Status of Same-Sex Marriages in the U.S.

Last updated on September 11, 2014

Currently, 13 U.S. states recognize same-sex marriage, including California, Connecticut, Delaware, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New York, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Washington), plus the District of Columbia, several counties in New Mexico, and six Native American tribal jurisdictions.

The movement to achieve equal marriage rights for same-sex couples began in the 1970s, but grew to prominence in 1993, and was finally legally recognized in Massachusetts in 2004.

Another major development in gay marriage rights was the striking down of Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) by the Supreme Court on June 26, 2013 in the United States v. Windsor case. DOMA was enacted in 1996, defining marriage as a union between one man and one woman, and gave states the power to refuse the recognition of same-sex marriages.

Recently, the IRS declared that same-sex couples will enjoy the same federal tax benefits as their straight counterparts in every U.S. state, regardless of whether a state recognizes their marriage or not. This is seen as a historic win for same-sex couples and human rights activists.