VERY OUTDATED, may still be of use in an history article The legal status of 'same-sex marriage in the United States varied by state. Prior to the federal government recognizing same-sex marriages, individual states set their own laws on the matter.41 states defined marriage as the union between one man and one woman only, either in their state constitution, or in state law, or both. Five states and the District of Columbia legalized same-sex marriage.

Better table, feel free to work on this

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  • Note - Table does not include pending court challenges to its legal status.
State Legal status Establishment of current legal status Other recognitions More information
Alabama Illegal Constitutional referendum (2006) None
Alaska Illegal Constitutional referendum (1998) Spousal benefits for state and local government employees
Arizona Illegal Constitutional referendum (2008) None
Arkansas Illegal Constitutional referendum (2004) None
California Recognized* Constitutional referendum (2008) Domestic partnership & unnamed marriage-like status
Colorado Illegal Constitutional referendum (2006) Designated beneficiary agreements
Connecticut Legal Supreme Court of Connecticut ruling (2008) n/a Kerrigan v. Commissioner of Public Health
Delaware Illegal State law (1996) None
District of Columbia Legal Local law (2009)
Florida Illegal Constitutional referendum (2006) Domestic partnerships recognized by two counties
Georgia Illegal Constitutional referendum (2004) None
Hawaii Illegal State law Civil unions, reciprocal beneficiary relationships Hawaii Constitutional Amendment 2 (1998)
Idaho Illegal Constitutional referendum (2006) None
Illinois Illegal State law (2005) Civil unions legalized 2011
Iowa Legal Iowa Supreme Court ruling (2009) Varnum v. Brien
Kansas Illegal Constitutional referendum (2005) None
Kentucky Illegal Constitutional referendum (2004) None
Louisiana Illegal Constitutional referendum (2004) None
Maine Domestic partnership Maine Question 1, 2009
Maryland Illegal State law ?
Massachusetts Legal Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court ruling (2003) n/a Goodridge v. Department of Public Health
Michigan Illegal Constitutional referendum (2004) None
Minnesota Illegal State law (1997)
Mississippi Illegal Constitutional referendum (2004)
Missouri Illegal Constitutional referendum (2004)
Montana Illegal Constitutional referendum (2004)
Nebraska Illegal Constitutional referendum (2000) Citizens for Equal Protection v. Bruning
Nevada Illegal Constitutional referendum (2002)
New Hampshire Legal State law (2009)
New Jersey Civil unions legalized 2006
New Mexico
New York Legal State law (2011) Marriage Equality Act
North Carolina Illegal State law (1996)
North Dakota Illegal Constitutional referendum (2004)
Ohio Illegal Constitutional referendum (2004)
Oklahoma Illegal Constitutional referendum (2004)
Oregon Illegal Constitutional referendum (2004)
Pennsylvania Illegal State law (1996)
Rhode Island
South Carolina Illegal Constitutional referendum (2006)
South Dakota Illegal Constitutional referendum (2006)
Tennessee Illegal Constitutional referendum (2006)
Texas Illegal Constitutional referendum (2005)
Utah Illegal Constitutional referendum (2004)
Vermont Legal State law (2009)
Virginia Illegal Constitutional referendum (2006)
Washington Legal in June 2012 State law (2012)
West Virginia Illegal State law (2000)
Wisconsin Illegal Constitutional referendum (2006)
Wyoming Illegal State law (2003)

Notes

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