Same Sex Marriages States

Same Sex Marriage Ban Status

Same Sex Marriage Ban Status
AlabamaAlabamaBanned by Constitution and Statute
AlaskaAlaskaBanned by Constitution and Statute
ArizonaArizonaBanned by Constitution and Statute
ArkansasArkansasBanned by Constitution and Statute
CaliforniaCaliforniaBanned by Constitution
ColoradoColoradoBanned by Constitution and Statute
ConnecticutConnecticutNot Banned
DelawareDelawareNot Banned
FloridaFloridaBanned by Constitution and Statute
GeorgiaGeorgiaBanned by Constitution and Statute
HawaiiHawaiiBanned by Constitution
IdahoIdahoBanned by Constitution and Statute
IllinoisIllinoisNot Banned
IndianaIndianaBanned by Statute
IowaIowaBanned by Statute
KansasKansasBanned by Constitution and Statute
KentuckyKentuckyBanned by Constitution and Statute
LouisianaLouisianaBanned by Constitution and Statute
MaineMaineNot Banned
MarylandMarylandNot Banned
MassachusettsMassachusettsNot Banned
MichiganMichiganNot Banned
MinnesotaMinnesotaBanned by Constitution and Statute
MississippiMississippiBanned by Constitution and Statute
MissouriMissouriBanned by Constitution and Statute
MontanaMontanaBanned by Constitution and Statute
NebraskaNebraskaBanned by Constitution
NevadaNevadaNot Banned
New HampshireNew HampshireNot Banned
New JerseyNew JerseyNot Banned
New MexicoNew MexicoNot Banned
New YorkNew YorkNot Banned
North CarolinaNorth CarolinaBanned by Constitution and Statute
North DakotaNorth DakotaBanned by Constitution and Statute
OhioOhioBanned by Constitution and Statute
OklahomaOklahomaBanned by Constitution and Statute
OregonOregonBanned by Constitution
PennsylvaniaPennsylvaniaBanned by Statute
Rhode IslandRhode IslandNot Banned
South CarolinaSouth CarolinaBanned by Constitution and Statute
South DakotaSouth DakotaBanned by Constitution and Statute
TennesseeTennesseeBanned by Constitution and Statute
TexasTexasBanned by Constitution and Statute
UtahUtahBanned by Constitution and Statute
VermontVermontNot Banned
VirginiaVirginiaBanned by Constitution
WashingtonWashingtonNot Banned
West VirginiaWest VirginiaBanned by Statute
WisconsinWisconsinBanned by Constitution and Statute
WyomingWyomingBanned by Statute

The Evolution of Same-Sex Marriage Across the States

The recognition of same-sex marriages has witnessed a dramatic transformation in the United States, transitioning rapidly from being a contentious subject to a constitutionally protected right. Proclaimed a fundamental right by the Supreme Court in 2015, today gay marriage is legally recognized in every state. However, the path to legalization has been anything but uniform, with each state holding distinct narratives and timelines for the advancement of marriage equality.

  • A considerable number of states still had statutory or constitutional bans on same-sex marriage prior to the 2015 Supreme Court ruling. States like Ohio, Louisiana, Alabama, and many others, predominantly in the Southern and Midwestern regions, had their bans anchored not only in statute but also in their constitutions.
  • Contrarily, there were states like Delaware, New Jersey, Connecticut, Michigan, and Washington, where same-sex marriage was not banned, reflecting a more progressive societal perspective.
  • There is a stark regional contrast. The majority of states in the Northeast had not banned same-sex marriage, whereas it was predominantly banned in the South and the Midwest.
  • Some states, such as Indiana, Wisconsin, and West Virginia, had bans only at a statutory level, affording a potential for easier reversal compared to those states with constitutional bans.
  • Despite the landmark cases of Windsor and Obergefell v. Hodges that accelerated the nationwide recognition of same-sex marriage, the heterogeneity of this data reflects the regional disparities that once existed in America's journey towards marriage equality.

By Region

Alabama

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Alabama

Metric

Value

Rank

Same Sex Marriage Ban Status

Banned by Constitution and Statute

Alaska

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Alaska

Metric

Value

Rank

Same Sex Marriage Ban Status

Banned by Constitution and Statute

Arizona

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Arizona

Metric

Value

Rank

Same Sex Marriage Ban Status

Banned by Constitution and Statute

Arkansas

See More
Arkansas

Metric

Value

Rank

Same Sex Marriage Ban Status

Banned by Constitution and Statute

California

See More
California

Metric

Value

Rank

Same Sex Marriage Ban Status

Banned by Constitution

Colorado

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Colorado

Metric

Value

Rank

Same Sex Marriage Ban Status

Banned by Constitution and Statute

Connecticut

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Connecticut

Metric

Value

Rank

Same Sex Marriage Ban Status

Not Banned

Delaware

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Delaware

Metric

Value

Rank

Same Sex Marriage Ban Status

Not Banned

Florida

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Florida

Metric

Value

Rank

Same Sex Marriage Ban Status

Banned by Constitution and Statute

Georgia

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Georgia

Metric

Value

Rank

Same Sex Marriage Ban Status

Banned by Constitution and Statute

Hawaii

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Hawaii

Metric

Value

Rank

Same Sex Marriage Ban Status

Banned by Constitution

Idaho

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Idaho

Metric

Value

Rank

Same Sex Marriage Ban Status

Banned by Constitution and Statute

Illinois

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Illinois

Metric

Value

Rank

Same Sex Marriage Ban Status

Not Banned

Indiana

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Indiana

Metric

Value

Rank

Same Sex Marriage Ban Status

Banned by Statute

Iowa

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Iowa

Metric

Value

Rank

Same Sex Marriage Ban Status

Banned by Statute

Kansas

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Kansas

Metric

Value

Rank

Same Sex Marriage Ban Status

Banned by Constitution and Statute

Kentucky

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Kentucky

Metric

Value

Rank

Same Sex Marriage Ban Status

Banned by Constitution and Statute

Louisiana

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Louisiana

Metric

Value

Rank

Same Sex Marriage Ban Status

Banned by Constitution and Statute

Maine

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Maine

Metric

Value

Rank

Same Sex Marriage Ban Status

Not Banned

Maryland

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Maryland

Metric

Value

Rank

Same Sex Marriage Ban Status

Not Banned

Massachusetts

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Massachusetts

Metric

Value

Rank

Same Sex Marriage Ban Status

Not Banned

Michigan

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Michigan

Metric

Value

Rank

Same Sex Marriage Ban Status

Not Banned

Minnesota

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Minnesota

Metric

Value

Rank

Same Sex Marriage Ban Status

Banned by Constitution and Statute

Mississippi

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Mississippi

Metric

Value

Rank

Same Sex Marriage Ban Status

Banned by Constitution and Statute

Missouri

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Missouri

Metric

Value

Rank

Same Sex Marriage Ban Status

Banned by Constitution and Statute

Montana

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Montana

Metric

Value

Rank

Same Sex Marriage Ban Status

Banned by Constitution and Statute

Nebraska

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Nebraska

Metric

Value

Rank

Same Sex Marriage Ban Status

Banned by Constitution

Nevada

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Nevada

Metric

Value

Rank

Same Sex Marriage Ban Status

Not Banned

New Hampshire

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New Hampshire

Metric

Value

Rank

Same Sex Marriage Ban Status

Not Banned

New Jersey

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New Jersey

Metric

Value

Rank

Same Sex Marriage Ban Status

Not Banned

New Mexico

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New Mexico

Metric

Value

Rank

Same Sex Marriage Ban Status

Not Banned

New York

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New York

Metric

Value

Rank

Same Sex Marriage Ban Status

Not Banned

North Carolina

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North Carolina

Metric

Value

Rank

Same Sex Marriage Ban Status

Banned by Constitution and Statute

North Dakota

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North Dakota

Metric

Value

Rank

Same Sex Marriage Ban Status

Banned by Constitution and Statute

Ohio

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Ohio

Metric

Value

Rank

Same Sex Marriage Ban Status

Banned by Constitution and Statute

Oklahoma

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Oklahoma

Metric

Value

Rank

Same Sex Marriage Ban Status

Banned by Constitution and Statute

Oregon

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Oregon

Metric

Value

Rank

Same Sex Marriage Ban Status

Banned by Constitution

Pennsylvania

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Pennsylvania

Metric

Value

Rank

Same Sex Marriage Ban Status

Banned by Statute

Rhode Island

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Rhode Island

Metric

Value

Rank

Same Sex Marriage Ban Status

Not Banned

South Carolina

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South Carolina

Metric

Value

Rank

Same Sex Marriage Ban Status

Banned by Constitution and Statute

South Dakota

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South Dakota

Metric

Value

Rank

Same Sex Marriage Ban Status

Banned by Constitution and Statute

Tennessee

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Tennessee

Metric

Value

Rank

Same Sex Marriage Ban Status

Banned by Constitution and Statute

Texas

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Texas

Metric

Value

Rank

Same Sex Marriage Ban Status

Banned by Constitution and Statute

Utah

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Utah

Metric

Value

Rank

Same Sex Marriage Ban Status

Banned by Constitution and Statute

Vermont

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Vermont

Metric

Value

Rank

Same Sex Marriage Ban Status

Not Banned

Virginia

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Virginia

Metric

Value

Rank

Same Sex Marriage Ban Status

Banned by Constitution

Washington

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Washington

Metric

Value

Rank

Same Sex Marriage Ban Status

Not Banned

West Virginia

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West Virginia

Metric

Value

Rank

Same Sex Marriage Ban Status

Banned by Statute

Wisconsin

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Wisconsin

Metric

Value

Rank

Same Sex Marriage Ban Status

Banned by Constitution and Statute

Wyoming

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Wyoming

Metric

Value

Rank

Same Sex Marriage Ban Status

Banned by Statute