Washington ( CNN ) -- It 's a maze out there . A complicated , fragmented hodgepodge of laws in each state that dictate the lives of gays , lesbians and transgender . Living in New Mexico and are one-half of a same-sex marriage ? You can visit your partner in the hospital . But if your partner got sick across the border in Texas , sorry -- unless you are a recipient of Medicare or Medicaid , then you have visitation rights because of a federal government law passed in 2011 . A lesbian living in South Dakota has no protection against discrimination in the workplace based on her sexual orientation . But if she gets a job in neighboring Iowa , she does . A Maryland same-sex couple has the ability to adopt a child , but if that couple moves to Virginia , the law is not clear and adoption becomes a lot less guaranteed . `` We are living in this era of two Americas where LGBT people living in certain states and certain areas have much greater access to basic rights and marriage , '' Sarah Warbelow , the state legislative director at the Human Rights Campaign , said . Chess game . For the LGBT community , it 's a game of chess with 51 players on the move ( 50 states plus the District of Columbia ) . My same-sex parents , a proud secret . As for now , the state of play is looking up for LGBT advocates . In the last week alone , federal judges in Kentucky and Virginia ruled that their states ' bans on same- sex marriage are unconstitutional . The rulings come on the heels of judges in conservative states of Oklahoma and Utah who ruled that marriage bans are unconstitutional . Nevada announced that it will no longer defend its ban on same-sex marriage . And LGBT rights groups are pleased that the Indiana Senate amended its proposal for a ban on same-sex marriage because it buys them more time . The earliest it can be on the ballot for public approval is 2016 . Last week in Kansas , in what would have been one of the most draconian measures facing same-sex couples in recent years , the state Senate decided to forego voting on a measure that would permit businesses to discriminate against same-sex couples . After the Kansas state House passed the bill that is said to protect religious freedom , the Senate realized it is too toxic to touch . It does n't mean that advocates are only moving forward . Warbelow said they are watching a series of bills in state legislatures that limit LGBT rights in terms of relationships and the workplace . One step forward , two steps back . But for LGBT advocates , it 's more like two steps forward , one step back . Washington has also added to the onslaught . Attorney General Eric Holder earlier this month announced that the federal government will expand the recognition of same-sex marriages in federal legal matters , including bankruptcies , prison visits and survivor benefits . Actress Ellen Page : `` I am gay '' Analysts expect the Supreme Court to rule on the issue soon , especially as the four previously mentioned states ' decisions are now in the pipeline , adding to the pile of same-sex marriage related case load . While the federal government has made a lot of changes in recent years , including repealing the military 's `` do n't ask , do n't tell '' policy and President Barack Obama 's publicized support of same-sex marriage , advocates are n't only seeing victory . 'Unsustainable ' The House of Representatives is sitting on a federal version of the Employment Nondiscrimination Act , known as ENDA , which would issue federal employee protections for sexual orientation and gender identity . And Obama has n't addressed the `` low-hanging fruit , '' including signing an executive order banning workplace discrimination of gay , lesbian and transgender federal contractors . Public opinion is moving more quickly than judges and elected officials . According to a national Quinnipiac University poll from September , 56 % of Americans support marriage for same-sex couples , compared with only 25 % who supported it in 1996 . A CNN poll in 2010 was the first one that suggested that a majority of respondents backed it . Same-sex marriage a dying political issue . Republican strategist Ana Navarro said recently on CNN 's `` State of the Union '' that opinions on same-sex marriage represent the `` most rapid social change that we 've seen in our lifetime . '' As for the patchwork of state laws , Human Rights Campaign 's Warbelow said it 's `` unsustainable in the long run . '' Chelsea Clinton agreed . She said the issue is `` unfinished business . '' Same sex marriage fast facts .
Laws impacting LGBT differ in 51 different ways . `` We are living in this era of two Americas , '' a Human Rights Campaign official said . Four states have all made decisions on LGBT issues in the past week .