Marriage Equality Now: Beyond Same Sex Marriage or Gay Marriage or Lesbian Marriage

1. Preserve marriage equality in Massachusetts. VICTORY!
   After an historic vote in the Constitutional Convention in Massachusetts on June 14, 2007, in which over 75% of the legislators in both Houses voted to turn down a ballot for a constitutional amendment forbidding same sex marriage, the equal right to marry in Massachusetts is safe for years to come.
   
   
2. Get and preserve marriage equality in Connecticut. VICTORY!
   On October 10, 2008, the Connecticut Supreme Court ruled that civil unions were not equal and that the state needed to provide marriage equality. On November 4, 2008 voters in Connecticut rejected a proposition to convene a constitutional convention to amend the constitution. On November 12, 2008 same sex couples from around the country and the world started getting married in Connecticut (although the marriage may not be recognized if they live outside Connecticut and the federal government does not recognize any same sex marriages). The right to marry is now safe in Connecticut, as well as Massachusetts.
    
3. Win Right to Marry lawsuit that is advancing in Iowa. VICTORY!
   The Iowa Supreme Court ruled unanimously on  April 3, 2009 that the state could not discriminate against LGBT couples in the right to marry. All the prior decisions on marriage in other states were won or lost by one vote. Unanimity in Iowa is an additional great victory. Read the full decision of the Iowa Supreme Court on same sex marriage equality. (Note pages 51 to 63 about the reasons the government thinks that gays and lesbians should not be able to marry as well as pages 63 to 67 about the argument that marriage is a religious institution.)  Also, you can read a 6 page summary from the office of communications of the Iowa Supreme Court summarizing the decision on the right of same sex couples to marry in Iowa.
   
   
4. Convert civil unions to marriage in Vermont. VICTORY!
   Vermont's legislature voted in April 2009 to legalize same sex marriage. The Vermont Senate voted for the bill by 26 to 4. The Vermont House also voted in favor by 95 to 52. Governor Jim Douglas (R) vetoed the legislation. To override the veto requires 2/3 vote of each chamber. On April 7, 2009, the Vermont Senate voted 23 to 5 to override the veto. The Vermont House voted the same morning to override the veto by 100 to 49. Vermont is now the fourth state in the USA to provide same sex marriage equality.
   
   Vermont was the first state in the Union to provide civil unions after the Vermont Supreme Court ruled that it was unconstitutional to deny same sex couples all the obligations and rights of marriage and required the legislature to provide exactly the same rights (aka as civil unions) or allow LGBT people to marry. The legislature voted for civil unions and it was passed into law with the signature of Governor Howard Dean.
    
5. Pass marriage equality in legislatures in marriage-friendly states like Maine. VICTORY! But vetoed by popular vote.
   On April 30, 2009, the Maine Senate passed marriage equality by a vote of 21 to 14. On May 5, it was  approved by the Maine House by 89 to 58. On May 6,  Democratic Governor John Baldacci signed it into law. Donors will need to help to avoid a constitutional amendment.
    
6. Convert civil unions to marriage in New Hampshire. VICTORY!
   New Hampshire's House approved marriage equality legislation on March 26, 2009 by a vote of 186 to 179. The NH Senate approve it by a 13 to 11 vote on April 29, 2009. The House and Senate voted again to add provisions requested by Governor John Lynch (D). The legislation was signed into law on June 3, 2009. Same sex couples can marry in New Hampshire effective January 1, 2010. 
    
7. Pass marriage equality in legislatures in New York.
   The Assembly passed marriage equality in 2007 and again on May 12, 2009 by 89 to 52 (including 5 Republicans); the New York senate is now in Democratic hands for the first time in 40 years and they are expected to approve marriage equality (although it will be a tough battle). Governor Paterson (D) has already ordered the state agencies to recognized same sex marriages performed elsewhere.
    
8. Convert civil unions to marriage in New Jersey.
   The New Jersey legislature is very likely to approve marriage equality in that state no later than June 2009.
   
   
9. Preserve marriage equality in California. 
   On May 15, 2008 the California Supreme Court ruled that same sex couples had the right to marry in California. A total of 18,000 same sex couples married in that state until the voters of California took that right away on November 4, 2008 by the so called Proposition 8. Currently, the California Supreme Court is reviewing whether such vote was legal. They are expected to rule in 2009. Read our summary conclusions on a very interesting study of California Proposition 8 results.
   
   
10. Pass marriage equality in legislatures in other marriage-friendly states like Rhode Island, Washington, and Maryland.
    In Washington, there is legislation pending to legalize same sex marriage.
    Rhode Island will wait until 2011 to present its marriage legislation since the current Republican Governor opposes it.
    
    
11. Obtain Civil Unions and Domestic Partnerships where marriage equality is not possible now due to state constitutional amendments forbidding gay and lesbian marriage.
    Hawaii could pass civil unions legislation in 2009, which would also include recognition of marriages, civil unions, and domestic partnerships from other states.
    
    
12. Win federal recognition of state marriages (repeal the Defense of Marriage Act)
    > Subgoal: obtain at least two pressing federal benefits as early as possible: (1) social security benefits, and (2) partner immigration

TEXT OF THE DEFENSE OF MARRIAGE ACT

Read its full text for yourself. The Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) is a very short legilslation, but very discriminatory. 

• GOAL: PRESERVE MARRIAGE IN IOWA
  Lambda Legal won in August 2007 the right to marry in a district court in Iowa. Then on April 3, 2009 they won a unanimous ruling from the Iowa Supreme Court that same sex couples have the right to marry in Iowa.
  One Iowa, the statewide LGBT organization, needs funds to help support the state's pro-equality legislature to avoid overturning this ruling (amending the constitution by ballot initiatives is difficult in Iowa).
  
  
• GOAL: PRESERVE MARRIAGE IN CALIFORNIA
  
  The legal battle continues to have the California Supreme court to invalidate the Constitutional Amendment that took away the fundamental right for same sex couples to get married in that state. Read the analysis by Geoff Kors, executive director of Equality California. Give to Equality for All, the coalition that manages the campaign to defeat the California marriage amendment.
  


• GOAL: WIN MARRIAGE IN NEW JERSEY
  
  Garden State Equality is leading the efforts to win marriage equality in New Jersey in 2009. The NJ Supreme Court ruled unanimously in October 2006 in favor of Lambda Legal's lawsuit, requiring civil unions or marriage within 180 days. In December 2006, the legislature voted to provide only civil unions. Marriage equality is possible in New Jersey by June 2009.

• GOAL: WIN MARRIAGE IN MAINE
  Equality Maine is working hard to ensure passage of a marriage equality bill in the Maine House of Representatives in 2009. This will was introduced in the House on January 13, 2009. Passage in the Senate will require significant lobbying and then the bill will need to be signed by the Governor.

• GOAL: WIN MARRIAGE IN NEW YORK
  
  The Empire State Pride Agenda is leading the efforts to pass marriage equality legislation in New York State. On July 6, 2006 New York's highest court ruled that the NY Constitution does not compel recognition of same-sex marriages and that the legislature can decide. Governor Spitzer introduced marriage equality legislation in May 2007 and the Assembly approved it on June 19, 2007 thanks to the Empire State Pride Agenda and several other organizations. The legislation is now held in the Senate. In November 2008, the Senate became Democratic for the first time in 40 years... so there are hopes of passing this legislation (possibly in 2010). Thanks to the leadership of Governor David Paterson, New York State now recognizes same gender marriages from other jurisdictions.
   
  
• GOAL: WIN MARRIAGE IN WASHINGTON, DC- VICTORY!
  DC for Marriage is a fledging organization working to obtain marriage equality for residents of the District. Washington DC already has one of the strongest Domestic Partnership laws in the country. The mayor and the city council are working on ways to at least recognize same gender marriages from other jurisdictions as soon as possible. The District of Columbia started issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples on March 2, 2010.


• GOAL: WIN MARRIAGE IN RHODE ISLAND
  Marriage Equality Rhode Island (MERI) is a small and very focused organization that led the introduction of a same sex marriage bill in the state legislature. It is working to get enough cosponsors to make Rhode Island the second or third state to approve marriage equality through the legislature. This is a place where even small donations can have a major impact since MERI's budget is small.


• GOAL: WIN MARRIAGE IN MARYLAND
  Equality Maryland is working to approve same sex marriage legislation in Maryland, since the litigation resulted in Maryland’s highest court ruling 4-3 in 2007 that it is not unconstitutional to exclude same-sex couples from marrying. In February 2010, Maryland's Attorney General ruled that Maryland should recognized marriages performed in other states.


• GOAL: CONVERT CIVIL UNIONS TO MARRIAGE IN NEW HAMPSHIRE
  NH Freecom to Marry Coalition succeeded in approving civil unions through the legislature without a court mandate in 2007. They need support to pass legislation for full marriage as well as other protections.


• GOAL: WIN MARRIAGE EQUALITY IN WASHINGTON STATE
  
  Equal Rights Washington is lobbying the Washington State legislature to pass marriage equality, given that a Right to Marry case was decided on July 26, 2006 by the state's Supreme Court ruling that DOMA was legal and that the state could discriminate against same-sex couples in getting marriage licenses. The current strategy is to expand Domestic Partnerships in 2009 to provide all the benefits of marriage (except the name) and to approve a marriage equality bill in 2010 or 2011.