Q: In which states do same-sex couples have the freedom to marry?

A: Same-sex couples are able to marry in 12 states: Connecticut, Delaware (Takes Effect July 1), Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota (Takes Effect August 1), New Hampshire, New York, Rhode Island (Takes Effect August 1), Vermont, and Washington, as well as the District of Columbia. New Mexico honors out-of-state marriages between same-sex couples but does not perform them in-state. 

 

Q: In which states can same-sex couples attain some form of legal protection for their relationships?

A: Same-sex couples in 20 states plus the District of Columbia can receive some form of state-level protection for their relationships - whether marriage (CT, DC, DE, IA, ME, MD, MA, MN, NH, NY, VT, and WA), explicit respect for out-of-state marriages (NM), full domestic partnership or civil union (CA, CO, HI, IL, NV, NJ, OR) or more limited domestic partnerships (WI). 

 

Q: Which states currently have laws - whether constitutional amendments or anti-marriage state statutes - that prohibit the freedom to marry or limit legal protections for same-sex relationships?

A: 36 states have anti-marriage laws or constitutional amendments on the books. These include 10 states with constitutional amendments prohibiting the freedom to marry, 20 states with constitutional amendments prohibiting the freedom to marry AND alternative forms of legal relationship protection, 1 state with a constitutional amendment allowing the state legislature to restrict marriage to different-sex couples, and 5 states with state statutes limiting the freedom to marry but NOT constitutional amendments (IL, IN, PA, WV, WY). See the full break-down below.  

 

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To learn more about each state's laws or get involved, visit our state pages.  

 

Marriage (12 Jurisdictions)

Connecticut, Delaware (Takes Effect July 1), District of Columbia, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New York, Rhode Island (Takes Effect August 1), Vermont, and Washington

 

Honoring Out-of-State Marriages of Same-Sex Couples (1 State)

New Mexico

 

Civil Union (4 States)

Colorado, Hawaii, Illinois, New Jersey

 

Broad Domestic Partnership (3 States)

California, Nevada, and Oregon

 

Partial State Protections (1 State)

Wisconsin

 

Anti-Relationship Recognition Constitutional Amendments (20 states)*

Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Nebraska, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Wisconsin

 

Anti-Marriage Constitutional Amendments (10 States)

Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Missouri, Mississippi, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Tennessee

 

Constitutional Amendment Allowing Legislature to Restrict Marriage (1 State)

Hawaii

 

Anti-Marriage Laws (33 states)**

Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Missouri, Mississippi, Montana, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming

 

* States where language goes beyond just marriage and affects other legal relationships, such as civil unions or domestic partnerships 

 

** This list includes states with laws or statutes that prohibit marriage. The list includes all states with constitutional amendments that prohibit marriage or relationship recognition for same-sex couples (and Hawaii), with the exception of Nevada, Nebraska, and Oregon.