be performed in UCC congregations. The United Church of Christ became the first major Mainline Christian body and major Christian denomination in the United States to do so.
* September 29: California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger vetoes legislation establishing same-sex marriage.
* November 8: Voters in Texas approve a state constitutional amendment defining marriage as the union of one man and one woman.
2006
* June 6: Voters in Alabama approve a state constitutional amendment defining marriage as the union of one man and one woman.
* July 6: The New York Court of Appeals issues its decision in ''Hernández v. Robles'', stating that same-sex partners do not have the right to marry under the New York Constitution
The Constitution of the State of New York establishes the structure of the government of the State of New York, and enumerates the basic rights of the citizens of New York. Like most state constitutions in the United States, New York's constitut ...
.
* July 14: The Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals in ''Citizens for Equal Protection v. Bruning
''Citizens for Equal Protection v. Bruning'', 455 F.3d 859 (8th Cir. 2006), was a federal lawsuit filed in the United States District Court for the District of Nebraska and decided on appeal by the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circ ...
'' reverses a lower court's 2005 decision and rules that a Nebraska constitutional amendment that bans all recognition of same-sex relationships is not unconstitutional.
* October 25: The New Jersey Supreme Court
The Supreme Court of New Jersey is the highest court in the U.S. state of New Jersey. In its current form, the Supreme Court of New Jersey is the final judicial authority on all cases in the state court system, including cases challenging th ...
holds unanimously in '' Lewis v. Harris'' that excluding same-sex couples from marriage violates the state constitution's guarantee of equal protection. A majority of four justices gives the state legislature six months to amend the state's marriage laws or create civil unions.
* November 7: Arizona voters reject an initiative banning the recognition of same-sex marriages and civil unions.
* November 7: Voters in Colorado
Colorado (, other variants) is a state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It encompasses most of the Southern Rocky Mountains, as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the wes ...
, Idaho
Idaho ( ) is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. To the north, it shares a small portion of the Canada–United States border with the province of British Columbia. It borders the states of Montana and Wyomi ...
, South Carolina
)'' Animis opibusque parati'' ( for, , Latin, Prepared in mind and resources, links=no)
, anthem = " Carolina";" South Carolina On My Mind"
, Former = Province of South Carolina
, seat = Columbia
, LargestCity = Charleston
, LargestMetro = ...
, South Dakota, Tennessee
Tennessee ( , ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked state in the Southeastern region of the United States. Tennessee is the 36th-largest by area and the 15th-most populous of the 50 states. It is bordered by Kentucky to th ...
, Virginia, and Wisconsin approve state constitutional amendments defining marriage as the union of one man and one woman.
* 21 December: Governor Jon Corzine
Jon Stevens Corzine ( ; born January 1, 1947) is an American financial executive and retired politician who served as a United States Senator from New Jersey from 2001 to 2006 and the 54th governor of New Jersey from 2006 to 2010. Corzine ran fo ...
from New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...
signs a bill legalizing civil unions into law. It took effect on 19 February 2007.
2007
* April 21: Governor Chris Gregoire from Washington
Washington commonly refers to:
* Washington (state), United States
* Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States
** A metonym for the federal government of the United States
** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered o ...
signs a domestic partnerships bill into law. It came into effect on 22 July.
* May 9: Governor Ted Kulongoski
Theodore Ralph Kulongoski ( ; born November 5, 1940) is an American politician, judge, and lawyer who served as the 36th Governor of Oregon from 2003 to 2011. A member of the Democratic Party, he served in both houses of the Oregon Legislative As ...
from Oregon
Oregon () is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. The Columbia River delineates much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington, while the Snake River delineates much of its eastern boundary with Idaho. T ...
signs a domestic partnerships bill into law. It came into effect on 1 February 2008.
* May 31: Governor John Lynch from New Hampshire
New Hampshire is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Gulf of Maine to the east, and the Canadian province of Quebec to the nor ...
signs a civil unions bill into law. It came into effect on 1 January 2008.
* August 30: A court of 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 th ...
strikes down its ban on same-sex marriage as a result of a legal challenge. About 20 couples obtained marriage licenses and one couple married before the judge issued a stay of his ruling pending appeal.
* September 18: Maryland's highest court
A supreme court is the highest court within the hierarchy of courts in most legal jurisdictions. Other descriptions for such courts include court of last resort, apex court, and high (or final) court of appeal. Broadly speaking, the decisions of ...
decides '' Conaway v. Deane'', rejecting a challenge to the state's prohibition on same-sex marriage.
* October 12: California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger vetoes same-sex marriage legislation for the second time.
2008
* May 14: New York Governor David Paterson
David Alexander Paterson (born May 20, 1954) is an American politician and attorney who served as the 55th governor of New York, succeeding Eliot Spitzer and serving out nearly three years of Spitzer's term from March 2008 to December 2010. ...
orders state agencies to recognize same-sex marriages from other jurisdictions.
* May 15: The Supreme Court of California decides ''In re Marriage Cases
''In re Marriage Cases'', 43 Cal. 4th 757 (Cal. 2008) was a California Supreme Court case where the court held that laws treating classes of persons differently based on sexual orientation should be subject to strict judicial scrutiny, and that ...
'' and overturns the state's ban on same-sex marriage.
* 22 May: Governor Martin O'Malley of Maryland
Maryland ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It shares borders with Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware and the Atlantic Ocean to ...
signs into law two bills legalizing domestic partnerships. They came into effect on 1 July.
* 29 May: Governor David Paterson
David Alexander Paterson (born May 20, 1954) is an American politician and attorney who served as the 55th governor of New York, succeeding Eliot Spitzer and serving out nearly three years of Spitzer's term from March 2008 to December 2010. ...
from New York signs an executive order mandating state agencies to recognize same-sex marriages performed out-of-state equally under the law. New York thus became the first U.S. state that did not allow same-sex marriages, but whose state agencies recognized same-sex marriages performed elsewhere.
* June 17: In California, county clerks begin issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples.
* July 31: Massachusetts repeals its 1913 law invalidating any marriage of non-residents if the marriage is invalid in the state where they live.
* August 25: The Democratic National Convention adopts a platform that "oppose he Defense of Marriage Act and all attempts to use this issue to divide us" and suggests support for same-sex marriage.
* September 1: The Republican National Convention adopts a platform that "laments that judges are ... undermining traditional marriage laws", endorses the Federal Marriage Amendment
The Federal Marriage Amendment (FMA), also referred to by proponents as the Marriage Protection Amendment, was a proposed amendment to the United States Constitution that would legally define marriage as a union of one man and one woman. The FMA ...
and state initiatives that support "traditional marriage", and references "the right of states not to recognize same-sex 'marriages'".
* October 10: The Supreme Court of Connecticut
The Connecticut Supreme Court, formerly known as the Connecticut Supreme Court of Errors, is the highest court in the U.S. state of Connecticut. It consists of a Chief Justice and six Associate Justices. The seven justices sit in Hartford, acr ...
, in ''Kerrigan v. Commissioner of Public Health
''Kerrigan v. Commissioner of Public Health'', 289 Conn. 135, 957 A.2d 407, is a 2008 decision by the Connecticut Supreme Court holding that allowing same-sex couples to form same-sex unions but not marriages violates the Connecticut Constitution. ...
'', rules that the state's prohibition of same-sex marriage violates the state constitution.
* November 4: Voters in 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 ...
, California
California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...
, and Florida
Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...
approve state constitutional amendments defining marriage as the union of one man and one woman.
* November 5: Proposition 8
Proposition 8, known informally as Prop 8, was a California ballot proposition and a state constitutional amendment intended to ban same-sex marriage; it passed in the November 2008 California state elections and was later overturned in cou ...
takes effect in California, preventing the issuance of same-sex marriage licenses.
* November 12: Same-sex marriage starts in Connecticut.
2009
* April 3: The Iowa Supreme Court
The Iowa Supreme Court is the highest court in the U.S. state of Iowa. The Court is composed of a Chief Justice and six Associate Justices.
The Court holds its regular sessions in Des Moines in the Iowa Judicial Branch Building located at 1111 ...
, ruling in '' Varnum v. Brien'', holds that the state's restriction of marriage to different-sex couples violates the equal protection clause of the Iowa Constitution. All three of the states that had legalized same-sex marriage at this point—Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Iowa—had done so by court ruling.
* April 7: The Vermont General Assembly
The Vermont General Assembly is the legislative body of the state of Vermont, in the United States. The Legislature is formally known as the "General Assembly," but the style of "Legislature" is commonly used, including by the body itself. The G ...
overrides Governor Jim Douglas
James Holley Douglas (born June 21, 1951) is an American politician from the state of Vermont. A Republican, he served the 80th governor of Vermont from 2003 to 2011. On August 27, 2009, Douglas announced that he would not seek re-election fo ...
's April 6 veto of same-sex marriage legislation, making it the first state to institute same-sex marriage by statute.
* April 23: Connecticut Governor Jodi Rell
Mary Carolyn "Jodi" Rell (née Reavis; born June 16, 1946) is an American former Republican politician and the 87th governor of Connecticut from 2004 until 2011. Rell also served as the state's 105th lieutenant governor of Connecticut.
Rell was C ...
signs legislation converting existing civil unions into marriages effective October 1, 2010.
* April 27: Same-sex marriage starts in Iowa.
* May 6: Maine Governor John Baldacci
John Elias Baldacci (born January 30, 1955) is an American politician who served as the 73rd Governor of Maine from 2003 to 2011. A Democrat, he also served as a member of the United States House of Representatives from 1995 to 2003.
During h ...
signs the marriage equality law, the first governor in the U.S. to sign such legislation.
* May 18: Governor Chris Gregoire from Washington
Washington commonly refers to:
* Washington (state), United States
* Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States
** A metonym for the federal government of the United States
** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered o ...
signs a so-called "everything-but-marriage" registered partnerships bill into law. It was passed by the State Senate on 10 March and by the House of Representatives on 15 April. However, opponents organized a referendum that took place on 3 November.
* May 26: The California Supreme Court, ruling in '' Strauss v. Horton'', upholds Proposition 8
Proposition 8, known informally as Prop 8, was a California ballot proposition and a state constitutional amendment intended to ban same-sex marriage; it passed in the November 2008 California state elections and was later overturned in cou ...
's ban on same-sex marriage and holds that same-sex marriages performed before its passage remain valid.
* May 31: The Assembly of the U.S. state of Nevada
Nevada ( ; ) is a state in the Western region of the United States. It is bordered by Oregon to the northwest, Idaho to the northeast, California to the west, Arizona to the southeast, and Utah to the east. Nevada is the 7th-most extensive, ...
legalizes domestic partnerships by a 28–14 vote, overriding a veto from Governor Jim Gibbons after the Senate did the same on 30 May by a 14–7 vote.[ ] The law came into effect on 1 October.[
* June 3: New Hampshire Gov. John Lynch signs legislation legalizing same-sex marriage.
* June 29: Governor ]Jim Doyle
James Edward Doyle, Jr., (born November 23, 1945) is an American attorney and politician who served as the 44th governor of Wisconsin, serving from January 6, 2003 to January 3, 2011. In his first election to the governorship, he defeated incum ...
from Wisconsin
Wisconsin () is a state in the upper Midwestern United States. Wisconsin is the 25th-largest state by total area and the 20th-most populous. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake M ...
signs into law a bill legalizing registered partnerships. The bill was previously approved by the State Assembly in a 50–48 vote on 13 June[State Assembly Votes to Approve Domestic Partnerships!, Fair Wisconsin] and by the State Senate in a 17–16 vote on 17 June. The law came into effect on 3 August.
* July 1: The U.S. state of Colorado
Colorado (, other variants) is a state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It encompasses most of the Southern Rocky Mountains, as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the wes ...
begins recognizing designated beneficiary agreements.
* July 6: The District of Columbia
)
, image_skyline =
, image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...
starts recognizing same-sex marriages performed in other U.S. states, although same-sex marriages cannot be performed in D.C. itself.
*July 17: The General Convention of the Episcopal Church approves a resolution calling for the development of a rite for blessing same-sex unions and allowing bishops where unions are legal to use their own judgment in blessing such unions until the rite becomes available.
*August 21: The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America votes by a 559-441 margin to allow non-celibate gay and lesbian pastors in committed, monogamous relationships to be ordained to pastoral office. It also allows, but not requires, for ELCA pastors to perform blessings on same-sex weddings. It becomes the second Mainline denomination to do so.
* September 1: Vermont's statute authorizing same-sex marriages takes effect.
* September 15: A group of Democratic members of the House of Representatives led by Jerrold Nadler
Jerrold Lewis Nadler (; born June 13, 1947) is an American lawyer and politician who since 2013 has served as the U.S. representative for , which includes Manhattan's west side and parts of Brooklyn. A member of the Democratic Party, he is in ...
, Tammy Baldwin
Tammy Suzanne Green Baldwin (born February 11, 1962) is an American lawyer and politician who has served as the junior United States senator from Wisconsin since 2013. A member of the Democratic Party, she served three terms in the Wisconsin St ...
, and Jared Polis
Jared Schutz Polis (; born May 12, 1975) is an American politician, entrepreneur, businessman, and philanthropist, serving as the 43rd governor of Colorado since January 2019. He served one term on the Colorado State Board of Education from 20 ...
introduce the Respect for Marriage Act
The Respect for Marriage Act (RFMA; ) is a landmark United States federal law passed by the 117th United States Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden. It repeals the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), requires the U.S. federal gover ...
, which would repeal the Defense of Marriage Act.
* October 2: A Texas judge rules the state's same-sex marriage ban unconstitutional while presiding over the divorce proceedings for two gay Texans married in Massachusetts.
* October 11: California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signs legislation establishing the recognition of same-sex marriages performed elsewhere.
* November 3: A voter referendum
A referendum (plural: referendums or less commonly referenda) is a direct vote by the electorate on a proposal, law, or political issue. This is in contrast to an issue being voted on by a representative. This may result in the adoption of a ...
repeals Maine's same-sex marriage law, preventing it from going into effect. While a referendum in Washington
Washington commonly refers to:
* Washington (state), United States
* Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States
** A metonym for the federal government of the United States
** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered o ...
upholds the so-called "everything-but-marriage" registered partnerships bill, which came into effect on 3 December.
* December 18: District of Columbia
)
, image_skyline =
, image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...
Mayor Adrian Fenty
Adrian Malik Fenty (born December 6, 1970) is an American politician who served as the sixth mayor of the District of Columbia. He served one term, from 2007 to 2011, losing his bid for reelection at the primary level to Democrat Vincent C. Gra ...
signs a same-sex marriage bill into law. The bill was previously approved by the D.C. Council on 15 December. It came into effect on 3 March 2010.
* Marlon Reis, The husband of Representative Jared Polis
Jared Schutz Polis (; born May 12, 1975) is an American politician, entrepreneur, businessman, and philanthropist, serving as the 43rd governor of Colorado since January 2019. He served one term on the Colorado State Board of Education from 20 ...
, a Colorado Democrat, acquires a Congressional spouse ID, though he is later told he should have been issued a "designee ID", the style given to unmarried partners of members of Congress.
2010s
2010
* January 1: In California, all out-of-state same-sex marriages are given the benefits of marriage, although only those performed before November 5, 2008, are granted the designation "marriage".
* January 1: New Hampshire's statute authorizing same-sex marriages takes effect.
* February 24: Maryland Attorney General Doug Gansler
Douglas Friend Gansler (born October 30, 1962) is an American lawyer and politician who served as the 45th Attorney General of Maryland. Gansler previously served as the State's Attorney for Montgomery County, Maryland, from 1999 to 2007. He won ...
issues a legal opinion stating that state agencies could begin to recognize same-sex marriages performed in other states, under the principle of comity
In law, comity is "a practice among different political entities (as countries, states, or courts of different jurisdictions)" involving the " mutual recognition of legislative, executive, and judicial acts."
Etymology
Comity derives from the La ...
.
* March 3: Washington, D.C.'s statute authorizing same-sex marriages takes effect.
* April 1: The 2010 United States census
The United States census of 2010 was the twenty-third United States national census. National Census Day, the reference day used for the census, was April 1, 2010. The census was taken via mail-in citizen self-reporting, with enumerators servi ...
becomes the first to track same-sex-led households, both married and unmarried.
* July 8: Judge Joseph Tauro of the U.S. District Court of Massachusetts holds in two related cases (''Gill v. Office of Personnel Management
''Gill et al. v. Office of Personnel Management'', 682 F.3d 1 (1st Cir. 2012) is a United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit decision that affirmed the judgment of the District Court for the District of Massachusetts in a lawsuit challe ...
'' and '''') that the denial of federal rights and benefits to lawfully married same-sex couples in Massachusetts under section 3 of the DOMA is unconstitutional.
* August 4: U.S. District Judge Vaughn R. Walker rules in '' Perry v. Schwarzenegger'' that California's Proposition 8
Proposition 8, known informally as Prop 8, was a California ballot proposition and a state constitutional amendment intended to ban same-sex marriage; it passed in the November 2008 California state elections and was later overturned in cou ...
is an unconstitutional violation of the Fourteenth Amendment's Due Process and Equal Protection
The Equal Protection Clause is part of the first section of the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution. The clause, which took effect in 1868, provides "''nor shall any State ... deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal ...
clauses.
* August 31: The Fifth Court of Appeals in Dallas, Texas
Dallas () is the third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 million people. It is the largest city in and seat of Dallas County ...
, reverses a 2009 ruling in a same-sex divorce case, ruling that the Texas constitutional ban on same-sex marriage does not violate the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. The court further rules that district courts in Texas do not have subject-matter jurisdiction to hear a same-sex divorce case.
* November 2: In judicial retention elections, Iowa voters remove three Iowa Supreme Court
The Iowa Supreme Court is the highest court in the U.S. state of Iowa. The Court is composed of a Chief Justice and six Associate Justices.
The Court holds its regular sessions in Des Moines in the Iowa Judicial Branch Building located at 1111 ...
justices who joined the ruling that invalidated the state's ban on same-sex marriage in 2009.
2011
* January 31: Governor Pat Quinn from Illinois
Illinois ( ) is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolitan areas include, Peoria and Rockf ...
signs a civil unions bill into law. The bill was previously approved 32–24 by the state Senate on 1 December and 61–52 by the state House of Representatives on 30 November. It came into effect on 1 June.
* February 23: Governor Neil Abercrombie
Neil Abercrombie (born June 26, 1938) is an American politician who served as the seventh governor of Hawaii from 2010 to 2014. He is a member of the Democratic Party.
Born in Buffalo, New York, Abercrombie is a graduate of Union College and th ...
from Hawaii signs a civil unions bill into law. The bill was previously approved 18–5 by the state Senate on 16 February and 31–19 by the state House of Representatives on 11 February. It came into effect on 1 January 2012.
* February 23: The Obama Administration announces its determination that discrimination based on sexual orientation is subject to heightened scrutiny
Intermediate scrutiny, in U.S. constitutional law, is the second level of deciding issues using judicial review. The other levels are typically referred to as rational basis review (least rigorous) and strict scrutiny (most rigorous).
In order t ...
and when judged by that standard section 3 of DOMA is unconstitutional. It will continue to enforce DOMA's provisions, will no longer defend challenges to the constitutionality of section 3 of DOMA in court, and will cooperate if Congress seeks to defend the statute in court.
* March 4: Speaker of the House
The speaker of a deliberative assembly, especially a legislative body, is its presiding officer, or the chair. The title was first used in 1377 in England.
Usage
The title was first recorded in 1377 to describe the role of Thomas de Hungerf ...
John Boehner launches effort to defend DOMA's constitutionality in court by convening the Bipartisan Legal Advisory Group
The Bipartisan Legal Advisory Group (BLAG) has been a standing body of the U.S. House of Representatives since 1993 that directs the activities of the . BLAG can direct the General Counsel to participate in litigation or file an ''amicus curiae'' ...
(BLAG), tasked with "initiating action by the House to defend this law."
* May 11: Governor Jack Markell
Jack Alan Markell (born November 26, 1960) is an American politician who currently serves as the United States ambassador to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. He previously served as the 73rd governor of Delaware from 2 ...
from the US state of Delaware
Delaware ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Maryland to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and New Jersey and the Atlantic Ocean to its east. The state takes its name from the adjacent Del ...
signs a civil unions bill into law. The bill was previously approved 26–15 by the state House of Representatives on 14 April and 13–6 by the state Senate on 7 April. It came into effect on 1 January 2012.
* June 24: Governor Andrew Cuomo
Andrew Mark Cuomo ( ; ; born December 6, 1957) is an American lawyer and politician who served as the 56th governor of New York from 2011 to 2021. A member of the Democratic Party, he was elected to the same position that his father, Mario Cu ...
from New York signs a same-sex marriage bill into law. The bill was previously approved two hours early 33–29 by the state Senate and 80–63 by the state Assembly on 5 June. It came into effect on 24 July.
* July 1: A civil unions bill in the US state of Rhode Island
Rhode Island (, like ''road'') is a state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is the smallest U.S. state by area and the seventh-least populous, with slightly fewer than 1.1 million residents as of 2020, but it ...
becomes effective, Independent Governor Lincoln Chafee
Lincoln Davenport Chafee ( ; born March 26, 1953) is an American politician. He was mayor of Warwick, Rhode Island from 1993 to 1999, a United States Senator from 1999 to 2007, and the 74th Governor of Rhode Island from 2011 to 2015. He was a m ...
signed the bill on 2 July 2011 but the law was made retroactive from 1 July 2011. The bill was previously approved 21–16 by the state Senate on 29 June and by the Assembly in a 62–11 vote on 20 May.
* July 24: New York's statute authorizing same-sex marriages takes effect.
* August 1: Washington state's Native American Suquamish tribe
The Suquamish () are a Lushootseed-speaking Native American people, located in present-day Washington in the United States. They are a southern Coast Salish people. Today, most Suquamish people are enrolled in the federally recognized Suquam ...
approves granting same-sex marriages.
* September 20: Navy Lt. Gary C. Ross becomes the first active member of the U.S. military to legally marry a same-sex partner moments after the repeal of the military's " don't ask don't tell" policy takes effect.
2012
* February 7: The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals
The United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit (in case citations, 9th Cir.) is the U.S. federal court of appeals that has appellate jurisdiction over the U.S. district courts in the following federal judicial districts:
* District ...
affirms district court Judge Vaughn Walker
Vaughn Richard Walker (born 1944) is an American lawyer who served as a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Northern District of California from 1989 to 2011. Walker presided over the original trial in '' Hol ...
's decision in ''Perry
Perry, also known as pear cider, is an alcoholic beverage made from fermented pears, traditionally the perry pear. It has been common for centuries in England, particularly in Gloucestershire, Herefordshire, and Worcestershire. It is also mad ...
'' that overturned California Proposition 8
Proposition 8, known informally as Prop 8, was a California ballot proposition and a state constitutional amendment intended to ban same-sex marriage; it passed in the November 2008 California state elections and was later overturned in co ...
.
* February 13: Governor Christine Gregoire
Christine Gregoire (; née O'Grady; born March 24, 1947) is an American politician who served as the 22nd governor of Washington from 2005 to 2013. A member of the Democratic Party, she defeated Republican candidate Dino Rossi in 2004, and ag ...
from the Washington
Washington commonly refers to:
* Washington (state), United States
* Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States
** A metonym for the federal government of the United States
** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered o ...
signs a same-sex marriage bill into law. The bill was priorly approved 55–43 by the state House on 8 February and 28–21 by the state Senate on 1 February. However, opponents organized a referendum that took place on 6 November.
* February 17: New Jersey Governor Chris Christie
Christopher James Christie (born September 6, 1962) is an American politician, lawyer, political commentator, lobbyist, and former federal prosecutor who served as the 55th governor of New Jersey from 2010 to 2018.
Christie, who was born in N ...
vetoes a bill to legalize same-sex marriage.
* February 22: Judge Jeffrey White rules section 3 of the 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 ...
unconstitutional in '' Golinski v. Office of Personnel Management''.
* March 1: Governor Martin O'Malley from Maryland
Maryland ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It shares borders with Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware and the Atlantic Ocean to ...
signs a same-sex marriage bill into law. The bill was previously approved by the Senate, 25–22, on 23 February and by the House, 72–67, on 17 February. However, opponents organized a referendum that took place on 6 November.
* March 21: The New Hampshire House of Representatives rejects the repeal of the state's 2009 same-sex marriage law.
* May 8: Voters in North Carolina
North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia and ...
approve North Carolina Amendment 1
North Carolina Amendment 1 (often referred to as simply Amendment 1) was a legislatively referred constitutional amendment in North Carolina that (until overruled in federal court) amended the Constitution of North Carolina to prohibit the s ...
, defining marriage as the union of a man and a woman and prohibiting the recognition of any type of same-sex union in that state. This would be the very last time a voter-approved ban on same-sex marriage would pass.
* May 9: 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 ...
becomes the first sitting U.S. president to declare his support for legalizing same-sex marriage.
* May 14: Governor Lincoln Chafee
Lincoln Davenport Chafee ( ; born March 26, 1953) is an American politician. He was mayor of Warwick, Rhode Island from 1993 to 1999, a United States Senator from 1999 to 2007, and the 74th Governor of Rhode Island from 2011 to 2015. He was a m ...
of Rhode Island
Rhode Island (, like ''road'') is a state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is the smallest U.S. state by area and the seventh-least populous, with slightly fewer than 1.1 million residents as of 2020, but it ...
signs an executive order directing state agencies to treat same-sex marriages performed out-of-state in the same manner as those of different-sex couples.
* May 18: The Maryland Court of Appeals
The Supreme Court of Maryland is the highest court of the U.S. state of Maryland. Its name was changed on December 14, 2022, from the Maryland Court of Appeals, after a voter-approved change to the state constitution. The court, which is compose ...
rules unanimously in ''Port v. Cowan
Same-sex marriage in Maryland has been legally recognized since January 1, 2013. In 2012, the state's Democratic representatives, led by Governor Martin O'Malley, began a campaign for its legalization. After much debate, a law permitting same-s ...
'' that same-sex marriages established in other states are valid.
* May 31: A unanimous three-judge panel of the First Circuit Court of Appeals upholds the decisions in ''Gill'' and ''Massachusetts'' that found section 3 of DOMA unconstitutional.
* May 31: The Conservative branch of American Judaism approves same-sex marriage ceremonies, offering two model wedding ceremonies and guidelines for a same-sex divorce.
* June 6: Judge Barbara Jones of the District Court for the Southern District of New York finds section 3 of DOMA unconstitutional in '' Windsor v. United States''.
* June 23: The first same-sex marriage on a U.S. military base is celebrated in the chapel at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst
A joint or articulation (or articular surface) is the connection made between bones, ossicles, or other hard structures in the body which link an animal's skeletal system into a functional whole.Saladin, Ken. Anatomy & Physiology. 7th ed. McGraw- ...
in New Jersey.
* July 6: The General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church defeats 52% to 48% a proposal to define marriage as "a covenant between two people" instead of "a civil contract between a woman and a man". It endorses a two-year study of the theology of marriage.
* July 7: Representative Barney Frank
Barnett Frank (born March 31, 1940) is a former American politician. He served as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Massachusetts from 1981 to 2013. A Democrat, Frank served as chairman of the House Financial Services Committ ...
of Massachusetts becomes the first member of Congress to enter into a same-sex marriage.
* July 10: The Episcopal Church approves a rite for blessing same-sex unions. It can be used subject to the approval of the local bishop without respect to the legal status of such unions.
* July 26: Massachusetts' highest court rules in ''Elia-Warnken v. Elia'' that the state recognizes a same-sex civil union established in a different jurisdiction as the legal equivalent of a marriage.
* July 31: Judge Vanessa L. Bryant of the U.S. District Court in Connecticut
Connecticut () is the southernmost state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. Its capita ...
holds in ''Pedersen v. Office of Personnel Management
''Pedersen v. Office of Personnel Management'' is a federal lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the Defense of Marriage Act, Section 3, which defined the federal definition of marriage to be a union of a man and a woman, entirely excluding ...
'' that section 3 of DOMA is unconstitutional.
* August 8: A federal court in Hawaii rejects a challenge to the state's ban on same-sex marriage, ''Jackson v. Abercrombie''.
* August 28: The Republican National Convention approves a platform that asserts right of the federal government and each state to deny legal recognition to same-sex marriages and endorses a constitutional amendment defining marriage as the union of one man and one woman.
* September 5: The Democratic National Convention adopts a political platform that supports marriage equality for the first time in its history and opposes all constitutional amendments that would exclude same-sex couples from marriage.
* September 12: The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court rules that domestic partnerships established in other jurisdictions are recognized "as equivalent to marriage".
* October 18: In '' Windsor v. United States'', the Second Circuit Court of Appeals
The United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit (in case citations, 2d Cir.) is one of the thirteen United States Courts of Appeals. Its territory comprises the states of Connecticut, New York and Vermont. The court has appellate juri ...
rules Section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) as unconstitutional, holding sexual orientation to be a quasi-suspect classification, and determining that laws that classify people on such basis should be subject to intermediate scrutiny.
* November 6: Voters in Minnesota defeat a state constitutional amendment that would have defined marriage as "a union of one man and one woman."
* November 6: Voters in Maine
Maine () is a state in the New England and Northeastern regions of the United States. It borders New Hampshire to the west, the Gulf of Maine to the southeast, and the Canadian provinces of New Brunswick and Quebec to the northeast and ...
, Maryland
Maryland ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It shares borders with Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware and the Atlantic Ocean to ...
, and Washington
Washington commonly refers to:
* Washington (state), United States
* Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States
** A metonym for the federal government of the United States
** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered o ...
become the first in history to approve legislation establishing same-sex marriage.
* November 29: U.S. District Court Judge Robert C. Jones rules in ''Sevcik v. Sandoval
''Sevcik v. Sandoval'' is the lead case that successfully challenged Nevada's Recognition of same-sex unions in Nevada, denial of same-sex marriage as mandated by that state's constitution and statutory law. The plaintiffs' complaint was initiall ...
'' that Nevada's denial of marriage rights to same-sex couples does not violate the Equal Protection Clause of the U.S. Constitution.
* December 6: The state of Washington
Washington commonly refers to:
* Washington (state), United States
* Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States
** A metonym for the federal government of the United States
** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered o ...
's statute authorizing same-sex marriage takes effect.
* December 7: The Supreme Court grants review of ''United States v. Windsor'', formerly '' Windsor v. United States'', and ''Hollingsworth v. Perry'', formerly ''Perry v. Brown
''Hollingsworth v. Perry'' was a series of United States federal court cases that re-legalized same-sex marriage in the state of California. The case began in 2009 in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, which found that ...
''.
* December 29: Maine's statute authorizing same-sex marriages takes effect.
2013
* January 1: Maryland's statute authorizing same-sex marriages takes effect.
* March 9: The Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians
Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians (Potawatomi: Pokégnek Bodéwadmik) are a federally recognized Potawatomi-speaking tribe based in southwestern Michigan and northeastern Indiana. Tribal government functions are located in Dowagiac, Michigan. ...
announces recognition for same-sex marriages, entering into force 60 days later on 8 May.
* March 15: The Tribal chairman of the Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians
The Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians (LTBBOI, oj, Waganakising Odawa) is a federally recognized Native American tribe of Odawa. A large percentage of the more than 4000 tribal members continue to reside within the tribe's traditio ...
in the U.S. state of Michigan
Michigan () is a U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest, upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the List of U.S. states and ...
signs a same-sex marriage amendment into law that had been previously approved by the Tribal Council in a 5–4 vote on 3 March.
* March 21: Governor John Hickenlooper
John Wright Hickenlooper Jr. (; born February 7, 1952) is an American politician serving as the junior United States senator from Colorado since 2021. A member of the Democratic Party, he served as the 42nd governor of Colorado from 2011 to 20 ...
from Colorado
Colorado (, other variants) is a state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It encompasses most of the Southern Rocky Mountains, as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the wes ...
signs a civil unions bill into law. The bill was previously approved by the House of Representatives on 12 March in a 39–26 vote and by the Senate in a 21–14 vote on 11 February. It came into effect on 1 May.
* April 26: U.S. Judge Harry Pregerson issues an administrative ruling as Chair of the Federal Public Defenders Standing Committee that Oregon's ban on same-sex marriage and DOMA Section 3 deny equal protection to the wife of a female federal employee.
* April 26: The husband of U.S. Representative Mark Pocan
Mark William Pocan ( ; born August 14, 1964) is an American politician and businessman serving as the U.S. representative from Wisconsin's 2nd congressional district since 2013. The district is based in the state capital, Madison. A member of th ...
, a Wisconsin Democrat, becomes the first same-sex spouse to obtain a congressional spouse identification card. The validity of a similar one given to the spouse of Representative Jared Polis in 2009 was later called a mistake.
* May 2: Governor Lincoln Chafee
Lincoln Davenport Chafee ( ; born March 26, 1953) is an American politician. He was mayor of Warwick, Rhode Island from 1993 to 1999, a United States Senator from 1999 to 2007, and the 74th Governor of Rhode Island from 2011 to 2015. He was a m ...
from the U.S. state of Rhode Island
Rhode Island (, like ''road'') is a state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is the smallest U.S. state by area and the seventh-least populous, with slightly fewer than 1.1 million residents as of 2020, but it ...
signs a same-sex marriage bill into law. The bill was passed shortly before with a final 56–15 vote in the House of Representatives and on 24 April by the state Senate in a 26–12 vote. It came into effect on 1 August.
* May 7: Governor Jack Markell
Jack Alan Markell (born November 26, 1960) is an American politician who currently serves as the United States ambassador to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. He previously served as the 73rd governor of Delaware from 2 ...
from Delaware
Delaware ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Maryland to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and New Jersey and the Atlantic Ocean to its east. The state takes its name from the adjacent Del ...
signs a same-sex marriage bill into law. The bill was passed shortly before by the state Senate by a 12–9 vote and on 23 April by the House of Representatives by a 23–18 vote. It took effect on 1 July.
* May 14: 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 ...
from 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 ...
signs a same-sex marriage bill into law. The bill was passed a day before by the state Senate by a 37–30 vote and on 9 May by the House of Representatives by a 75–59 vote. It came into effect on 1 August 2013.
* June 24: The Santa Ysabel Tribe announce their recognition of same-sex marriage, becoming the first tribe in California to do so.
* June 26: The Supreme Court issues a 5–4 decision in ''United States v. Windsor
''United States v. Windsor'', 570 U.S. 744 (2013), is a landmark United States Supreme Court civil rights case concerning same-sex marriage. The Court held that Section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), which denied federal recognition o ...
'', ruling Section 3 of DOMA unconstitutional "as a deprivation of the equal liberty ... protected by the Fifth Amendment."
* June 26: The Supreme Court issues a 5–4 decision in '' Hollingsworth v. Perry'', dismissing the appeal of the district court's decision on August 4, 2010, when the case was known as ''Perry v. Schwarzenegger'', that affirmed the right of same-sex couples to marry in California.
* June 28: Following the Supreme Court's decision in ''Hollingsworth v. Perry'', the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals lifts its stay of a lower court order that prohibited enforcement of the California Constitution's ban on same-sex marriages. Same-sex marriages resume in California, after being banned since November 5, 2008.
* June 28: U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services approves a permanent resident
Permanent residency is a person's legal resident status in a country or territory of which such person is not a citizen but where they have the right to reside on a permanent basis. This is usually for a permanent period; a person with suc ...
visa (green card) for a same-sex couple for the first time.
* June 28: The Office of Personnel Management
An office is a space where an organization's employees perform administrative work in order to support and realize objects and goals of the organization. The word "office" may also denote a position within an organization with specific d ...
invites the same-sex spouses of civilian federal employees and retirees to enroll in their spouses' health, life insurance, and other benefit programs.
* July 1: Delaware
Delaware ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Maryland to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and New Jersey and the Atlantic Ocean to its east. The state takes its name from the adjacent Del ...
's statute authorizing same-sex marriages takes effect.
* July 1: Minnesota recognizes the validity of same-sex marriage from other jurisdictions, though it does not yet authorize its own same-sex marriages.
* July 24: Montgomery County, Pennsylvania
Montgomery County is a County (United States), county in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. It is the List of counties in Pennsylvania, third-most populous county in Pennsylvania and the List of the most populous cou ...
, begins issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples, in violation of state law.
* August 1: Rhode Island's statute authorizing same-sex marriages takes effect.
* August 1: Minnesota's statute authorizing same-sex marriages takes effect.
* August 11: John Berry, U.S. Ambassador to Australia, becomes the first U.S. diplomat to marry a same-sex partner.
* August 21: The county clerk's office in Doña Ana County
Don (; ; pt, Dom, links=no ; all from Latin ', roughly 'Lord'), abbreviated as D., is an honorific prefix primarily used in Spain and Hispanic America, and with different connotations also in Italy, Portugal and its former colonies, and Croatia ...
, New Mexico, begins issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples.
* August 23: The county clerk's office in Santa Fe County
Santa Fe County ( es, Condado de Santa Fe; meaning ''Holy faith'' in Spanish) is located in the U.S. state of New Mexico. As of the 2010 census, the population was 144,170, making it New Mexico's third-most populous county, after Bernalillo Cou ...
, New Mexico, begins issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples after being ordered to do so by a state judge on August 22.
* August 27: The county clerk's office in Bernalillo County
Bernalillo County () is the most populous county in the U.S. state of New Mexico.[Bernalillo ...](_blank)
, New Mexico, begins issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples after being ordered to do so by a state judge on August 26.
* August 27: The county clerks of San Miguel, Valencia
Valencia ( va, València) is the capital of the autonomous community of Valencia and the third-most populated municipality in Spain, with 791,413 inhabitants. It is also the capital of the province of the same name. The wider urban area al ...
, and Taos
Taos or TAOS may refer to:
Places
* Taos, Missouri, a city in Cole County, Missouri, United States
* Taos County, New Mexico, United States
** Taos, New Mexico, a city, the county seat of Taos County, New Mexico
*** Taos art colony, an art colo ...
counties, New Mexico, announce they will begin issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples.
* August 31: Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg
Joan Ruth Bader Ginsburg ( ; ; March 15, 1933September 18, 2020) was an American lawyer and jurist who served as an associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States from 1993 until her death in 2020. She was nominated by Presiden ...
becomes the first member of that court to officiate at the marriage ceremony of a same-sex couple.
* September 3: The county clerk's office in Grant County Grant County may refer to:
Places
;Australia
* County of Grant, Victoria
;United States
*Grant County, Arkansas
*Grant County, Indiana
* Grant County, Kansas
*Grant County, Kentucky
*Grant County, Minnesota
*Grant County, Nebraska
*Grant C ...
, New Mexico, announces it will make same-sex marriage licenses available during the second week of September.
* September 4: The county clerk's office in Los Alamos County
Los Alamos County (English: "The Poplars" or "Cottonwoods") is a county in the U.S. state of New Mexico. As of the 2010 census, the population was 17,950. The smallest county by area in the state, Los Alamos County was formerly administered ex ...
, New Mexico, begins issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples after a New Mexico district court rejects the clerk's arguments against doing so.
* September 12: A Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...
state judge orders Montgomery County to stop issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples.
* September 27: A New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...
state Superior Court judge rules that beginning October 21 the state must allow same-sex couples to marry because they are otherwise denied federal rights due them following the U.S. Supreme Court decision in ''United States v. Windsor ''.
* October 15: In North Carolina, the Buncombe County
Buncombe County is a county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. It is classified within Western North Carolina. The 2020 census reported the population was 269,452. Its county seat is Asheville. Buncombe County is part of the Ashevill ...
Register of Deeds accepts applications for same-sex marriage licenses from 10 couples, which he does not grant pending authorization from the state attorney general.
* October 16: Based on an opinion from the Oregon Department of Justice, Oregon begins recognizing same-sex marriages from other jurisdictions.
* October 21: After the New Jersey Supreme Court
The Supreme Court of New Jersey is the highest court in the U.S. state of New Jersey. In its current form, the Supreme Court of New Jersey is the final judicial authority on all cases in the state court system, including cases challenging th ...
on October 18 unanimously refused to stay a lower court's order pending appeal, same-sex marriages begin and Governor Chris Christie
Christopher James Christie (born September 6, 1962) is an American politician, lawyer, political commentator, lobbyist, and former federal prosecutor who served as the 55th governor of New Jersey from 2010 to 2018.
Christie, who was born in N ...
drops the state's appeal of the lower court's ruling.
* November 13: Governor Neil Abercrombie
Neil Abercrombie (born June 26, 1938) is an American politician who served as the seventh governor of Hawaii from 2010 to 2014. He is a member of the Democratic Party.
Born in Buffalo, New York, Abercrombie is a graduate of Union College and th ...
from Hawaii
Hawaii ( ; haw, Hawaii or ) is a state in the Western United States, located in the Pacific Ocean about from the U.S. mainland. It is the only U.S. state outside North America, the only state that is an archipelago, and the only state ...
signs a bill granting marriage to same-sex couples, making Hawaii the fifteenth such US state. The legislation was approved by the state Senate by a 19–4 vote on 12 November and previously by the House by a 30–19 vote on 8 November. This legislation started to be debated on 28 October 2013.
* November 14: Missouri Governor Jay Nixon
Jeremiah Wilson "Jay" Nixon (born February 13, 1956) is an American lawyer and politician who served as the 55th Governor of Missouri from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, he was first elected to the governorship in 2008 and reel ...
announces an executive order to allow same-sex couples married in other jurisdictions to file joint state income taxes if they file joint federal returns.
* November 20: Governor Pat Quinn from Illinois
Illinois ( ) is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolitan areas include, Peoria and Rockf ...
signs a bill granting marriage to same-sex couples. The legislation was previously approved by the House by a 61–54 vote on 5 November and by the Senate by a 34–21 vote on 14 February.
* December 2: Hawaii's statute authorizing same-sex marriages takes effect.
* December 19: The New Mexico Supreme Court
The New Mexico Supreme Court is the highest court in the U.S. state of New Mexico. It is established and its powers defined by Article VI of the New Mexico Constitution. It is primarily an appellate court which reviews civil and criminal decisio ...
issues a unanimous decision in ''Griego v. Oliver
Same-sex marriage in New Mexico became legally recognized statewide through a ruling of the New Mexico Supreme Court on December 19, 2013, requiring county clerks to issue marriage licenses to all qualified couples regardless of gender. Until t ...
'' that holds that same-sex couples enjoy the same marriage rights as different-sex couples.
* December 20: Judge Robert Shelby of the U.S. District Court for the District of Utah rules in '' Kitchen v. Herbert'' that the Utah state constitution's ban on same-sex marriage denies same-sex couples equal protection
The Equal Protection Clause is part of the first section of the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution. The clause, which took effect in 1868, provides "''nor shall any State ... deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal ...
and due process. The first Utah marriage licenses are issued to same-sex couples.
2014
* January 6: The U.S. Supreme Court stays the District Court's order of December 20, 2013, in '' Kitchen v. Herbert'', halting same-sex marriages in Utah while the decision is appealed.
* January 10: U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder
Eric Himpton Holder Jr. (born January 21, 1951) is an American lawyer who served as the 82nd Attorney General of the United States from 2009 to 2015. Holder, serving in the administration of President Barack Obama, was the first African Amer ...
announces that the federal government recognizes the marriages of same-sex couples who married in Utah between December 20, 2013, and January 6, 2014. Their number is estimated at 1,360.
* January 14: U.S. District Court Judge Terence C. Kern rules in '' Bishop v. Oklahoma'' that Oklahoma's ban on same-sex marriage is unconstitutional. He stays enforcement of his decision based on the Supreme Court's action in ''Kitchen v. Herbert'' on January 6.
*February 8: Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. on Saturday, announced a new Department of Justice policy at the Waldorf Astoria in New York for the Human Rights Campaign's greater New York gala. In the speech he announces that all federal government lawyers are to give same-sex marriages, "full and equal recognition, to the greatest extent possible under the law."
* February 12: U.S. District Court Judge John G. Heyburn rules that Kentucky must recognize same-sex marriages from other jurisdictions. He stays his decision on March 19.
* February 13: U.S. District Court Judge Arenda Wright Allen rules in ''Bostic v. Rainey Bostic is a surname. Notable people with the surname include:
* Caleb Bostic, American football linebacker
*Earl Bostic (1913–1965), American saxophonist
* Jameson Bostic, American boxer
*Jason Bostic, American football defensive back
*Jeff Bost ...
'' that Virginia's ban on same-sex marriage is unconstitutional and stays enforcement of her decision pending appeal.
* February 21: In ''Lee v. Orr'', U.S. District Court Judge Sharon Johnson Coleman rules that Cook County
Cook County is the most populous county in the U.S. state of Illinois and the second-most-populous county in the United States, after Los Angeles County, California. More than 40% of all residents of Illinois live within Cook County. As of 20 ...
can issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples without waiting for the Illinois statute legalizing same-sex marriage to take effect on June 1. Some licenses are issued the same day.
* February 26: In '' De Leon v. Perry'', U.S. District Court Judge Orlando Garcia rules that Texas' ban on same-sex marriage is unconstitutional and stays enforcement of his ruling pending appeal to the Fifth Circuit.
* March 5: An ABC News
ABC News is the news division of the American broadcast network ABC. Its flagship program is the daily evening newscast ''ABC World News Tonight, ABC World News Tonight with David Muir''; other programs include Breakfast television, morning ...
/Washington Post
''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large na ...
poll finds 59% of Americans support same-sex marriage, a record high.
* March 14: U.S. District Court Judge Aleta Trauger
Aleta Arthur Trauger (born December 9, 1945) is a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee.
Education and career
Born in Denver, Colorado, Trauger received a Bachelor of Arts degree fr ...
rules in '' Tanco v. Haslam'' that the state of Tennessee
Tennessee ( , ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked state in the Southeastern region of the United States. Tennessee is the 36th-largest by area and the 15th-most populous of the 50 states. It is bordered by Kentucky to th ...
must recognize the plaintiffs' three same-sex marriages as their case is heard in the . This decision is stayed on April 26 by the Sixth Circuit.
* March 21: In ''DeBoer v. Snyder
''DeBoer v. Snyder'' is a lawsuit that was filed by April DeBoer and Jayne Rowse on January 23, 2012 in federal district court, challenging Michigan's ban on adoption by same-sex couples so they can jointly adopt their children. In August 2012, J ...
'', U.S. District Court Judge Bernard A. Friedman rules that Michigan's ban on same-sex marriage is unconstitutional and does not stay his decision.
* March 22: In Michigan, several hundred same-sex couples obtain marriage licenses and some marry before the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals
The United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit (in case citations, 6th Cir.) is a federal court with appellate jurisdiction over the district courts in the following districts:
* Eastern District of Kentucky
* Western District of K ...
issues a temporary stay of the decision in ''DeBoer v. Snyder'', which it makes permanent pending appeal on March 25.
* March 24: The U.S. division of World Vision
In its most general sense, the term "world" refers to the totality of entities, to the whole of reality or to everything that is. The nature of the world has been conceptualized differently in different fields. Some conceptions see the worl ...
, one of the largest Christian charities in the U.S., modifies its employment eligibility rules to include gays and lesbians in same-sex marriages, while " stinence outside of marriage remains a rule". It reverses that policy on March 26 in response to protests from its donors.
* April 10: U.S. District Court Judge Richard L. Young, in the case of '' Baskin v. Bogan'', orders the state of Indiana
Indiana () is a U.S. state in the Midwestern United States. It is the 38th-largest by area and the 17th-most populous of the 50 States. Its capital and largest city is Indianapolis. Indiana was admitted to the United States as the 19th s ...
to recognize the same-sex marriage of a terminally ill woman.
* April 14: U.S. District Court Judge Timothy Black rules in '' Henry v. Himes'' that Ohio
Ohio () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Of the fifty U.S. states, it is the 34th-largest by area, and with a population of nearly 11.8 million, is the seventh-most populous and tenth-most densely populated. The sta ...
must recognize same-sex marriages from other jurisdictions. On April 16 he stays his ruling pending appeal, except for the birth certificates sought by the plaintiffs for their children.
* May 9: Pulaski County Circuit Judge Chris Piazza strikes down Arkansas
Arkansas ( ) is a landlocked state in the South Central United States. It is bordered by Missouri to the north, Tennessee and Mississippi to the east, Louisiana to the south, and Texas and Oklahoma to the west. Its name is from the O ...
's ban on same-sex marriage. The ruling is stayed on May 16 by the Arkansas Supreme Court
The Supreme Court of Arkansas is the highest court in the state judiciary of Arkansas. It has ultimate and largely discretionary appellate jurisdiction over all state court cases that involve a point of state law, and original jurisdiction o ...
.
* May 10: Kristin Seaton & Jennifer Rambon of Eureka Springs, Arkansas
Eureka Springs is a city in Carroll County, Arkansas, United States, and one of two county seats for the county. It is located in the Ozark Mountains of northwest Arkansas, near the border with Missouri. As of the 2020 census, the city populati ...
are the first same-sex couple to receive a marriage license in the overlapping Southern regions of Dixie
Dixie, also known as Dixieland or Dixie's Land, is a nickname for all or part of the Southern United States. While there is no official definition of this region (and the included areas shift over the years), or the extent of the area it cover ...
and Bible Belt
The Bible Belt is a region of the Southern United States in which socially conservative Protestant Christianity plays a strong role in society and politics, and church attendance across the denominations is generally higher than the nation's a ...
.
* May 13: U.S. District Magistrate Candy Dale strikes down Idaho
Idaho ( ) is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. To the north, it shares a small portion of the Canada–United States border with the province of British Columbia. It borders the states of Montana and Wyomi ...
's ban on same-sex marriage. The ruling is stayed on May 15 by the Ninth Circuit
The United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit (in case citations, 9th Cir.) is the U.S. federal court of appeals that has appellate jurisdiction over the U.S. district courts in the following federal judicial districts:
* District ...
.
* May 19: U.S. District Court Judge Michael McShane strikes down Oregon
Oregon () is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. The Columbia River delineates much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington, while the Snake River delineates much of its eastern boundary with Idaho. T ...
's ban on same-sex marriage.
* May 20: U.S. District Court Judge John Jones strikes down Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...
's ban on same-sex marriage.
* June 6: U.S. District Court Judge Barbara Crabb strikes down Wisconsin
Wisconsin () is a state in the upper Midwestern United States. Wisconsin is the 25th-largest state by total area and the 20th-most populous. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake M ...
's ban on same-sex marriage. The decision is stayed on June 13.
* June 19: The General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church approves a resolution to allow ministers to preside over same-sex marriages in states where the unions are legal and local congregational leaders approve, reversing defeat of a similar measure in 2012. In a separate vote, the assembly approves individual congregational authority to change the definition of marriage from "a man and a woman" to "a union of two people" in their constitution. The amendment requires approval from a majority of the 172 regional presbyteries. They become the third Mainline denomination to do so.
* June 25: U.S. District Court Judge Richard L. Young strikes down Indiana
Indiana () is a U.S. state in the Midwestern United States. It is the 38th-largest by area and the 17th-most populous of the 50 States. Its capital and largest city is Indianapolis. Indiana was admitted to the United States as the 19th s ...
's ban on same-sex marriage. The decision is stayed two days later by the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals
The United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit (in case citations, 7th Cir.) is the U.S. federal court with appellate jurisdiction over the courts in the following districts:
* Central District of Illinois
* Northern District of ...
.
* June 25: Ruling 2–1 in '' Kitchen v. Herbert'', the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals
The United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit (in case citations, 10th Cir.) is a federal court with appellate jurisdiction over the district courts in the following districts:
* District of Colorado
* District of Kansas
* Distric ...
strikes down Utah
Utah ( , ) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. Utah is a landlocked U.S. state bordered to its east by Colorado, to its northeast by Wyoming, to its north by Idaho, to its south by Arizona, and to it ...
's same-sex marriage ban. It is the first appellate court decision to find that marriage is a fundamental right that applies to same-sex couples. The decision is immediately stayed in anticipation of an appeal to the United States 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 ...
.
* June 25: Boulder County, Colorado
Boulder County is a county located in the U.S. state of Colorado of the United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 330,758. The most populous municipality in the county and the county seat is Boulder.
Boulder County comprises ...
, begins issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples, despite a stay of the previous day's ruling.
* July 1: U.S. District Court Judge John G. Heyburn expands his February 12 ruling, striking down Kentucky
Kentucky ( , ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States and one of the states of the Upper South. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north; West Virginia and Virginia ...
's same-sex marriage ban in its entirety. The decision is stayed immediately.
* July 1: The Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals
The United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit (in case citations, 7th Cir.) is the U.S. federal court with appellate jurisdiction over the courts in the following districts:
* Central District of Illinois
* Northern District of ...
orders the state of Indiana
Indiana () is a U.S. state in the Midwestern United States. It is the 38th-largest by area and the 17th-most populous of the 50 States. Its capital and largest city is Indianapolis. Indiana was admitted to the United States as the 19th s ...
to recognize the same-sex marriage of a terminally ill woman.
* July 9: Judge C. Scott Crabtree of Colorado's 17th Judicial District Court strikes down Colorado's same-sex marriage ban. He stays enforcement of his ruling pending appeal.
* July 10: Denver County, Colorado
Denver () is a consolidated city and county, the capital, and most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Its population was 715,522 at the 2020 census, a 19.22% increase since 2010. It is the 19th-most populous city in the Unit ...
begins issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples after a state judge rules that the Boulder County clerk is under no obligation to stop issuing such licenses despite the state's ban on gay marriage.
* July 11: Pueblo County, Colorado
Pueblo County ( or ) is a county located in the U.S. state of Colorado. As of the 2020 census, the population was 168,162. The county seat is Pueblo. The county was named for the historic city of Pueblo which took its name from the Spanish lan ...
, begins issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples.
* July 16: In a unanimous decision, the Connecticut Supreme Court
The Connecticut Supreme Court, formerly known as the Connecticut Supreme Court of Errors, is the highest court in the U.S. state of Connecticut. It consists of a Chief Justice and six Associate Justices. The seven justices sit in Hartford, ac ...
rules that same-sex couples are entitled to some of the legal rights of marriage with respect to events that predate the state's establishment of same-sex civil unions in 2005 and same-sex marriage in 2008.
* July 17: Florida
Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...
Circuit Judge Luis M. Garcia, ruling in ''Huntsman v. Heavilin'', strikes down the state's ban on same-sex marriage with respect to Monroe County. It is stayed the same day when the state files an appeal.
* July 18: Ruling 2–1 in ''Bishop v. United States
Same-sex marriage in Oklahoma has been legal since October 6, 2014, following the resolution of a lawsuit challenging the state's ban on same-sex marriage. On that day, following the U.S. Supreme Court's refusal to review ''Bishop v. Smith'', a ...
'', the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals
The United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit (in case citations, 10th Cir.) is a federal court with appellate jurisdiction over the district courts in the following districts:
* District of Colorado
* District of Kansas
* Distric ...
strikes down Oklahoma's ban on same-sex marriage ban, repeating the arguments it made with respect to Utah on June 25.
* July 18: The Colorado Supreme Court
The Colorado Supreme Court is the highest court in the U.S. state of Colorado. Located in Denver, the Court consists of a Chief Justice and six Associate Justices.
Powers and duties
Appellate jurisdiction
Discretionary appeals
The Court ...
orders the clerk of Denver County to stop issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples.
* July 18: The United States 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 ...
grants a stay of a lower court decision requiring the state of Utah to recognize the validity of same-sex marriages performed there between December 20, 2013, and January 6, 2014.
* July 21: Pueblo County, Colorado
Pueblo County ( or ) is a county located in the U.S. state of Colorado. As of the 2020 census, the population was 168,162. The county seat is Pueblo. The county was named for the historic city of Pueblo which took its name from the Spanish lan ...
, stops issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples.
* July 23: U.S. District Court Judge Raymond P. Moore strikes down Colorado
Colorado (, other variants) is a state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It encompasses most of the Southern Rocky Mountains, as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the wes ...
's same-sex marriage ban. The decision is stayed on August 21.
* July 25: The Colorado Court of Appeals
The Colorado Court of Appeals (Colo. App.) is the intermediate-level appellate court for the state of Colorado. It was initially established by statute in 1891 and was reestablished in its current form in 1970 by the Colorado General Assembly un ...
rules that Boulder County can continue issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples.
* July 25: In '' Pareto v. Ruvin'', Florida
Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...
Circuit Judge Sarah Zabel strikes down the state's ban on same-sex marriage as applied to Miami-Dade County. She puts enforcement of her ruling on hold pending appeal.
* July 28: The Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals
The United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit (in case citations, 4th Cir.) is a federal court located in Richmond, Virginia, with appellate jurisdiction over the district courts in the following districts:
* District of Maryland
...
, ruling 2–1 in ''Bostic v. Schaefer
''Bostic v. Schaefer'' (formerly ''Bostic v. McDonnell'' and ''Bostic v. Rainey'') is a lawsuit filed in federal court in July 2013 that challenged Virginia's refusal to sanction same-sex marriages. The plaintiffs won in U.S. district court in Fe ...
'', strikes down Virginia
Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...
's same-sex marriage ban.
* July 29: The Colorado Supreme Court
The Colorado Supreme Court is the highest court in the U.S. state of Colorado. Located in Denver, the Court consists of a Chief Justice and six Associate Justices.
Powers and duties
Appellate jurisdiction
Discretionary appeals
The Court ...
orders the Boulder County clerk to stop issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples.
* July 31: In a unanimous decision, the Wisconsin Supreme Court
The Wisconsin Supreme Court is the highest appellate court in Wisconsin. The Supreme Court has jurisdiction over original actions, appeals from lower courts, and regulation or administration of the practice of law in Wisconsin.
Location
The Wi ...
rules that a 2009 law allowing same-sex couples to apply for domestic partnerships does not violate the state's Marriage Protection Amendment
The Federal Marriage Amendment (FMA), also referred to by proponents as the Marriage Protection Amendment, was a proposed amendment to the United States Constitution that would legally define marriage as a union of one man and one woman. The FMA ...
.
* August 4: Florida Circuit Judge Dale Cohen strikes down the state's ban on same-sex marriage as applied to Broward County
Broward County ( , ) is a county in the southeastern part of Florida, located in the Miami metropolitan area. It is Florida's second-most populous county after Miami-Dade County and the 17th-most populous in the United States, with over 1.94 m ...
. He puts enforcement of his ruling on hold pending appeal.
* August 20: The United States 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 ...
stays enforcement of the Fourth Circuit's July 28 decision in ''Bostic'' pending appeal.
* August 21: U.S. District Court Judge Robert Lewis Hinkle rules in two cases that Florida's ban on same-sex marriage is unconstitutional and stays his decision pending appeal.
* September 3: U.S. District Court Judge Martin Feldman rules in ''Robicheaux v. Caldwell'' that Louisiana
Louisiana , group=pronunciation (French: ''La Louisiane'') is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It is the 20th-smallest by area and the 25th most populous of the 50 U.S. states. Louisiana is borde ...
's ban on same-sex marriage serves its "legitimate interest ... in linking children to an intact family formed by their two biological parents". It is the first federal court decision find a state's denial of marriage rights to same-sex couples constitutional since the Supreme Court ruling in ''Windsor'' in June 2013.
* September 4: The Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals
The United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit (in case citations, 7th Cir.) is the U.S. federal court with appellate jurisdiction over the courts in the following districts:
* Central District of Illinois
* Northern District of ...
, in a unanimous opinion authored by Judge Richard Posner
Richard Allen Posner (; born January 11, 1939) is an American jurist and legal scholar who served as a federal appellate judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit from 1981 to 2017. A senior lecturer at the University of Chic ...
, upholds the district court decisions in '' Baskin v. Bogan'' and ''Wolf v. Walker
''Wolf v. Walker'' is a federal lawsuit filed in February 2014 that challenged Wisconsin's refusal to grant marriage licenses to same-sex couples, its refusal to recognize same-sex marriages established in other jurisdictions, and related statutes ...
'' that found Indiana's and Wisconsin's denial of marriage rights to same-sex couples unconstitutional. It stays its decision on September 15.
* September 12: U.S. District Court Judge John Sedwick orders 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 ...
to recognize one same-sex marriage on a death certificate while he considers a lawsuit challenging Arizona's ban on same-sex marriage.
* September 22: State Judge Edward D. Rubin rules that Louisiana's ban on same-sex marriage is unconstitutional.
* October 3: State Judge J. Dale Youngs rules that Missouri must recognize same-sex marriages performed in other jurisdictions. The state announces it will not appeal on October 6.
* October 6: The U.S. Supreme Court declines to take action on all the cases it had been asked to consider from appellate courts in the Fourth, Seventh, and Tenth Circuits, allowing the circuit court decisions striking down marriage bans in Indiana, Oklahoma, Utah, Virginia, and Wisconsin to stand. Stays preventing the legalization of same-sex marriage in Indiana and Wisconsin end automatically with the Supreme Court's action.
* October 6: The Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals lifts stays in two cases, ordering Oklahoma and Utah to issue same-sex marriage licenses. The Fourth Circuit does the same for Virginia.
* October 7: Same-sex marriage begins in Colorado
Colorado (, other variants) is a state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It encompasses most of the Southern Rocky Mountains, as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the wes ...
after Attorney General John Suthers
John William Suthers (born October 18, 1951) is an American attorney and politician serving as the Mayor of Colorado Springs, Colorado. He previously served as the Attorney General of Colorado, U.S. Attorney for Colorado, Executive Director of th ...
orders all counties in the state to issue same-sex marriage licenses.
* October 7: The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals
The United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit (in case citations, 9th Cir.) is the U.S. federal court of appeals that has appellate jurisdiction over the U.S. district courts in the following federal judicial districts:
* District ...
strikes down same-sex marriage bans in Idaho in ''Latta v. Otter
''Latta v. Otter'' is a case initiated in 2013 in U.S. federal court by plaintiffs seeking to prevent the state of Idaho from enforcing its ban on same-sex marriage. The plaintiffs won in U.S. District Court. The case was appealed to the Ninth Cir ...
'' and Nevada in '' Sevcik v. Sandoval ''. Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy suspends implementation of the decision in Idaho the next day.
* October 9: Nevada recognizes same-sex marriage following a court order resulting from the Ninth Circuit's ruling in ''Sevcik'' on October 7. Following the U.S. Supreme Court's refusal to consider ''Bostic'' on October 6, West Virginia recognizes same-sex marriage when state officials concede their ban is unconstitutional based on Fourth Circuit's ruling in that case.
* October 10: U.S. Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy denies a motion to stay sought by Idaho officials who hoped to prevent implementation of the Ninth Circuit's October 7 ruling in ''Latta''.
* October 10: U.S. District Judge Max O. Cogburn, Jr., ruling in '' General Synod of the United Church of Christ v. Cooper'', strikes down North Carolina's ban on same-sex marriage.
* October 12: U.S. District Judge Timothy Burgess rules in ''Hamby v. Parnell'' that Alaska
Alaska ( ; russian: Аляска, Alyaska; ale, Alax̂sxax̂; ; ems, Alas'kaaq; Yup'ik: ''Alaskaq''; tli, Anáaski) is a state located in the Western United States on the northwest extremity of North America. A semi-exclave of the U.S. ...
's ban on same-sex marriage is unconstitutional, immediately legalizing same-sex marriage there.
* October 15: Same-sex marriage becomes legal in Idaho
Idaho ( ) is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. To the north, it shares a small portion of the Canada–United States border with the province of British Columbia. It borders the states of Montana and Wyomi ...
with the lifting of the stay in ''Latta v. Otter
''Latta v. Otter'' is a case initiated in 2013 in U.S. federal court by plaintiffs seeking to prevent the state of Idaho from enforcing its ban on same-sex marriage. The plaintiffs won in U.S. District Court. The case was appealed to the Ninth Cir ...
''.
* October 17: U.S. District Judge John Sedwick rules that 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 ...
's ban on same-sex marriage is unconstitutional in ''Connolly v. Jeanes''. The state orders its agencies to comply immediately.
* October 17: U.S. District Judge Scott Skavdahl rules in '' Guzzo v. Mead'' that Wyoming
Wyoming () is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is bordered by Montana to the north and northwest, South Dakota and Nebraska to the east, Idaho to the west, Utah to the southwest, and Colorado to the s ...
's ban on same-sex marriage is unconstitutional, but issues a temporary stay.
* October 21: Same-sex marriage becomes legal in Wyoming, when state officials notify the U.S. district court that they will not appeal the previous week's ruling.
* October 21: U.S. District Judge Juan Manuel Perez-Gimenez upholds Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico (; abbreviated PR; tnq, Boriken, ''Borinquen''), officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico ( es, link=yes, Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico, lit=Free Associated State of Puerto Rico), is a Caribbean island and unincorporated ...
's ban on same-sex marriage, concluding that '' Baker v. Nelson'' is binding on federal courts.
* November 4: U.S. District Judge Daniel D. Crabtree rules in '' Marie v. Moser'' that Kansas
Kansas () is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its capital is Topeka, and its largest city is Wichita. Kansas is a landlocked state bordered by Nebraska to the north; Missouri to the east; Oklahoma to the south; and Colorado to th ...
's ban on same-sex marriage is unconstitutional. His decision takes effect on November 12 when the state defendants exhaust their options for obtaining a stay pending appeal.
* November 5: St. Louis Circuit Judge Rex Burlison rules that Missouri
Missouri is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking 21st in land area, it is bordered by eight states (tied for the most with Tennessee): Iowa to the north, Illinois, Kentucky and Tennessee to the east, Arkansas t ...
's ban on same-sex marriage is unconstitutional and that the city of St. Louis
St. Louis () is the second-largest city in Missouri, United States. It sits near the confluence of the Mississippi and the Missouri Rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a population of 301,578, while the bi-state metropolitan area, which e ...
can not enforce the ban. City officials announce intentions to grant same-sex marriage licenses immediately.
* November 6: The Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals
The United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit (in case citations, 6th Cir.) is a federal court with appellate jurisdiction over the district courts in the following districts:
* Eastern District of Kentucky
* Western District of K ...
in a 2–1 ruling upholds same-sex marriage bans in Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, and Tennessee.
* November 7: U.S. District Judge Ortrie Smith rules in '' Lawson v. Kelly'' that Missouri
Missouri is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking 21st in land area, it is bordered by eight states (tied for the most with Tennessee): Iowa to the north, Illinois, Kentucky and Tennessee to the east, Arkansas t ...
's ban on same-sex marriage is unconstitutional, staying his order pending appeal.
* November 12: U.S. District Judge Richard Gergel rules in '' Condon v. Haley'' that South Carolina
)'' Animis opibusque parati'' ( for, , Latin, Prepared in mind and resources, links=no)
, anthem = " Carolina";" South Carolina On My Mind"
, Former = Province of South Carolina
, seat = Columbia
, LargestCity = Charleston
, LargestMetro = ...
's ban on same-sex marriage is unconstitutional. His decision takes effect on November 20.
* November 19: U.S. District Judge Brian Morris rules in '' Rolando v. Fox'' that Montana
Montana () is a state in the Mountain West division of the Western United States. It is bordered by Idaho to the west, North Dakota and South Dakota to the east, Wyoming to the south, and the Canadian provinces of Alberta, British Columb ...
's ban on same-sex marriage is unconstitutional. The decision takes effect immediately.
* November 25: U.S. District Judge Kristine Baker rules in '' Jernigan v. Crane'' that Arkansas
Arkansas ( ) is a landlocked state in the South Central United States. It is bordered by Missouri to the north, Tennessee and Mississippi to the east, Louisiana to the south, and Texas and Oklahoma to the west. Its name is from the O ...
's ban on same-sex marriage is unconstitutional. The decision is stayed pending appeal.
* November 25: U.S. District Judge Carlton W. Reeves rules in '' Campaign for Southern Equality v. Bryant'' that Mississippi
Mississippi () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States, bordered to the north by Tennessee; to the east by Alabama; to the south by the Gulf of Mexico; to the southwest by Louisiana; and to the northwest by Arkansas. Miss ...
's ban on same-sex marriage is unconstitutional. The Fifth Circuit stays his ruling on December 4.
2015
* January 5: Miami-Dade County, Florida
Miami-Dade County is a county located in the southeastern part of the U.S. state of Florida. The county had a population of 2,701,767 as of the 2020 census, making it the most populous county in Florida and the seventh-most populous county in ...
, Circuit Court Judge Sarah Zabel allows her decision that held Florida's ban on same-sex marriage unconstitutional to take effect. Same-sex couples in Miami-Dade County obtain marriage licenses beginning mid-day.
* January 6: A stay issued months earlier in the case of '' Brenner v. Scott'' expires and same-sex marriage becomes legal throughout Florida
Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...
.
* January 12: U.S. District Judge Karen Schreier
Karen Elizabeth Schreier (born July 29, 1956) is a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the District of South Dakota and was the 36th United States Attorney for the District of South Dakota.
Early life and educa ...
rules in ''Rosenbrahn v. Daugaard'' that South Dakota
South Dakota (; Sioux: , ) is a U.S. state in the North Central region of the United States. It is also part of the Great Plains. South Dakota is named after the Lakota and Dakota Sioux Native American tribes, who comprise a large porti ...
's ban on same-sex marriage is unconstitutional. She stays her decision pending appeal.
* January 15: U.S. District Judge Mark A. Goldsmith rules in '' Caspar v. Snyder'' that Michigan must recognize the validity of more than 300 marriages of same-sex couples married the previous March in the time between a district court found the state's ban on same-sex marriage unconstitutional and the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals stayed that ruling. He stays implementation of his ruling for 21 days. Governor Rick Snyder
Richard Dale Snyder (born August 19, 1958) is an American business executive, venture capitalist, attorney, accountant, and politician who served as the 48th governor of Michigan from 2011 to 2019. A member of the Republican Party, Snyder previo ...
announces on February 4 that the state will recognize those marriages and not appeal the decision.
* January 16: The U.S. Supreme Court agrees to consider four cases on appeal from the Sixth Circuit, consolidating them as one and setting a briefing schedule to be completed April 17.
*January 23: U.S. District Judge Callie V.S. Granade rules in '' Searcy v. Strange'' that Alabama
(We dare defend our rights)
, anthem = "Alabama"
, image_map = Alabama in United States.svg
, seat = Montgomery
, LargestCity = Huntsville
, LargestCounty = Baldwin County
, LargestMetro = Greater Birmingham
, area_total_km2 = 135,765 ...
's ban on same-sex marriage is unconstitutional. Two days later she stays her injunction until February 9. She issues a similar ruling and stay in '' Strawser v. Strange'' four days later.
*February 9: With the lifting of stays in two federal court decisions, same-sex marriage becomes legal in Alabama and same-sex couples obtain marriage licenses. Some county judges have continued to enforce the pre-existing ban by not granting licenses to same-sex couples, while some other counties have stopped issuing marriage licenses altogether.
*February 17: A state judge in Travis County, Texas
Travis County is located in south central Texas. As of the 2020 census, the population was 1,290,188. It is the fifth-most populous county in Texas. Its county seat is Austin, the capital of Texas. The county was established in 1840 and is n ...
, rules that Texas' ban on same-sex marriage is unconstitutional and recognizes the common law marriage of two women. Two days later, another state judge orders the Travis County clerk to issue a marriage license to two women, one of whom is seriously ill. They wed before the Texas Supreme Court stays the judge's order.
*February 19: A CNN
CNN (Cable News Network) is a multinational cable news channel headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. Founded in 1980 by American media proprietor Ted Turner and Reese Schonfeld as a 24-hour cable news channel, and presently owned by ...
poll finds 63% of Americans believe gays and lesbians have a constitutional right to marry, up from 49% in August 2010.
*March 2: U.S. District Judge Joseph Bataillon
Joseph Francis Bataillon (born October 3, 1949) is a senior United States district judge of the United States District Court for the District of Nebraska.
Education and career
Born in Omaha, Nebraska, Bataillon received a Bachelor of Arts deg ...
, who in 2005 had ruled Nebraska's constitutional ban on same-sex marriage unconstitutional only to have his decision overturned, strikes down Nebraska
Nebraska () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by South Dakota to the north; Iowa to the east and Missouri to the southeast, both across the Missouri River; Kansas to the south; Colorado to the sout ...
's ban on same-sex marriage. He orders state officials to cease enforcing that ban as of March 9. The decision is stayed by the Eighth Circuit
The United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit (in case citations, 8th Cir.) is a United States federal court with appellate jurisdiction over the following United States district courts:
* Eastern District of Arkansas
* Western Distr ...
on March 5.
*March 3: The Alabama Supreme Court orders all counties in the state to stop issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples.
*March 17: A majority of the 171 regional bodies of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)
The Presbyterian Church (USA), abbreviated PC(USA), is a mainline Protestant denomination in the United States. It is the largest Presbyterian denomination in the US, and known for its liberal stance on doctrine and its ordaining of women and ...
votes to modify their constitution to include same-sex marriage in their definition of marriage.
*March 20: Puerto Rico officials announce that they will no longer defend the Commonwealth's ban on same-sex marriage in court and ask the First Circuit Court of Appeals to reverse the lower court's ruling in '' Conde-Vidal v. Garcia-Padilla''.
*April 28: The U.S. Supreme Court hears oral argument in ''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 ...
'' and related cases.
*May 21: U.S. District Judge Callie V.S. Granade rules that all probate judges in the state of Alabama
(We dare defend our rights)
, anthem = "Alabama"
, image_map = Alabama in United States.svg
, seat = Montgomery
, LargestCity = Huntsville
, LargestCounty = Baldwin County
, LargestMetro = Greater Birmingham
, area_total_km2 = 135,765 ...
must grant same-sex marriage licenses. She stays her ruling pending a Supreme Court decision.
*June 5: Chief Judge Frances Tydingco-Gatewood of the U.S. territory
In the United States, a territory is any extent of region under the sovereign jurisdiction of the federal government of the United States, including all waters (around islands or continental tracts). The United States asserts sovereign rights for ...
of Guam
Guam (; ch, Guåhan ) is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States in the Micronesia subregion of the western Pacific Ocean. It is the westernmost point and territory of the United States (reckoned from the geographic cent ...
strikes down its ban on same-sex marriage in ''Aguero v. Calvo''. The decision takes effect on June 8.
*June 9: Pulaski County Circuit Judge Wendell Griffen rules that over 500 same-sex marriages performed in Arkansas in May 2014 are valid.
*June 26: The United States 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 ...
rules in ''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 ...
'' that because the fundamental right to marry extends to same-sex couples, same-sex marriage bans are unconstitutional under the Fourteenth Amendment. The decision renders same-sex marriage legal throughout the entire United States.
*July 1: The Episcopal Church, by overwhelming votes at its General Convention, removes gender-specific language from church laws on marriage to allow for religious wedding services for same-sex couples. It is the fourth mainline denomination to allow for such liturgies.
*December 16: A Massachusetts Superior Court judge rules in '' Barrett v. Fontbonne Academy'' that the Roman Catholic school violated the state's laws against discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender in withdrawing a job offer from a man when it learned he was in a same-sex marriage.
2016
*January 5: The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is an agency of the United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) that administers the country's naturalization and immigration system. It is a successor to the Immigration and Naturalizati ...
approves the immigrant visa petition filed in 1975 by Richard Adams (1947–2012) on behalf of his husband, an Australian citizen, having recognized the validity of their marriage that was the subject of '' Adams v. Howerton'' (1982). His husband Anthony Sullivan receives his green card in April 2016.
*January 6: Alabama Supreme Court Chief Justice Roy Moore
Roy Stewart Moore (born February 11, 1947) is an American politician, lawyer, and jurist who served as the 27th and 31st chief justice of the Supreme Court of Alabama from 2001 to 2003 and again from 2013 to 2017, each time being removed fr ...
orders the state's probate judges not to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples.
*January 14: The Anglican Communion
The Anglican Communion is the third largest Christian communion after the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox churches. Founded in 1867 in London, the communion has more than 85 million members within the Church of England and other ...
, an international organization, censures its US branch, the Episcopal Church USA because of its support for same-sex marriage, and suspends it from participating in the organization's decisions "on any issues pertaining to doctrine or polity".
*March 8: U.S. District Court Judge Juan Perez-Gimenez, ordered by the First Circuit Court of Appeals to reconsider his October 2014 ruling that found Puerto Rico's ban on same-sex marriage constitutional, rules that the US Supreme Court decision in ''Obergefell'' does not apply to Puerto Rico because constitutional guarantees do not apply in an unincorporated territory
Territories of the United States are sub-national administrative divisions overseen by the federal government of the United States. The various American territories differ from the U.S. states and tribal reservations as they are not sove ...
.
*April 6: The First Circuit Court of Appeals overrules Judge Perez-Gimenez Puerto Rico decision saying it "errs in so many respects that it is hard to know where to begin". It returns the case to the District Court to be assigned to a different judge. On April 7 Judge Gustavo Gelpi rules Puerto Rico's ban on same-sex marriage unconstitutional.
*May 6: Alabama Chief Justice Roy Moore
Roy Stewart Moore (born February 11, 1947) is an American politician, lawyer, and jurist who served as the 27th and 31st chief justice of the Supreme Court of Alabama from 2001 to 2003 and again from 2013 to 2017, each time being removed fr ...
is suspended when a judicial oversight group files a complaint that his ordering probate judges on January 6 not to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples "flagrantly disregarded and abused his authority".
*June 7: U.S. District Judge Callie V.S. Granade issues a permanent injunction against the enforcement of Alabama's laws against same-sex marriage.
*July 1: Judge Carlton Reeves
Carlton Wayne Reeves (born April 11, 1964) is a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Mississippi. He is the chairman as well as a member of the United States Sentencing Commission.
Early ...
extends his earlier decision and prevents a Mississippi law allowing court clerks to refuse marriage licenses to same-sex couples based on their religious beliefs from taking effect.
* July 17: The Republican National Convention approves a platform that condemns ''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 ...
'' and calls for its reversal "through judicial reconsideration or a constitutional amendment returning control over marriage to the states". It asserts the "legitimate constitutional authority to define marriage as the union of one man and one woman" and calls for "the appointment of justices and judges who ... respect the authority of the states to decide such fundamental social questions. It opposes "government discrimination against businesses or entities which decline to sell items or services to individuals for activities that go against their religious views about such activities."
* July 25: The Democratic National Convention adopts a platform that says "Democrats applaud last year's decision by the Supreme Court that recognized that LGBT people–like other Americans–have the right to marry the person they love."
* August 1: In his official residence
An official residence is the residence of a head of state, head of government, governor, religious leader, leaders of international organizations, or other senior figure. It may be the same place where they conduct their work-related functions. ...
, Vice President Joe Biden, a Catholic, officiates at the wedding of two male members of the White House staff. Four days later, three leading Roman Catholic bishops, without naming Biden, call it "a counter witness" to Catholic teaching.
* December 9: The attorney general of the Cherokee Nation rules that the tribe recognizes same-sex marriage.
2017
* March 20: A referendum on whether same-sex marriages should be performed in the Osage Nation in Oklahoma is passed, with 770 voting for same-sex marriage and 700 voting against. The law takes effect immediately.
* March 22: The Minnesota-based 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 th ...
which forms a part of the Mdewakanton Dakota
The Mdewakanton or Mdewakantonwan (also spelled ''Mdewákhaŋthuŋwaŋ'' and currently pronounced ''Bdewákhaŋthuŋwaŋ'') are one of the sub-tribes of the Isanti (Santee) Dakota ( Sioux). Their historic home is Mille Lacs Lake (Dakota: ''Mde W ...
legalizes same-sex marriage by changing its Domestic Relations Code. Section 1, Chapter 3c of the Code now states that "two persons of the same or opposite gender may marry." A previous version had explicitly banned same-sex marriages.
* June 5: the Legislature of the Ho-Chunk Nation of Wisconsin
The Ho-Chunk Nation (Ho-Chunk language: ) is a federally recognized tribe of the Ho-Chunk with traditional territory across five states in the United States: Wisconsin, Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, and Missouri. The other federally recognized trib ...
approves a bill to legalize same-sex marriage, in a 13–0 vote.
* October 25: the Ak-Chin Indian Community Court of the Ak-Chin Indian Community
The Ak Chin Indian Community of the Maricopa (Ak-Chin) Indian Reservation (O'odham language: ʼAkĭ Ciñ O'odham) is a federally recognized tribe and Native American community located in the Santa Cruz Valley in Pinal County, Arizona, ruled that the law banning same-sex marriage is in violation with the tribe's constitution and the Indian Civil Rights Act of 1968. The tribe's chairman announced that the government will not appeal the ruling.
2018
* October 2: the State Department, under Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, reverses a 2009 policy instituted under former Secretary Hillary Clinton which allowed family visas to unmarried same-sex partners of diplomats posted in the United States, even if the countries represented by the diplomats have only legalized same-sex civil partnerships but not same-sex marriage. Under the new policy, same-sex partners have to obtain marriages to their diplomat partners within three months or else lose their family visas. The Department states that the new policy seeks to "ensure and promote equal treatment" for both same- and opposite-sex couples by the Department.
2019
* February 26: The United Methodist Church rejects a proposal to ease its restrictions on same-sex marriage.
2022
* June 24: The Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade; Justice Thomas writes that the court “should reconsider all of this Court’s substantive due process precedents, including ''Griswold'', ''Lawrence'', and ''Obergefell''”.
* December 8: To prevent the loss of the right to same-sex marriage, the United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...
passed the Respect for Marriage Act
The Respect for Marriage Act (RFMA; ) is a landmark United States federal law passed by the 117th United States Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden. It repeals the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), requires the U.S. federal gover ...
which would nullify DOMA and protect both same-sex and interracial marriages. In July 2022, the bill passed 267–157, with 47 Republican representatives joining the Democrats. In December 2022, the United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States.
The composition and pow ...
passed the bill 61–36, and the House again voted 258–169 to pass it.
* December 13: President Biden signs the Respect for Marriage Act into law at the White House.
See also
* Public opinion of same-sex marriage in the United States
Public opinion of same-sex marriage in the United States has changed dramatically since the late 1980s, and by the early 2020s an overwhelming majority of Americans approved of the legality of these marriages.
A December 2022 ''Quinnipiac Unive ...
* Same-sex marriage in the United States
* History of same-sex marriage in the United States In the United States, the history of same-sex marriage dates from the early 1940s, when the first lawsuits seeking legal recognition of same-sex relationships brought the question of civil marriage rights and benefits for same-sex couples to public ...
* Same-sex marriage legislation in the United States
* Same-sex marriage under United States tribal jurisdictions
The Supreme Court decision in '' Obergefell v. Hodges'' that legalized same-sex marriage in the states and most territories did not legalize same-sex marriage on Indian reservations. In the United States, Congress (not the federal courts) has l ...
* Same-sex union legislation
Same-sex marriage is legal in the following countries: Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Denmark, Ecuador, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Luxembourg, Malta, Mexico, the Nether ...
* Status of same-sex marriage
The legal status of same-sex marriage has changed in recent years in numerous jurisdictions around the world. The current trends and consensus of political authorities and religions throughout the world are summarized in this article.
Civi ...
* Timeline of same-sex marriage
This article contains a timeline of significant events regarding same-sex marriage and legal recognition of same-sex couples worldwide. It begins with the history of same-sex unions during ancient times, which consisted of unions ranging from i ...
* Timeline of LGBT history
A timeline is a display of a list of events in chronological order. It is typically a graphic design showing a long bar labelled with dates paralleling it, and usually contemporaneous events.
Timelines can use any suitable scale represent ...
References
External links
50-State Rundown on Gay Marriage
''Pew Research Center, November 3, 2004.''
Infographic: A Turning Point for Gay Marriage?
''Pew Research Center, May 4, 2012.''
Timeline: Gay marriage
''Los Angeles Times, July 2, 2012.''
{{DEFAULTSORT:Timeline Of Same-Sex Marriage in the United States
Same-sex marriage
Same-sex marriage, also known as gay marriage, is the marriage of two people of the same sex or gender. marriage between same-sex couples is legally performed and recognized in 33 countries, with the most recent being Mexico, constituting ...
Same-sex marriage
Same-sex marriage, also known as gay marriage, is the marriage of two people of the same sex or gender. marriage between same-sex couples is legally performed and recognized in 33 countries, with the most recent being Mexico, constituting ...
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 ...
Same-sex marriage
Same-sex marriage, also known as gay marriage, is the marriage of two people of the same sex or gender. marriage between same-sex couples is legally performed and recognized in 33 countries, with the most recent being Mexico, constituting ...
Same-sex marriage in the United States