Last week, on June 5, Pennsylvania State Senator Daylin Leach – who represents the 17th district, just outside of Philadelphia – introduced legislation for marriage equality in Pennsylvania. This comes a few weeks after Senator John Eichelberger indicated that he would introduce legislation that would ban same-sex marriage. While neither bill will necessarily make it through the legislative process – Governor Ed Rendell believes in civil unions for same-sex couples, and does not believe in a constitutional amendment banning it – this is still an indication of things to come in the United States.
The first state in the United States to legalize same-sex marriage was Massachusetts, in May 2004. The second state, Connecticut, didn’t happen until November of 2008. In between the two court cases that resulted in marriage equality in both those states, the world started to change. Spain, Canada, and South Africa – entire nations! – legalized same-sex marriages within their borders. Other countries started to discuss it – even the Supreme Court of Nepal ruled that same-sex marriages should be legalized within its borders.
On April 3, just days before I started this blog, the Iowa State Supreme Court handed down a unanimous ruling in Varnum v. Brien, indicating that a same-sex marriage ban was unconstitutional. On that date, I actually prayed a little bit: I hoped this would start the “avalanche” of marriage equality in the United States. Two days later, I created this marriage equality map, that I eventually posted in this blog.
Every single time something happened, related to marriage equality in the United States, I would update the map, but save the old one. I wanted to see how same-sex marriage would evolve as time progressed. And exactly, two months later, this is what the map looks like:
(I will note that New Mexico was changed, when it became clear that, technically, there is no stance whatsoever on marriage equality there.)
For the most part, there has been significant positive change. While California took a step backward, when Proposition 8 was upheld, there have been improvements elsewhere. Legalized same-sex relationships are creeping inland, from the more liberal Northeast and West Coasts toward the middle of the country. In two months, same-sex domestic partnerships were either passed or enhanced in Washington State, Nevada, and Colorado. Same-sex marriage legislation was introduced in New York and Pennsylvania. Same-sex marriages were legalized in Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, and for the Coquilles of Southern Oregon.
Now, there is talk of same-sex marriage in Washington D.C., and it’s quite possible that both D.C. and New Jersey will legalize same-sex marriages before the end of the year – maybe New York, as well, if they can reorganize their legislature before the end of the session. We may soon have limited domestic partnerships in Wisconsin, and legislators in Michigan are discussing overturning their same-sex marriage ban. And while it didn’t work out during this session, we can be certain that civil union or marriage legislation will be re-introduced in Illinois during the next legislative session. There are even rumors of new marriage legislation in New Mexico.
In just two months, so much has happened. Let’s hope that it really is an indication of things to come. As promised, I’ll keep you posted.
The first state in the United States to legalize same-sex marriage was Massachusetts, in May 2004. The second state, Connecticut, didn’t happen until November of 2008. In between the two court cases that resulted in marriage equality in both those states, the world started to change. Spain, Canada, and South Africa – entire nations! – legalized same-sex marriages within their borders. Other countries started to discuss it – even the Supreme Court of Nepal ruled that same-sex marriages should be legalized within its borders.
On April 3, just days before I started this blog, the Iowa State Supreme Court handed down a unanimous ruling in Varnum v. Brien, indicating that a same-sex marriage ban was unconstitutional. On that date, I actually prayed a little bit: I hoped this would start the “avalanche” of marriage equality in the United States. Two days later, I created this marriage equality map, that I eventually posted in this blog.
Every single time something happened, related to marriage equality in the United States, I would update the map, but save the old one. I wanted to see how same-sex marriage would evolve as time progressed. And exactly, two months later, this is what the map looks like:
(I will note that New Mexico was changed, when it became clear that, technically, there is no stance whatsoever on marriage equality there.)
For the most part, there has been significant positive change. While California took a step backward, when Proposition 8 was upheld, there have been improvements elsewhere. Legalized same-sex relationships are creeping inland, from the more liberal Northeast and West Coasts toward the middle of the country. In two months, same-sex domestic partnerships were either passed or enhanced in Washington State, Nevada, and Colorado. Same-sex marriage legislation was introduced in New York and Pennsylvania. Same-sex marriages were legalized in Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, and for the Coquilles of Southern Oregon.
Now, there is talk of same-sex marriage in Washington D.C., and it’s quite possible that both D.C. and New Jersey will legalize same-sex marriages before the end of the year – maybe New York, as well, if they can reorganize their legislature before the end of the session. We may soon have limited domestic partnerships in Wisconsin, and legislators in Michigan are discussing overturning their same-sex marriage ban. And while it didn’t work out during this session, we can be certain that civil union or marriage legislation will be re-introduced in Illinois during the next legislative session. There are even rumors of new marriage legislation in New Mexico.
In just two months, so much has happened. Let’s hope that it really is an indication of things to come. As promised, I’ll keep you posted.
Posted in commentary, news | Tags: gay rights, news, pennsylvania, same-sex marriage