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Creation of the Mattachine Society
The Mattachine Society was one of the first groups founded in the United States to fight for LGBTQ rights. Harry Hay formed the organization in order to improve the rights of Gay Males in the US. -
Stonewall Riots
The Stonewall riots were a series of riots that took place in the Greenwich Village neighborhood of Manhattan. They were in response to a police raid that took place in a gay bar called the Stonewall Inn. -
Baker v. Nelson
Baker v. Nelson was a supreme court case decided by the Supreme Court of Minnesota that limited the rights of a gay-couple that applied for a marriage license. -
Maryland bans same-sex marriage
In 1973, the state of Maryland became the first state to ban same-sex marriage. It passed a statue banning marriage to same-sex couples. It included a line that stated "Only a marriage between a man and a woman is valid in this State." -
Mass Same-sex wedding ceremony in DC
On October 10th, 1987 a mass same-sex wedding ceremony took place on the National Mall in Washington, DC. People cheered and celebrated as the largest mass wedding in history took place. This event marked the symbolic beginning of more than 2,000 same-sex marriages. -
Same-Sex Couples are defined as families
The New York State Court of Appeals ruled that lesbian or gay couples living together for at least 10 years can be considered a family for purposes like rent control. This Court case was the first time a state allowed for a same-sex couple to be called a family -
Baehr v. Miike
This court case happened when three same-sex couples filed for marriage licenses in the state of Hawaii. This court case triggered a major debate over the rights of same-sex marriage rights. It led directly to the passage of the Defense of Marriage Act. -
Defense of Marriage Act
Before being ruled unconstitutional by US v. Windsor in 2013, the Defense of Marriage Act of 1996 defined marriage for federal purposes as a union between a man and a woman. President Bill Clinton signed this bill into law on September 21st, 1996. This law prohibited same-sex couples from doing things such as collecting benefits provided by the federal government. -
Alaska Voters vote on amendment to ban same-sex marriage
Alaska voters voted on an amendment that would be banning same-sex marriage. The ballot initiative, a petition signed by a certain number of voters that can bring about a vote, would limit marriage in Alaska to "exist only between a man and a woman". -
the term "civil union" is created
In 1999, the Vermont Supreme Court declared that same-sex couples are entitled to the same rights under the state Constitution as heterosexual couples. This happened shortly after the Vermont legislature created a law creating the word "civil union" . This made it so that same-sex couples have all the same rights as others but not use the name "marriage". -
Federal Marriage Amendment is introduced
Marilyn Musgrave, a Republican Representative from Colorado's 4th District introduced a federal constitutional amendment that would try and limit marriage to only between a man and a woman. This amendment was unsuccessful on becoming approved and ratified. -
Lawrence v. Texas
In Lawrence v. Texas, Houston Police had entered John Lawrence's apartment, and found him engaging in sexual activity with another man. Both men were arrested for violating a Texas state statute that prohibits those of the same-sex from engaging in sexual conduct. The Supreme Court sided with Lawrence, turning down the statute along with statutes from 13 other states. -
Poll shows Americans disapprove of gay marriage
An Associated Press Poll found that more than half of American favor barring same-sex marriage in the United States despite all of the actions that have taken place so far. This survey also found that 4 presidential candidates would face backlash if they supported same-sex marriages. -
Massachusetts becomes first state to legalize gay marriage
The Supreme Court of Massachusetts found that prohibiting same-sex couples from receiving the protections, benefits, and obligations just because that person wants to marry someone of the same-sex violates the Massachusetts Constitution. Chief Justice Margaret Marshall wrote in the majority opinion that "the exclusive commitment of two individuals to each other nurtures love and mutual support; it brings stability to our society". -
First legal gay marriage
Marcia Kardish, 56, and Tanya McCloskey, 52, were married at the Cambridge City Hall in Massachusetts, making them the first legally married same-sex couple in the United States. Throughout the rest of the day, 77 other same-sex couples were married across the state and hundreds of others applied for marriage licenses. -
11 States pass initiatives banning same-sex marriage
These measures were passed by wide margins as they were on the ballot for the state election ballots. These initiatives were described as a rejection of a Massachusetts' court decision to allow gay marriage in the state. -
United Church of Christ approves gay marriage
The United Church of Christ approved same-sex marriage on July 4th, 2005, making it the first mainline Christian denomination to support same-sex marriage. It passed a resolution that affirmed equal marriage rights in the church regardless of gender. -
7 states approve ban on same-sex marriage
Voters in seven states (Idaho, Colorado, South Dakota, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia and Wisconsin) all approved a constitutional amendment that banned same-sex marriages. Voters were able to do this through a ballot initiative on the ballot at the election. -
Coquille indian tribe legalizes same-sex marriage
The Coquille Indian Tribe, on the southern coast of Oregon, adopted a law that recognizes same-sex marriage. This law came at the request of a lesbian couple, making them the first Indian Tribe to legalize same-sex marriage. Even though Oregon state law did not allow same-sex marriages at the time, Indian Tribes are not sovereign to the state and have freedom to govern themselves. -
California voters ban gay marriage
In the California state elections of 2008, voters in California voted to ban gay marriage. Proposition 8 was a ballot proposition and amendment that would ban gay marriage in the state of California. It was turned down in 2010 by the federal courts for violating the Due Process Clause and Equal Protection Clause. On this same day, voters in Florida and Arizona voted to ban gay marriage as well. -
Obama declares DOMA unconstitutional
President Barack Obama directs the Department of Justice to stop defending the Defense of Marriage Act in court, the 1996 law that barred recognition of same-sex marriages. Attorney General Eric Holder told Congress that the Justice Department will take the position in court that the Defense of Marriage Act should be struck down since it is a violation of the rights of gay couples. -
Obama announces support for gay marriage
President Barack Obama told an ABC news reporter that he supports same-sex marriage. He believes that same-sex couples should be granted the right to marry, making him the first president in the history of the United States to fully support those types of rights for gays. -
States legalize same-sex marriage by popular vote
Maine, Maryland, and Washington became the first states to legalize same-sex marriage by popular vote. This happened on election day, where the people voted to legalize same-sex marriage at the ballot box through referendum. This is the first time ever that same-sex marriage has been approved by a popular vote. -
Military benefits extended to same-sex partners
The Pentagon announced that they would extend 20 new benefits to same-sex military couples. This was done by the Obama Administration as an answer to many gay and lesbians pressing for a change in the system. The benefits include access to base facilities as well as joint assignments. -
US v. Windsor
In a 5-4 decision, this case overturned Section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act, stating that it violated the constitutional requirement of equality by the law and that the federal government cannot discriminate based on marriage in order to determine federal benefits. -
The IRS recognizes same-sex couples
All legally same-sex couples will be recognizes for federal tax purposes no matter what state they live in. This greatly affected many couples that lived in states that did not yet allow same-sex marriage. This action by the Internal Revenue Service and the Treasury Department follow a key change in policy created by US v. Windsor which overturned part of the Defense of Marriage Act that denied same-sex couples of certain federal benefits. -
Nigeria bans gay marriage
The Same Sex Prohibition Act, signed into law by president Goodluck Jonathan, went into effect on January 7th, 2014. The law banned all gay marriages and threatened anyone taking part in same-sex relationships with a fourteen year prison sentence. Also, any legal same-sex marriages in other countries would be void in Nigeria. -
Presbyterian Church allow gay weddings
The Presbyterian Church voted to allow gay and lesbian weddings within the church. This vote made the largest Christian denomination to take an approving step towards gay marriage. They voted to allow pastors to perform these weddings only in states where it is already legal. They also made a change in wording to the church's book of order from "a man and a woman" to "two persons". -
Obergefell v. Hodges
This case was a landmark civil rights case that ruled that the right to marry is a fundamental right. This right is guaranteed both by the due process clause and the equal protection clause of the 14th Amendment. This case required that all 50 states recognize same-sex marriages and that they have all the same rights as other couples. -
Taiwan becomes first Asian country to legalize gay marriage
Taiwan is the first country in Asia to legalize same-sex marriage. This event happened very recently and is an important development to the same sex marriage debate. This came almost two years after a court ruling which declared the existing law banning same-sex marriage was unconstitutional.
