Same-sex marriage in the United States

Same-sex marriage is recognized in all of the United States. As of May 2014, same-sex marriage was legal in 19 states: California, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont and Washington. It was also legal in Washington, D.C.. On June 26, 2015, the United States Supreme Court ruled that same-sex marriage is legal in all states, because of the 14th Amendment.

The movement to give marriage rights and benefits to homosexual couples in the United States began in the 1970s. It grew in United States politics around 1993 when the Supreme Court of Hawaii declared the prohibition in that state to be unconstitutional. It was not until around the 21st century that public support for same-sex marriage began growing. On May 9, 2012, Barack Obama was the first President to declare public support for the legalization of same-sex marriage. On June 26, 2015 the Supreme Court of the United States ruled that Section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act is unconstitutional (see United States v. Windsor). That section prevented the federal government from recognizing marriages other than marriages between one man and one woman.

On December 13, 2022, the Respect for Marriage Act became law. It was passed by Congress and signed by President Joe Biden. This act says that same-sex marriage must be legal everywhere in the United States. Even if the Supreme Court were to reverse its decision, same-sex marriage would still be protected.

References

Category:American LGBT rights law
Category:United States federal legislation
Category:Same-sex marriage