where was same sex marriage first legalized in us
This timeline highlights the changes in state policies leading up to that ruling, starting in 1995 â when Utah became the first state to enact a Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA). Massachusetts became the first state to legalize same-sex marriage following a ruling by the stateâs highest court in 2003. Drag the pointer or click on the timeline above the map to explore all 50 statesâ changes over time.
The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court rules that the state constitution gives gay and lesbian couples the right to marry, making the Bay State the first in the nation to allow same-sex marriage. Weddings begin in 2004.