Title: Same-Sex Marriage, State by State | Pew Research Center
Headings: Same-Sex Marriage, State by State
Same-Sex Marriage, State by State
State Policies on Same-Sex Marriage Over Time
2015

Content: Same-Sex Marriage, State by State | Pew Research Center
June 26, 2015
Same-Sex Marriage, State by State
In 2015, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled all state bans on same-sex marriage unconstitutional, allowing gay and lesbian couples to marry nationwide. This timeline highlights the changes in state policies leading up to that ruling, starting in 1995 – when Utah became the first state to enact a Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA). Massachusetts became the first state to legalize same-sex marriage following a ruling by the state’s highest court in 2003. Drag the pointer or click on the timeline above the map to explore all 50 states’ changes over time. State Policies on Same-Sex Marriage Over Time
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2015
1995
Utah becomes the first state to enact a Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA). Several other states previously had approved statutes defining marriage as between one man and one woman. 1996
President Clinton signs the federal Defense of Marriage Act, upholding states’ right to ban same-sex marriage and prohibiting the federal government from recognizing same-sex marriage. 1997
Hawaii becomes the first state to offer same-sex couples domestic partnership benefits. 1998
Alaska voters approve a constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage. Hawaii voters approve constitutional language allowing their legislature to determine policy on same-sex marriage, effectively overturning a series of earlier court decisions that may have required the state to allow gay and lesbian couples to wed.