Marriage entails many rights and benefits.
Some states have additional prohibitions.
Although no state yet recognizes same-sex marriages, change is on the horizon. In December 1999, the Vermont Supreme Court ordered that state's legislature to either grant marriage licenses to same-sex couples or create new legislation giving them the equivalent rights of all laws that benefit married heterosexual couples. Notably, because the decision is based on the Vermont Constitution and not state law, it cannot be appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court. Thus, one way or the other, the legislature is obligated to provide Vermont Constitutional benefits to same-sex couples, and this law will likely stand for some time to come. Advocates of same-sex marriage regard this landmark decision as a milestone in the effort to achieve equal recognition under the law for all Americans.