Gay Marriage and Civil Unions: 10 States to Watch
Tuesday June 6, 2006
Category: Gender and Sexuality
Tomorrow, the Senate will vote on the Federal Marriage Amendment (FMA). The House will take it up next month. And in November, seven U.S. states--Alabama, Idaho, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Virginia, and Wisconsin--will vote on state constitutional amendments banning same-sex marriage and, in some cases, civil unions.
But there's still some good news on the horizon for lesbian and gay couples who want to get married. Legislatures in states such as California, New York, and Rhode Island, where a majority of voters support rights for same-sex couples, are working on new legislation to support gay marriage or civil unions. Court cases are in the works challenging some states' marriage laws.
In short, with 19 states banning gay marriage by constitutional amendment but many others working on gay marriage or civil unions legislation, the gay marriage controversy in the United States may soon evolve to the point where every state is either a ban state, a marriage state, or a union state. Kathy Gill has assembled a chart documenting this phenomenon as it exists now, but the number of marriage and union states is increasing at a healthy pace.
See also:
Tomorrow, the Senate will vote on the Federal Marriage Amendment (FMA). The House will take it up next month. And in November, seven U.S. states--Alabama, Idaho, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Virginia, and Wisconsin--will vote on state constitutional amendments banning same-sex marriage and, in some cases, civil unions.
But there's still some good news on the horizon for lesbian and gay couples who want to get married. Legislatures in states such as California, New York, and Rhode Island, where a majority of voters support rights for same-sex couples, are working on new legislation to support gay marriage or civil unions. Court cases are in the works challenging some states' marriage laws.
In short, with 19 states banning gay marriage by constitutional amendment but many others working on gay marriage or civil unions legislation, the gay marriage controversy in the United States may soon evolve to the point where every state is either a ban state, a marriage state, or a union state. Kathy Gill has assembled a chart documenting this phenomenon as it exists now, but the number of marriage and union states is increasing at a healthy pace.
See also:
Comments
I am in an lesbian relationship.Me and my girlfriend are going to get married.we love each other very much.It shouldn`t matter are sex if we are aloud to do so in are state!!!Gay and lesbian people are discrimanated against so much in life,I do not see why.What do people gain from revokeing us this right?We just want to have the right to love, and show everyone around us how much we love each other!!thank you for letting me voice my opion.
sincerly,
Yvonna Eaton