Updated/Revised Date: 18th Sep 2022
Author: Sexual Diversity | Contact: SexualDiversity.org
Additional References: Gay Marriage Publications
Synopsis: Information, news and articles regarding gay marriage including rulings and law changes.
Gay marriage, also known as same-sex marriage, is the marriage of two people of the same sex or gender. As of 2022, marriage between same-sex couples is legally performed and recognized in 32 countries (nationwide or in some jurisdictions). The first law providing marriage equality between same-sex and opposite-sex couples was passed in the continental Netherlands in 2000 and took effect on 1 April 2001. Some proponents of the legal recognition of same-sex marriage - such as Marriage Equality USA (founded in 1998), Freedom to Marry (founded in 2003), and Canadians for Equal Marriage - have long used the terms marriage equality and equal marriage to signal that their goal was for same-sex marriage to be recognized on equal ground with opposite-sex marriage.
Before 2004, same-sex marriage was not performed in any U.S. jurisdiction. It has since been legalized in different jurisdictions through legislation, court rulings, tribal council rulings, and the popular vote in statewide referenda.
The legal issues surrounding same-sex marriage in the United States are determined by the nation's federal system of government, in which the status of a person, including marital status, is determined in large measure by the individual states. Before 1996, the federal government did not define marriage; any marriage recognized by a state was recognized by the federal government, even if one or more states did not recognize that marriage.
Same-sex marriage is now legally recognized by a majority of U.S. states and by the United States federal government. Twenty-eight states, the District of Columbia, and ten Native American tribal jurisdictions issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples. Several hundred marriage licenses were issued to same-sex couples in Michigan and Arkansas between the time federal or state courts struck down their bans and when those rulings were stayed. Most Americans live in a jurisdiction where same-sex couples can legally marry.
According to the federal government's Government Accountability Office (GAO), in 2004, more than 1,138 rights and protections were conferred to U.S. citizens upon marriage by the federal government; areas affected include Social Security benefits, veterans' benefits, health insurance, Medicaid, hospital visitation, estate taxes, retirement savings, pensions, family leave, and immigration law.
The Human Rights Campaign (HRC) is one of the leading advocacy groups supporting same-sex marriage. According to the HRC's website,
"Many same-sex couples want the right to marry legally because they are in love - many have spent the last 10, 20 or 50 years with that person - and they want to honor their relationship in the greatest way our society has to offer, by making a public commitment to stand together in good times and bad, through all the joys and challenges family life brings."
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| Latest Gay Marriage Publications | |
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The above information is from our reference library of material relating to Gay Marriage that includes: | |
 | After Marriage Equality Ruling LGBT Emotional Well-being Improved U.S. Supreme Court decision in Obergefell v. Hodges, which extended marriage equality nationwide in June 2015, had positive impact on happiness and life satisfaction of LGBT people. Publish Date: 10th Jun 2020 |
| Same-sex Weddings Boost U.S. State Economies by $3.8 Billion Since Marriage Equality Ruling Same-sex wedding spending by 293,000 couples and their out-of-state guests has boosted U.S. state and local economies by an estimated $3.8 billion. Publish Date: 28th May 2020 |
| 96,000 Same-sex Couples Married Since U.S. Supreme Court Decision Same-sex American couples who have tied the knot account for 11 percent of all summer weddings. Publish Date: 7th Nov 2015 |
| Marriage Equality - Proposed Rule Change by Treasury Department Proposed regulations further clarify federal tax code relating to marriage to be inclusive of same-sex spouses. Publish Date: 22nd Oct 2015 |
| Carly Fiorina Denies Own Words on Marriage Equality Carly Fiorina has attempted to deny her words suggesting Supreme Court ruling in Obergefell v Hodges, the case that led to nationwide marriage equality is the law of the land. Publish Date: 9th Oct 2015 |
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• (APA): SexualDiversity.org. (2022, September 18). Latest Gay Marriage News and Updates. SexualDiversity.org. Retrieved December 7, 2023 from www.sexualdiversity.org/news/same/marriage/
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