The historical progression of same-sex marriage in the United States is a testament to the nation's civil rights advancements. Beginning with the Stonewall Riots and gaining momentum in the 1970s, the movement saw Massachusetts become the first state to legalize same-sex marriage in 2004. The Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) posed significant challenges, but was eventually overturned, leading to the Supreme Court's decision in Obergefell v. Hodges in 2015, which mandated nationwide recognition of same-sex marriages.
Show More
The Stonewall Riots in the 1970s sparked the movement for same-sex marriage in the United States
Obergefell v. Hodges
The Supreme Court's decision in Obergefell v. Hodges in 2015 mandated the recognition of same-sex marriage across all states
Decades of advocacy and legal battles culminated in the legalization of same-sex marriage in the United States
The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court's ruling in Goodridge v. Department of Public Health in 2003 made it the first state to legally recognize same-sex marriage
The first legally sanctioned same-sex marriage in the United States took place in Cambridge, Massachusetts in 2004
The legalization of same-sex marriage in Massachusetts marked a watershed moment for marriage equality
The enactment of DOMA in 1996 significantly shaped the legal landscape for same-sex marriage in the United States
DOMA imposed considerable inequalities, denying federal benefits and protections to same-sex married couples
The early 2000s saw a patchwork of state-level actions regarding same-sex marriage, including the introduction of civil unions in Vermont and the passing of constitutional amendments in several states
The Supreme Court's ruling in Obergefell v. Hodges in 2015 declared the exclusion of same-sex couples from the right to marry as unconstitutional
The Court's majority opinion stated that the right to marry is a fundamental liberty
The Supreme Court's decision legalized same-sex marriage throughout the United States
00
Significance of Obergefell v. Hodges
2015 Supreme Court case legalizing same-sex marriage nationwide, affirming marriage equality as a civil right.
01
Cultural shift's role in same-sex marriage legalization
Changing societal attitudes towards LGBTQ+ individuals influenced legal acceptance and support for same-sex marriage.
02
Impact of same-sex marriage recognition
Mandated equal marriage rights in all states, ensuring legal benefits and protections for same-sex couples.
