Same-sex marriage in Virginia Same-sex marriage has been legally recognized in the U.S. state of Virginia since October 6, 2014, following a decision by the Supreme Court of the United States to refuse to hear an appeal of the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals in the case Bostic v. Schaefer. Marriages of same-sex couples subsequently began at 1:00 p.m. on October 6 after the Circuit Court issued its mandate, and since then Virginia has performed legal marriages of same-sex couples and recognized out-of-state same-sex marriages. State recognition had been prohibited by statute in 1975, and further restrictions were added in 1997 and 2004, which made "void and unenforceable" any arrangements between same-sex couples bestowing the "privileges or obligations of marriage". Voters approved a constitutional amendment reinforcing the existing laws in 2006. On January 14, 2014, a U.S. district court judged ruled in Bostic v. Schaefer that Virginia's statutory and constitutional ban on state recognition of same-sex marriages is unconstitutional. Same-sex marriage is supported by both of the state's U.S Senators, Democrats Mark Warner and Tim Kaine. Statutes In August 1975, the Code of Virginia was amended to prohibit marriages between persons of the same sex. On February 4, 1997, the Virginia State Senate, by a 37-3 vote, approved a bill banning recognition of same-sex marriages from other jurisdictions and "any contractual rights created by such marriage". On February 19, the Virginia House of Delegates, by an 81-8 vote, approved the bill. On March 15, Governor George Allen signed the legislation, which took effect on July 1. On March 10, 2004, the State Senate, by a 28-10 vote, approved a bill prohibiting civil unions or similar arrangements between members of the same sex, including arrangements created by private contract. On March 11, the House of Delegates, by a 77-21 vote, approved the bill. On April 15, the House of Delegates received the Governor's recommendations on the bill. On April 21, the House of Delegates rejected the recommendations by a vote of 35-65 and by a 69-30 vote approved the bill prohibiting civil unions. That same day, the State Senate, by a 27-12 vote, approved the bill. It became law without Governor Mark Warner's signature and went into effect on July 1. On February 3, 2014, the House of Delegates voted 65-32 in favor of a bill giving the Virginia General Assembly the right to defend a provision of the Constitution of Virginia that is contested or constitutionality questioned if the Governor or Attorney General choose not to defend the law. On February 21, the State Senate Committee on Rules voted 12-4 in favor of it being passed by indefinitely in rules, which effectively killed the bill for that session. On February 3, 2015, following the legalization of same-sex marriage, the Senate voted in favor of a bill seeking to update Virginia's statutory laws by making references to marriage gender-neutral. The bill was sponsored by Senator Adam Ebbin and enjoyed bipartisan support. The bill, however, died in a House subcommittee. In January 2016, Senator Ebbin introduced a similar bill, which later died without a vote. A bill codifying same-sex marriage in Virginia's laws was introduced in the House in January 2018 by Representative Marcus Simon. A similar bill was introduced in the Senate by Senator Ebbin. None of them passed into law. In early 2020, both chambers of the Virginia General Assembly voted to repeal statutory bans against same-sex marriage. The bill passed the House by 63 votes to 34, and the Senate by 28 votes to 12. Constitution On February 26, 2005, the House of Delegates voted 79-17 in favor of