The Long Fight to Legalize Gay Marriage
In 2022, Americans that live in a country where gay people and their love are equal to straight couples in the eyes of the law. Two decades ago, the legalization of gay marriage was viewed as a dream, but the LGBT community and its straight allies labor tirelessly, almost fruitlessly, to finally see the day that gay marriage was legalized in 2015.
Despite what anti-gay critics say about the legalization of gay marriage, people deserve to be treated like human beings. Their love is not rooted in sin and the legalization of gay marriage is not a signal for the downfall of Western Society.
While current and future generations will not have to fight for the legalization of gay marriage, no one should never forget how difficult it was to reach this point. We should also never forget that all the people stood up for what they believed in, even as they were beaten by police and put on trial by the law of the state.
So, let's learn all about the decades-long fight to legalize gay marriage, how the legalization of gay marriage improved the LGBT community, and what opponents are still saying about gay marriage.
Who were the original advocates that fought for marriage equality?
The fifties and the sixties were a time of great social change in the United States. Many LGBT issues first formed in the 1960s. Several major events that are important to the gay community happened during this decade as well, including Stonewall.
Over, the fight for marriage equality officially began on May 18th, 1970, when two men in Minnesota, named Jack Baker and Michael McConnell, filled out a marriage license and took it to the courthouse in order to get married at the court. They were denied a marriage license. Using their marriage denial, these two men advanced their case and appeal to a court system.
They made it to the Minnesota supreme court system, but they were ultimately denied their marriage license. But the second and I did not stop them. They went to another district and reapplied for another marriage license. This time they were granted a marriage license, which shocked both of them, those who live in Minnesota, and the rest of America.
Eventually, a judge ruled that their marriage license was completely valid and legal.
This event led to the formation of several organizations and truly began the fight for marriage equality. The possibility of gay marriage becoming legal in the United States made headlines around the country during that year.
Before each state again the legalization of marriage within its state borders, gay and lesbian couples who lived in certain states and cities could register as domestic partners. Regardless of what you may have heard about domestic partnerships, they were not the same as marriages and were not equal in the eyes of the law.
Washington DC. or the District of Columbia was the first place in the United States to allow gay and lesbian couples to register as domestic partners. Domestic partnership became legal in the District of Columbia on June 11th, 1992.
Despite being a Democrat, Bill Clinton was not for the legalization of gay marriage. In fact, in 1996 he signed a law called DOMA, which is the Defense Of Marriage Act. DOMA specifically defines marriage between a man and a woman as a federal law. It also allowed each state to refuse the legal status of same-sex marriages of gay couples from other states. Although Bill Clinton did state that the law was unnecessary, he did not oppose the law or try to stop it.
But the signing of DOMA into federal law only spurred on the LGBT community and its straight and cisgender allies. In 2013, a section of DOMA that allowed anti-gay marriage states to refuse the recognition of legal marriages of gay couples from other states was ruled as unconstitutional.
Before The Supreme Court ruling, what were the first states that legalized gay marriage?
Massachusetts became the very first state to legalize gay marriage. Happy couples and their family members celebrated this historic Victory and recognition of gay rights on May 17th, 2004.
On October 8th, 2008, Connecticut became the second state to legalize gay marriage.
On April 9th, 2009, both Iowa and Vermont became the third and fourth states to make gay marriage legal.
New Hampshire became the fifth state to legalize gay marriage, and the state enacted this new law on January 1st, 2010.
Washington DC, which every American knows as the nation's capital, made gay marriage legal on March 9th, 2010.
The state of New York made same-sex marriage legal on July 24th, 2011.
On November 6th, 2012, Maine, Maryland, and the state of Washington all legalize gay marriage. Least three states legalized marriage based on popular vote. Much of the population wanted gay marriage to be legal, and the LGBT community had most of the population on their side.
Maryland came next, as it legalized gay marriage on January 1st, 2013.
After an unbelievably tough fight in California, on June 28th, 2013, the Defense of Marriage Act was removed from the law. With it came Prop 8 and the legalization of gay marriage in the state. Over 7 million people voted to approve properties, while six million people voted against it. Since Prop 8 had most voters on its side, it passed.
Rhode Island and Minnesota joined the rest of the states that are LGBT-friendly. The legalization of gay marriage in Rhode Island in Minnesota occurred on August 1st, 2013.
On October 21st, 2013, gay marriages were elevated to the same level and respect as straight marriages in the state of New Jersey.
Hawaii and New Mexico were the next states to legalize gay marriage. These states did so on November 13th and December 19th, 2013.
A judge negated an anti-same-sex marriage bill in Oregon, which meant that same-sex couples could get married. This occurred on May 19th, 2014.
These were the first 18 states to legalize gay marriage. Most states in the US would legalize gay marriage before it was finally brought to the Supreme Court for a federal ruling. Before same-sex marriage became law, only 14 states had not legalized gay marriage.
If a married gay couple who live in a pro-gay marriage state went to a state that did not have gay marriage, there could be a few ramifications. Since their marriage is not legalized in the state, the privileges that the spouse would receive in emergency situations would not be given to the gay couple.
For example, if a spouse was in the hospital, their gay husband or wife could not make medical decisions for them.
June 26th, 2015
On June 26th, 2015, the Supreme Court finally decided on same-sex marriage in America. If they decided that the ruling did not violate the constitution, then the legal rights of gay people who depend on each state. Any states that did not allow gay people to get married now had to recognize gay marriage.
Any state that allowed for same-sex partnerships would also keep its laws. However, if the Supreme Court ruled that the same-sex marriage was not equal to heterosexual marriage and it violated the Constitution, then something revolutionary would happen. The ruling would override all local, state, and county laws regarding gay marriage for same-sex partnerships and same-sex marriage would be legal and held to the same status as heterosexual marriage.
Protesters against same-sex marriage and the LGBT community and its allies in favor of gay marriage gathered on the steps of the Supreme Court. Each group had banners and signs waving in the air. Each group also had speakers and advocates blaring pro same sex on anti-same sex marriage messages.
Newscasters had interns and other staff members as close to the Supreme Court doors as possible so that they could relay the ruling to each news station as soon as possible. If you're watching the news that day, you could see young people sprinting out of the Supreme Court doors and running to their prospective new stations, just a few seconds after the official ruling was announced.
Waves of cheers and shouts could be heard behind each newscaster, but viewers at home would not know why there was cheering until they heard the verdict as well.
Finally, the words of the Supreme Court and its official ruling were established.
Same-sex marriage was now legal in the United States and the DOMA law was ruled as unconstitutional.
Gay communities and their family members and friends celebrated across the country. Gay men and women lined up to get married to their same-sex partner and finally experienced true marriage equality.
How has the fight to legalize gay marriage changed now that same-sex couples can now get married?
Now that same-sex couples are treated equally in the eyes of the law as straight couples when they are married, the energy and advocacy dedicated to marriage equality has now shifted to other LGBTQ issues.
Discrimination is still a major issue for queer people. Whether it is military service, housing, educational opportunities, religious acceptance, social discrimination, etc., someone somewhere is frothing at the mouth at the thought of gay people existing.
Some districts and counties in different states across the country have tried to find loopholes to deny same-sex couples their marriage licenses.
One major incident against same-sex marriage was the Kim Davis license denial of 2019. A woman named Kim Davis, who worked as a county clerk in Kentucky, decided that her personal religious views against same-sex marriage even the right to deny marriage licenses.
In order to hide what she was doing, she started denying everyone a marriage license, no matter if they were a straight or gay couple. She was sued by six of the couples who could not get a marriage license through her office.
Enough about the U.S.! What other countries have allowed gay people to get married?
The very first country that allowed gays and lesbians to marry their male or female partner is the Netherlands. On April 1st, 2001, the country legalized gay marriage. The matter was voted on in the House of Representatives, which received a 3 to 1 vote in favor of gay marriage. And then it passed to the Senate, which then passed in favor by 2 to 1.
Gay couples traveled across the Netherlands to get married in Amsterdam and the wedding ceremonies began at midnight.
The next country to allow same-sex marriages was Belgium. The king Albert the second of Belgium, officially signed a law that legalized gay marriage. Gay people could get married and were treated the same as straight people on June 1st, 2003.
The third country to officially allow gay people to get married was Spain. The law went into effect on July 3rd, 2005.
Canada was the fourth country that allowed gay people to get married the law. The law went into effect on July 20th, 2005. Several promises had already past pro-gay marriage and LGBT laws, but now the entire country recognized gay marriage.
The fifth country to fully allow gay people to get married and have equal marriages is South Africa. The duty president signed the civil union on November 29th, 2006. South Africa became the very first African country to allow same-sex marriages.
Which countries of the latest to allow same-sex marriages?
The latest country to allow gay people to get married is Chile. The Chilean government finally enacted a law on March 10th, 2022, the low for same-sex marriages.
Surprisingly, Switzerland does not have equal status for gay marriages. But it will soon. Because of a referendum in 2021, the laws going to go into effect on July 1st and Switzerland will be the latest country to allow gay marriage.
Out of the 217 countries in the world as of 2022, there are only 30 countries that allow members of the LGBT community to Mary. Many of these countries also have laws prohibiting businesses and governments from discriminating against the people.
While many countries do not allow gay people to get married like straight people may, some of these countries allow for civil unions, partnerships, and registered cohabitation.