Which states marry gays

After hours of debate, Argentina's Senate narrowly passed a bill granting same-sex couples the right to marry, making it the first country in Latin America to do so. The bill also granted the right to adopt children. The Catholic and evangelical Protestant churches vehemently protested the bill. Denmark, the first country in the world to allow same-sex couples the right to register as domestic partners in , began allowing registered same-sex couples to adopt children in Then in the country finally legalized same-sex marriage.

While the law mandates that the state church — the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Denmark — allow same-sex couples to marry, it does not require clergy to perform the marriages. Since , Brazil has recognized same-sex civil unions and granted those couples many of the same rights as heterosexual married couples, including adoption, inheritance, and pension benefits.

In , with nearly half the states in Brazil already recognizing same-sex marriages, the country made them legal nationwide. After an unsuccessful court challenge by the Conservative Party, France's highest court ruled in favor of a bill allowing same-sex marriage and adoptions by same-sex couples in May The bill was pushed through by President Francois Hollande, who was elected a year earlier, and his Socialist Party.

Months of debate ended in the British Parliament when a same-sex marriage bill passed in July and was ratified by the Queen the next day. The law took effect March 29, , when the first same-sex marriages occurred in England.

The law, which applies to England and Wales, does not allow for same-sex marriages within the Church of England. Uruguay became the second Latin American country to legalize same-sex marriage when the president signed a bill into law on May 3, , though it didn't take effect until Aug. Civil unions between gay and lesbian couples had been legal since , and adoption rights were granted in On April 17, , New Zealand passed an amendment to the Marriage Act of which updated the definition of marriage to "the union of two people, regardless of their sex, sexual orientation, or gender identity," as well as amendments to other bills such as an adoption rights bill, to ensure that same-sex couples would have the same rights as heterosexual couples.

The changes took effect in August of that year. Amidst protests by the Church of Scotland and the Roman Catholic Church, the Scottish Parliament passed legislation legalizing same-sex marriage in February The legislation, which went into effect in December , left it up to churches to decide whether or not they would conduct the marriages.

A Brief History of Civil Rights in the United States This guide offers a history of various movements by citizens in the United States to gain political and social freedom and equality. It highlights resources available through the library and also offers a list of current civil rights organizations. Texas Proposition 8 Obergefell v. The Timeline: - A same-sex couple in Minnesota applies for a marriage license. They are denied and their case goes to the state Supreme Court.

Nebraska voters approve a state constitutional ban on same-sex marriage - Nevada votes to approve a state constitutional ban on same-sex marriage - A proposed amendment to the federal Constitution is introduced to the House of Representatives. It would define marriage as only between a man and a woman. The U. Supreme Court decides Lawrence v.

Texas , striking down sodomy law and enshrining a broad constitutional right to sexual privacy. California passes a domestic partnership law which provides same-sex partners with almost all the rights and responsibilities as spouses in civil marriages.

Unfortunately, many of these early cases were unsuccessful. In , the first mass same-sex wedding ceremony took place on the National Mall, where almost 2, same-sex couples were married. In , court rulings in New York and California defined same-sex couples as families.

Massachusetts became the first state to legalize gay marriage in California and Connecticut legalized gay marriage in , followed by Iowa , Vermont , and New Hampshire. Legalization came through state courts, the enactment of state legislation, or the result of the decisions of federal courts until Colorado had been on this list until just last week, when advocates defeated five bills they described as being anti-LGBTQ.

One of them, House Bill , had proposed that existing state law — which still stipulates that marriage is between one man and one woman — be enforced as written, and that no judicial rulings, including those from the U.

Supreme Court, should influence their enforcement. Jared Polis, who in became the first openly gay man elected governor in the U. North Carolina and Tennessee are considering marriage bills similar to the one Colorado just killed. Bills in Kansas , South Dakota and Tennessee draw on the idea of the separation of church and state in their proposals. A separate Iowa proposal would require applicants for marriage licenses to disclose their sexual orientation, which could be used in child custody cases.

In Missouri, one lawmaker proposed replacing all marriage licenses with domestic union contracts. More than 10 percent of LGBTQ adults were legally married in June , just two years after the Obergefell ruling, according to Gallup, and the number is likely even higher now.

In addition, public opinion has shifted strongly in favor of same-sex marriage, with a Gallup poll finding 63 percent of Americans approve of such unions. Kadi noted that President Donald Trump has appointed more than 50 circuit court judges in his first term.

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