Alabama
STATUS: Anti-relationship recognition constitutional amendment
TAKE ACTION: State advocacy groups continue to work toward repealing marriage and relationship recognition discrimination and winning the freedom to marry for the citizens of Alabama.
HISTORY: In 2005, the Alabama state legislature passed a bill that allowed the state's residents to vote on a constitutional amendment to ban all forms of family status for same-sex couples. The amendment passed, cementing clearly discriminatory language into official state policy.
In June 2006 anti-gay forces in Alabama pushed through an anti-marriage constitutional amendment, the so-called Alabama Sanctity of Marriage Amendment, which excludes same-sex couples from marriage and bars them from attaining any other form of family status.
GROUPS ACTIVELY WORKING ON MARRIAGE:
- Equality Alabama is working to advance full equality and civil rights for all the people of Alabama through education and action.
- Freedom to Marry is the campaign to win marriage for same-sex couples nationwide.
- Human Rights Campaign is the United States' largest civil rights organization working to achieve lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) equality.
POLLING DATA: Support for the freedom to marry has doubled in Alabama in the past 8 years, with 32% of the population now supporting marriage. In 2004, just 16% were supportive. (Williams Institute, 2012)
NUMBER OF SAME-SEX COUPLES: According to The Williams Institute's analysis of the 2010 U.S. Census, 6,582 same-sex couples are living in Alabama, representing 3.5 same-sex couples per 1,000 households.
Blog Posts Related to Alabama
Couples across the south stand up for marriage with the Campaign for Southern Equality
For the past week, the Campaign for Southern Equality has been touring across the South with its "We Do" campaign, where same-sex couples request marriage licenses and provoke denials in order to illustrate the discriminatory marriage laws in these states. Check out stories and video from the campaign!
‘We Do’ campaign will confront marriage discrimination across the south
For over a year, the Campaign for Southern Equality has been leading the We Do campaign, where same-sex couples request - and are denied - marriage licenses in their home communities. As they gear up for Stage 4 of their campaign, Freedom to Marry spoke with Rev. Jasmine Beach-Ferrara, the organization's Executive Director.
Editorial: Fair Courts in the Cross-Fire
The New York Times editorial board criticizes campaigns against justices around the country, including an anti-gay campaign against the three Iowa Supreme Court justices who ruled in favor of marriage for lesbian and gay couples in the state.
Resources Related to Alabama
Children’s book Uncle Bobby’s Wedding charms with effortless inclusion
An LGBT-inclusive children's book about an anthropomorphic young guinea pig who worries that Uncle Bobby won't keep having fun with her after he marries his boyfriend Jamie.
Alabama Census Snapshot
Demographic and economic information about same-sex couples and same-sex couples raising children in Alabama
Geographic Trends Among Same-Sex Couples in the U.S. Census and the American Community Survey
Groundbreaking research showing a huge increase in same-sex couples identifying themselves as "unmarried partners".