Which 13 states ban gay marriage

The following 13 states have not legalized same-sex marriage: Arkansas, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, Tennessee, and Texas. There are 26 states which have constitutions including bans on same-sex marriage or other types of unions, and 30 states have statutes that ban same-sex marriage or other types of unions although these are all defunct under the Obergefell ruling.

In , Congress passed the Defense of Marriage Act, banning federal recognition of same-sex marriage. In , Massachusetts became the first state to issue marriage licenses to gay. Several states would see a reversal on same-sex marriage if Obergefell vs. Hodges were ever overturned in a similar manner to Roe vs. Wade. Michigan: A U.S. District Court judge ruled last year that the state's same-sex marriage ban was unconstitutional, resulting in the issuance of more than marriage licenses.

Travel In the coming year or so, the U. July 24, On June 26, , in the landmark civil rights case Obergefell v. The Presbyterian church votes to allow same-sex ceremonies. Most social conservatives and others who oppose same-sex marriage argue that marriage between a man and a woman is the bedrock of a healthy society because it leads to stable families and, ultimately, to children who grow up to be productive adults.

Same-Sex Marriage by State

The spark that started the debate occurred in Hawaii in , when the Hawaii Supreme Court ruled that an existing law banning same-sex marriage would be unconstitutional unless the state government could show that it had a compelling reason for discriminating against gay and lesbian couples. In Obergefell , Justice Kennedy concluded:. October 9, California passes a domestic partnership law which provides same-sex partners with almost all the rights and responsibilities as spouses in civil marriages.

January 6, The U. Articles about the environment.

Best state for same-sex marriage

Likewise, seven of the nine states that have legalized gay marriage — Connecticut, New Hampshire, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New York and Vermont — are in the more socially liberal Northeast. Culture In recent years, the debate has moved beyond questions of individual rights and proper family formation to include questions that pit religious liberty against non-discrimination policies.

However, efforts to obtain the two-thirds majority needed in both houses to pass the amendment fell short in and again in Agriculture Related short reads Mar 12, While a few of these laws have been struck down, 37 states still have DOMAs on the books. Population Likewise, a ruling that the U. The Catholic Church, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and many evangelical Christian groups, such as the Southern Baptist Convention, have played a leading role in public opposition to gay marriage.

Sports June 28, A majority of states still have laws which ban marriage for same-sex couples via either a legal statute, a constitutional amendment, or both. January 1, Before the Massachusetts ruling, only three states had passed constitutional amendments prohibiting the practice — Alaska in , Nebraska in and Nevada in