Arizona

STATUS: Anti-marriage 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 Arizona. 

HISTORY: In November 2006, a proposed anti-marriage constitutional amendment was rejected at the ballot in Arizona. With this, Arizona became the first state to reject an anti-marriage constitutional amendment, by a margin of 52 percent to 48 percent.

In November 2008, however, anti-gay forces in Arizona pushed through an anti-marriage constitutional amendment that excluded same-sex couples from marriage.

POLLING DATA: In Arizona, a super-majority of voters (77%) believe that same-sex couples should be able to either marry or form civil unions. 79% of Hispanic respondents said they approve of marriage for all couples. (Public Policy Polling, May 2012)

GROUPS ACTIVELY WORKING ON MARRIAGE:

  • Equality Arizona is the state's largest LGBT civil rights organization working to secure, protect and defend the rights and welfare of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people in Arizona.
  • 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. 

NUMBER OF SAME-SEX COUPLES: According to The Williams Institute's analysis of the 2010 U.S. Census, 15,817 same-sex couples are living in Connecticut, representing 6.6 same-sex couples per 1,000 households. 

Blog Posts Related to Arizona

New polls demonstrate majority support for marriage in Arizona, Michigan and Virginia

This week, new polls were released demonstrating majority support for the freedom to marry in three states where same-sex couples currently do not have the freedom to marry. Check out the inspiring results from Arizona, Michigan, and Virginia!

Op-Ed: A gay agenda for everyone

Dan Savage discusses why he believes President Obama should address gay rights - specifically marriage equality - in his State of the Union speech this week.

Nuns blast bishops for their opposition to the freedom to marry

An organization of American Catholic nuns has denounced the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops for reiterating its opposition to legalizing marriage for same-sex couples at its annual meeting in Baltimore this week while remaining silent on anti-gay bullying and gay teen suicide.

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Resources Related to Arizona

Southern Poverty Law Center: 18 Anti-Gay Groups and Their Propaganda

The Southern Poverty Law Center provides a detailed listing of anti-gay groups know for their dangerous propaganda aimed at lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people.

Results from Ballot Measures in AZ, AR, CA, CT and FL

Find results for states with anti-gay ballot measures in the 2008 election.

Arizona Census Snapshot

Demographic and economic information about same-sex couples and same-sex couples raising children in Arizona.

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