Is Gay Marriage Legal in All 50 States?
Same-sex marriage has been a topic of discussion for many years, and as of 2023, gay marriage is legal in over 33 countries worldwide. In addition, the United States Supreme Court ruled in 2015 that same-sex marriage is legal. All four justices who voted against the ruling wrote dissenting opinions during the voting: Chief Justice John Roberts and Justices Antonin Scalia, Clarence Thomas, and Samuel Alito. “They ask for equal dignity in the eyes of the law,” Kennedy wrote of same-sex couples in the case. Meanwhile, Hilary Clinton reacted on social media, tweeting the word “proud,” and the White House changed its Twitter avatar to the rainbow colors, a significant milestone for same-sex marriage.
Much has been achieved regarding Protests of Civil Unions for same-sex couples and marriage equality. Gay rights are growing faster than ever, but we haven’t reached the point we want.
Did every state make gay marriage legal in 2015
No, some states in the United States approved same-sex marriage way before the bill passed in June 2015. For example, according to Pew Research, Massachusetts became the first state to legalize same-sex partnerships in 2003 after its Supreme Judicial Court ruled that such unions were protected under the state’s constitution.
Massachusetts and Connecticut
Massachusetts and Connecticut also legalized same-sex unions in 2008, while California temporarily halted the process. According to Pew Research, homosexual marriage became legal in all 50 states and the District of Columbia in 2009. As a result, new states, Iowa, New Hampshire, and Vermont, were created.
Before the Obergefell decision in 2015, same-sex marriage had advanced in the United States significantly. In an increasing number of states, legislation legalizing it or Court rulings lifting restrictions.
The difficulty that same-sex couples are still facing
NBC News claims that during the following years of failed attempts under Republican control, Virginia’s newly empowered Democrats finally passed bills repealing two outdated state laws that prohibited same-sex marriage. Sen. Adam Ebbin, the first openly gay lawmaker in the state’s General Assembly, introduced the bill, one of four pro-LGBTQ measures passed in the state this month.
Despite the United States Supreme Court’s landmark 2015 ruling in Obergefell v. Hodges, making same-sex marriage the law of the land, most states still have outdated laws on their books, like the ones Virginia just repealed.
Indiana is one of those states, though an attempt to remove its gay marriage ban was unsuccessful last month in the Republican-controlled state Legislature. GOP opposition to its removal derailed legislation seeking
to raise the legal age to marry in the state from 15 to 18. An amendment had been added to the age-limit bill that sought to scrap the state’s 1997 law declaring: “Only a female may marry a male. Likewise, only a male may marry a female.”
Nearly eight years after the Supreme Court had its say on the issue, same-sex marriage remains a politically contentious issue, and LGBTQ advocates continue to battle in courtrooms and statehouses to ensure gay couples can exercise their right to marry.
What about South Dakota?
South Dakota disagreed with same-sex marriage. In a poll conducted by Forum Communication in collaboration with the University of North Dakota, 48% of South Dakota citizens opposed same-sex marriage. Luckily, the state has been adopting new ways of life over the years, slowly decreasing this percentage.
Some statistics about same-sex marriage
As of 2023, 33 countries, including the United States, Canada, and several European and South American nations, will have made homosexual marriage legal. In 2015, the Supreme Court of the United States approved same-sex unions. Yet, according to research from the Williams Institute at UCLA, only 17% of same-sex couples in the United States are genuinely married. Sixty-seven percent of American adults believe that homosexual marriage should be legal, according to a 2020 Gallup research.
Expert Opinions
Most relationship experts believe that the dynamics of homosexual marriage are similar to those of heterosexual marriage. Most of the discrepancies are due to cultural prejudice and the fact that certain countries do not officially recognize homosexual weddings. Many experts fear that same-sex couples may suffer harder because they lack supportive peers and strong role models. They are aware of the difficulties encountered by same-sex couples, but they also see the benefits of such unions. According to the research, same-sex couples had the same likelihood of having a successful marriage as heterosexual couples.
The importance of religious freedom and sexual orientation
The United States must uphold fundamental human rights, like practicing one’s religion as one sees fit. It must regulate the freedom to be open and honest about one’s sexual orientation must be upheld. A person’s romantic or sexual inclination toward a specific gender is referred to as their sexual orientation. In contrast, the freedom to exercise one’s religion is considered religious liberty. However, the freedom to exercise one’s faith is different.
In the same way, a person’s religious convictions play a significant role in who they are, and so should their sexual orientation. However, none of these standards should ever be used to excuse bias or exclusion. On the contrary, understanding and valuing the wide range of cultural conceptions and sexual orientations is essential if we create a society that is more accepting and equal to all people.
Same-sex marriage bans stand in the way of the definition of marriage, and valid marriages should not be punished in federal courts. The United States has come a long way to make same-sex marriage legal, but in many countries, same-sex marriages are not yet legal marriages. While the Supreme Court and Civil Unions fought hard for the rights in the United States, there are still countries where it is impossible to get marriage recognition for opposite-sex couples.
West Virginia is a state located in the United States where the issue of gay rights and same-sex marriage has been a contentious topic. Hillary Clinton, a former Secretary of State and Presidential candidate, has been a vocal advocate for the rights of lesbian couples and same-sex relationships. Despite her efforts, the state of West Virginia, like South Dakota, has encountered issues regarding same-sex marriage recognition, and the matter has been taken to Court. The Supreme Court has heard several cases related to the legal recognition of same-sex unions and legal marriages. The Court’s decision has the potential to significantly impact the issue of gay rights at the federal level. The Supreme Court’s ruling could also have implications for the validity of marriages between persons of the same sex and the effects of marriage on lesbian couples and same-sex relationships. Despite the ongoing debate, many advocates for gay rights and same-sex marriage argue that a purported marriage between two people of the same sex should be treated as a valid marriage, with all the same rights and benefits as any other marriage.
