We Stand United: An Lgbt Guide

Lgbt Acceptance History

Lgbt Acceptance wasn't always a thing. There were times when you could not have same sex marriage, or you HAD to get married. Even being anything other than your assigned sex was a crime.

Lgbt acceptance didn't happen until recently, and frankly, we still have a ways to go until we are all the way there, but little by little, we are making our mark.

So, here is the timeline of same-sex marriage history:

1970 - A same-sex couple in Minnesota applies for a marriage license. They are denied and their case goes to the state Supreme Court.

1973 - Maryland becomes the first state to ban same-sex marriage

1976 - a non-church sanctioned gay wedding makes news

1983 - 'spousal' rights of same-sex couples become an issue - a lesbian couple is confronted with the spousal rights issue when one of them is in a car accident and the other is denied the right to care for her.

1984 - Berkeley, CA passes the nation's first domestic partnership law

1987 - first mass same-sex wedding ceremony - occurs on the National Mall - nearly 2000 same-sex marriages take place

1989 - court rulings in NY and CA define same-sex couples as families

1992 - same-sex employees begin to receive domestic partner benefits from Levi Strauss & Co. and the state of Mass.

1993 - the Hawaii Supreme Court rules that same-sex marriages cannot be denied unless there is a "compelling" reason to do so - Hawaii legislators respond by passing an amendment to ban gay marriage

1995 - Utah governor signs a state DOMA statute into law

1996 - President Clinton signs the federal DOMA

1997 - Hawaii becomes the first state to offer domestic partnership benefits to same sex couples

1998 - Alaskan and Hawaiian voters approve state constitutional bans on same-sex marriage

1999 - Vermont's Supreme Court rules that same-sex couples must receive the same benefits and protections as any other married couple under the Vermont Constitution

2000 - the Central Conference of American Rabbis agrees to allow religious ceremonies for same-sex couples while Vermont becomes the first state to pass a law granting the full benefits of marriage to same-sex couples. Nebraska voters approve a state constitutional ban on same-sex marriage

2002 - Nevada votes to approve a state constitutional ban on same-sex marriage

2003 - A proposed amendment to the federal Constitution is introduced to the House of Representatives. It would define marriage as only between a man and a woman. The U.S. Supreme Court decides Lawrence v. Texas, striking down sodomy law and enshrining a broad constitutional right to sexual privacy. California passes a domestic partnership law which provides same-sex partners with almost all the rights and responsibilities as spouses in civil marriages. President Bush states that he wants marriage reserves for heterosexuals and the Massachusetts Supreme Court hands down a decision that makes Massachusetts the first state to legalize gay marriage.

2004 - The city of San Francisco begins marrying same-sex couples in an open challenge to CA law and New Mexico begins issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples as their law does not mention gender. Portland, Oregon also begins issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples. A poll taken by the Washington Post shows that 51% of the country favors allowing same-sex couples to form civil unions. While San Francisco is told to halt same-sex unions, Oregon takes the more drastic step of halting all marriages until the state decides who can and cannot wed. The proposed constitutional amendment with the same-sex ban dies in the U.S. Senate after testimony against it from conservative politicians. Missouri votes to ban same-sex marriage. Washington state says yes to same-sex marriage in a court decision while the California Supreme Court voids same-sex marriages. Several states pass initiatives to ban same-sex marriages.