Gay Marriage Timele | Pew Rearch Center

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• GAY MARRIAGE TIMELE

GAY MARRIAGE TIMELE

LONDON, April 1 (Thomson Rters Foundatn) - Exactly 20 years ago, one lbian uple and three gay upl tied the knot Amsterdam’s cy hall - makg history as the Netherlands beme the first untry to allow same-sex marriage, a step sce followed by nearly 30 other the two s sce the law took effect, thoands of gay and lbian upl have wed the Netherlands - reprentg 1. 7% of all marriag, acrdg to the natnal statistics 750 lbian upl and 620 gay male upl have married on average annually over the last five years, and there are now some 20, 000 married same-sex upl livg the untry, official data the past five years, more than 400 same-sex marriag have end divorce on average annually - wh the divorce rate for lbian upl almost twice as high as that of gay are some key facts about the legal regnn of same-sex upl around the world:- Same-sex marriage is legal 28 untri: Argenta, Atralia, Atria, Belgium, Brazil, Bra, Canada, Colombia, Costa Ri, Denmark, Ecuador, Fland, France, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Luxembourg, Malta, Mexi, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, South Ai, Spa, Swen, Uguay and the Uned Stat. "Rabbis belongg to the biggt and most liberal branch of Judaism the Uned Stat have voted to regnise the partnerships of gay and lbian upl.The Central Conference of Amerin Rabbis, which is part of the Jewish Reform movement, has agreed to sanctn relig ceremoni for same-sex upl.The Print of the Conference, Rabbi Charl Kroloff, said that gay and lbian people served the regnn and rpect due to people created the image of God.".

"A Dutch law now allows same sex marriag, and today four upl beme the world's first homosexuals to legally wed...Holland, long among the gay rights vanguard, enacted a bill last year nvertg the untri registered same-sex partnerships to full-fledged marriag.Same-sex upl now have the same legal stat as heterosexuals. "The Vatin has lnched a global mpaign agast gay marriag, warng Catholic policians that support of same-sex unns is 'gravely immoral.' The Vatin issued a 12-page set of guil wh the approval of Pope John Pl II a bid to stem the crease laws grantg legal rights to homosexual unns Europe and North Ameri.'Marriage exists solely between a man and woman...

"A unty clerk issued marriage licens Friday to at least 15 gay upl, some of whom then exchanged vows outsi the urthoe, as more same-sex upl led up for a chance to tie the knot...New Mexi law f marriage as a ntract between ntractg parti but do not mentn genr.".

The Bill giv the legal rights to same-sex upl who register their partnership at a civil ceremony.Gay upl would not have to live together for a certa length of time to be eligible for the rights and if the partnership breaks up, there would be a formal urt procs for dissolvg .". In one sectn about the role of lawmakers, the Pope tak another swipe at gay marriag when he refers to 'prsur' on the European Parliament to allow them.'It is legimate and necsary to ask onelf if this is not perhaps part of a new iology of evil, perhaps more sid and hidn, which attempts to p human rights agast the fay and agast man,' he wr.". 'In view of the substance and signifince of the fundamental nstutnal right to form a fay relatnship,' he wrote, 'the California Constutn properly mt be terpreted to guarantee this basic civil right to all Californians, whether gay or heterosexual, and to same-sex upl as well as to oppose-sex upl.'".

4, 2008] electn, throwg to doubt the unns of an timated 18,000 same-sex upl who wed durg the last 4 1/2 months...Proposn 8 was the most expensive proposn on any ballot the natn this year, wh more than $74 ln spent by both sis.The measure's most fervent proponents believed that nothg ls than the future of tradnal fai was at stake, while opponents believed that they were fightg for the fundamental right of gay people to be treated equally unr the law...Eight years ago, Californians voted 61% to fe marriage as beg only between a man and a woman.The California Supreme Court overturned that measure, Proposn 22, s May 15 cisn legalizg same-sex marriage on the grounds that the state Constutn required equal treatment of gay and lbian upl.". "The California Supreme Court today upheld Proposn 8's ban on same-sex marriage but also led that gay upl who wed before the electn will ntue to be married unr state law...Although the urt spl 6-1 on the nstutnaly of Proposn 8, the jtic were unanimo cidg to keep tact the marriag of as many as 18,000 gay upl who exchanged vows before the electn. Sent a letter to Congrs on Wednday sayg that the Jtice Department will now take the posn urt that the Defense of Marriage Act should be stck down as a vlatn of gay upl’ rights to equal protectn unr the law.'The Print and I have nclud that classifitns based on sexual orientatn warrant heightened scty and that, as applied to same-sex upl legally married unr state law,' a ccial provisn of the act is unnstutnal, Mr.

Cuomo signed the measure after passed a Republin-ntrolled Senate on Friday night [June 24, 2011], raisg qutns as to whether the move reflects new momentum the gay rights movement.Cuomo said the law will grant same-sex upl equal rights to marry 'as well as hundreds of rights, benefs and protectns that are currently limed to married upl of the oppose sex.' A few of those are the right of herance, employer health benefs and a host of state tax benefs. Print history to fully embrace that level of civil rights for gays.Obama’s announcement gave an immediate jolt to the s-long movement for gay equaly at a moment when a growg number of stat are movg to ban — or legalize — same-sex unns and as polls show a majory of Amerins support marriage rights.".

"Voters Mae and Maryland approved same-sex marriage on a day of electn rults that jubilant gay rights advot lled a historic turng pot, the first time that marriage for gay men and lbians has been approved at the ballot box.In Mnota, another first, voters rejected a proposal to amend the State Constutn to fe marriage as between a man and a woman, a measure that has been enshred the nstutns of 30 stat. A state law barrg same-sex marriage remas on the books there, but wh the feat of the amendment, the door remas open to change by the legislature or the urts.""Washgton state has approved gay marriage, jog Mae and Maryland as the first stat to pass same-sex marriage by popular vote.Wh about three-quarters of the expected ballots unted Thursday, Referendum 74 was matag s lead of 52 percent. "The Pentagon announced Monday that would extend 20 new benefs to same-sex ary upl, cludg accs to base facili and groups as well as jot assignments, the latt move by the Obama admistratn to heed lls om gay and lbians prsg for change.Activists hailed the move as a meangful step toward full equaly, which they say will rema elive unls a 1996 feral law [the Defense of Marriage Act] that f marriage as a heterosexual unn is repealed.

"The Supreme Court stck down a key part of the feral Defense of Marriage Act on Wednday and clared that same-sex upl who are legally married serve equal rights to the benefs unr feral law that go to all other married upl.The cisn is a landmark w for the gay rights movement. Now, 12 stat and the District of Columbia thorize same-sex marriag.Jtice Anthony Kennedy, speakg for the 5-4 majory, said DOMA was unnstutnal bee vlated the right to liberty and to equal protectn for gay upl.'By seekg to displace this protectn and treatg those persons as livg marriag ls rpected than others, the feral statute' vlat the Constutn, he said.Dissentg were Jtic John Roberts, Anton Slia, Samuel Alo and Clarence Thomas.The lg means that more than 100,000 gay and lbian upl who are legally married will be able to take advantage of tax breaks, pensn rights and other benefs that are available to other married upl.".

"The Supreme Court has dismissed an appeal over same-sex marriage on jurisdictnal grounds, lg Wednday private parti do not have 'standg' to fend California's voter-approved ballot measure barrg gay and lbian upl om state-sanctned wedlock.The lg clears the way for same-sex marriag California to rume.The 5-4 cisn avoids, for now, a sweepg ncln on whether same-sex marriage is a nstutnal 'equal protectn' right that would apply to all stat.At issue was whether the Constutn's guarantee of equal protectn unr the law prevents stat om fg marriage to exclu same-sex upl, and whether a state n revoke same-sex marriage through referendum, as California did, once already has been regnized.But a majory of the Supreme Court opted not to le on those issu. "All legally married same-sex upl will be regnized for feral tax purpos no matter what state they live , the Internal Revenue Service and the Treasury Department announced Thursday a change that will affect numero upl stat that have not permted gay marriage.The change policy follows the Supreme Court's cisn June overturng a key provisn of the Defense of Marriage Act that barred the feral ernment om regnizg same-sex marriag for purpos such as surance benefs, immigratn and tax filgs.The new approach 'provis accs to benefs, rponsibili and protectns unr feral tax law that all Amerins serve,' Treasury Secretary Jab J. 20, 2013] allowg same-sex weddgs startg this summer, makg Print Barack Obama's home state the 16th overall — and largt the natn's heartland — to legalize gay marriage..."We unrstand our state that part of our unfished bs is to help other stat the Uned Stat of Ameri achieve marriage equaly," Qun said before he signed the bill on a sk once ed by Print Abraham Lln.

20, 2013] led Utah’s same-sex marriage ban unnstutnal a state domated by the Mormon Church, one of the untry’s stncht opponents of gay marriage.'The State’s current laws ny s gay and lbian cizens their fundamental right to marry and, so dog, mean the digny of the same-sex upl for no ratnal reason,' Judge Robert J.

"A tough ban on same-sex relatnships that threatens vlators wh 14-year prison terms has been quietly signed to law by the print of Nigeria, Ai’s most populo natn, a step that rights advot have long feared not only as a reprsn aimed at gays but as an afont to basic eedoms of speech and assembly.The ban, known as the Same Sex Marriage Prohibn Act, was passed by Parliament May but was not signed by the print, Goodluck Jonathan, until Jan. 7, Nigerian news agenci reported Monday om Abuja, the pal...Unr the Nigerian law, is illegal not only to engage an timate relatnship wh a member of the same sex, but to attend or anize a meetg of gays, or patronize or operate any type of gay anizatn, cludg private clubs. "The Prbyterian Church (USA) voted Thursday (June 19) to allow gay and lbian weddgs wh the church, makg among the largt Christian nomatns to take an embracg step toward same-sex marriage.By a 76-24 percent vote, the General Assembly of the 1.8 ln-member PCUSA voted to allow pastors to perform gay marriag stat where they are legal.

"The Uned Natns announced Monday [July 7, 2014]  would regnize the gay marriag of all s staffers, a major policy shift that opens the door for the spo of homosexual employe to enjoy the same benefs as the hbands and wiv of their heterosexual lleagu.Prevly, the Uned Natns only regnized the unns of staffers who me om untri where gay marriage is legal. Supreme Court on Monday cled to ci once and for all whether stat n ban gay marriage, a surprise move that will allow gay men and women to marry five stat where same-sex weddgs were prevly forbidn.By rejectg appeals s volvg Virgia, Oklahoma, Utah, Wisns and Indiana, the urt left tact lower-urt lgs that had stck down the bans those stat. But the high urt's actn means there will be no imment natnal lg on the issue, wh ligatn stat where gay marriage is still banned likely to ntue...Other stat unr the jurisdictn of appeals urts that have stck down the bans will also be affected by the Supreme Court's cisn, meang the number of stat wh gay marriage is likely to quickly jump om 19 to 30.