Timeline of Same Sex Marriage in the US

First same sex couple to apply for marriage license

May 18, 1970

Richard John 'Jack' Baker and James Michael McConnell from Minnesota apply for a marriage license and are denied because they are both males (Procon.org, 2021)

Maryland bans same sex marriage

1973

Maryland becomes the first state to ban gay marriage (Procon.org, 2021)

First mass same sex wedding ceremony

Oct 10, 1987

The National Mall in Washington D.C. hosted 'The Wedding', which marked the beginning of nearly 2,000 same sex marriages (Procon.org, 2021). Nearly 5,000 protesters showed up. The National Mall was the only place organizers could get a permit to gather (Mallhistory.org, 2017).

Same sex employees receive domestic partner benefits

1992

"Domestic partners of employees of Levi Strauss & Co. are granted full medical benefits." "The province of Ontario, Canada, extends spousal benefits to same sex partners of government workers." "William Weld, governor of Massachusetts signs an executive order granting lesbian and gay state workers the same bereavement and family leave rights as heterosexual workers."
(Procon.org, 2021)

Clinton signs Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA)

Sep 21, 1996

DOMA defines marriage as 'a legal union between one man and one woman...' and a spouse as 'a person of the opposite sex who is a husband or wife' (Procon.org, 2021)

Alaska Superior Court judge rules same sex couples have right to marry

Feb 27, 1998

The ruling states that same sex couples have a right to marry, but says the decision pending appeals to the State Supreme Court (Procon.org)

Hawaii and Alaska limit same sex marriage

Nov 3, 1998

Voters in Hawaii approved a constitutional amendment giving the legislature power to reserve marriage to opposite sex couples. Meanwhile, Alaska voters approved an amendment to limit marriage to exist only between a man and a woman (Procon.org, 2021)

Vatican campaigns against same sex marriage

Jul 31, 2003

Vatican claims that support of same sex marriage is "gravely immoral" (Procon.org, 2021)

Massachusetts becomes first U.S. state to legalize same sex marriage

Nov 18, 2003

Chief Justice Margaret H. Marshall states that a commitment between two individuals brings stability to our society (Procon.org, 2021)

San Francisco begins marrying same sex couples

Feb 12, 2004

City authorities challenged California law by performing at least 15 same sex weddings and issuing even more marriage licenses to same sex couples (Procon.org, 2021). According to the San Francisco Chronicle (2015), the marriages were eventually struck down.

First legal gay marriage in the U.S.

May 17, 2004

First legally recognized gay marriage takes place in Massachusetts (Procon.org, 2021)

Obama declares DOMA unconstitutional

Feb 23, 2011

President Obama directs Department of Justice to stop defending DOMA in court (Procon.org, 2021)

US Supreme Court declares gay marriage legal in all 50 U.S. states

Jun 26, 2015

People in all 50 states celebrate as same sex marriage becomes legal (Procon.org, 2021)