In a landmark decision, the nine justices of the US Supreme Court governed that the US Constitution guarantees marriage as a right for all, including gay and lesbian couples. And when the US Supreme Court rules on an interpretation of the US Constitution, that decision is final.
Although the Supreme Court was divided on the issue, this decision is just as legally binding as a unanimous one. In the case of Obergefell v. Hodges (and three akin cases) the court create that the US Constitution guarantees a right to same-sex marriage. This means that all 50 states will have to enable same-sex marriage, and recognise same-sex marriages entered into in other states. The decision will also overturn the ban on gay marriages in 13 states across the US.
Writing for the court, Justice Kennedy said gay and lesbian couples have a fundamental right to marry: “no union is more profound than marriage, for it embodies the top ideals of love, fidelity, devotion, sacrifice, and family,” he wrote. “In forming a marital union, two people become something greater than once they were.”
While acknowledging that individuals may have differing views as to whether same sex marriage is appropriate
Date Same Sex Marriage Legalized By State
All 50 states in the United States have legalized same-sex marriage. Below are the dates when each state did so. On June 26, , the Supreme Court ruled that same-sex marriage is a right guaranteed by the Constitution, thus making same-sex marriage legal in the 13 states that have not legalized same-sex marriage up to that point.
By Date
Rank
State Name
Date Similar Sex Marriage Legalized
1
Massachusetts
May 17,
2
Connecticut
November 12,
3
Iowa
April 24,
4
Vermont
September 1,
5
New Hampshire
January 1,
6
New York
July 24,
7
Washington
December 9,
8
Maine
December 29,
9
Maryland
January 1,
10
California
June 28,
11
Delaware
July 1,
T
Minnesota
August 1,
T
Rhode Island
August 1,
14
New Jersey
October 21,
15
Hawaii
December 2,
16
New Mexico
December 19,
17
Oregon
May 19,
18
Pennsylvania
May 20,
19
Illinois
June 1,
T
Indiana
October 6,
T
Oklahoma
October 6,
T
Utah
October 6,
T
Virginia
October 6,
T
Wisconsin
October 6,
25
Col
Same-sex marriage is made legal nationwide with Obergefell v. Hodges decision
June 26, marks a major milestone for civil rights in the United States, as the Supreme Court announces its decision in Obergefell v. Hodges. By one vote, the court rules that same-sex marriage cannot be banned in the Merged States and that all same-sex marriages must be recognized nationwide, finally granting same-sex couples equal rights to heterosexual couples under the law.
In , just two years after the Stonewall Riots that unofficially marked the beginning of the struggle for male lover rights and marriage equality, the Minnesota Supreme Court had found same-sex marriage bans constitutional, a precedent which the Supreme Court had never challenged. As homosexuality gradually became more accepted in American tradition, the conservative backlash was strong enough to compel President Bill Clinton to sign the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), prohibiting the recognition of queer marriages at the federal level, into law in
Over the next decade, many states banned gay marriage, while Vermont instituted same-sex civil unions in and Massachusetts became the first state to legalize same-sex marriage in
The Journey to Marriage Equality in the Joined States
The road to nationwide marriage equality was a long one, spanning decades of United States history and culminating in victory in June Throughout the long fight for marriage equality, HRC was at the forefront.
Volunteer with HRC
From gathering supporters in small towns across the country to rallying in front of the Supreme Court of the Combined States, we gave our all to ensure every person, regardless of whom they love, is acknowledged equally under the law.
A Growing Call for Equality
Efforts to legalize same-sex marriage began to pop up across the country in the s, and with it challenges on the state and national levels. Civil unions for lgbtq+ couples existed in many states but created a separate but equal usual. At the federal level, couples were denied access to more than 1, federal rights and responsibilities associated with the institution, as well as those denied by their given state. The Defense of Marriage Act was signed into law in and defined marriage by the federal government as between a man and female, thereby allowing states to deny marriage equality.