Wyoming
STATUS: Anti-marriage law, no anti-gay constitutional amendment
TAKE ACTION: State advocacy groups are working toward fairness for all of Wyoming's families by blocking attempts to write discrimination into the state constitution.
HISTORY: Several times in the past six years, the Wyoming state legislature has proposed or voted on a constitutional amendment to define marriage as a relationship between one man and one woman, but the amendment has never been approved or advanced.
In 1977, the Wyoming legislature approved a state statute that forbid the government from recognizing or performing marriages between same-sex couples.
GROUPS ACTIVELY WORKING ON MARRIAGE:
- Wyoming Equality is Wyoming's central organization connecting the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community.
- Freedom to Marry is the campaign to win marriage for same-sex couples nationwide.
- Human Rights Campaign is the United States' largest national lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender civil rights organization.
POLLING DATA: Support for the freedom to marry has increased sharply in the past 8 years, with 41% of the state's residents now supporting marriage. In 2004, just 26% were supportive. (Williams Institute, 2012)
NUMBER OF SAME-SEX COUPLES: According to The Williams Institute's analysis of the 2010 U.S. Census, 657 same-sex couples are living in Wyoming, representing 2.9 same-sex couples per 1,000 households.
Blog Posts Related to Wyoming
Indiana legislature delays vote on anti-gay marriage amendment
Today, legislative leaders from Indiana's House and Senate announced that they would not vote in 2013 on an anti-gay constitutional amendment that proposes to permanently limit the freedom to marry for same-sex couples. The move is the latest example of states in nearly every region of the country taking steps forward rather than backward on the freedom to marry.
Wyoming House Committee advances domestic partnership bill
Today, the Wyoming House Corporations Committee advanced a bill that would allow same-sex couples to join together in domestic partnerships. We applaud the members of the Wyoming House Corporations Committee for taking that first step, but we know that the freedom to marry is the only way to achieve true equality.
Wyoming Anti-Marriage Bill Fails in Senate
The measure would have stopped the state from recognizing the marriages of gay couples who got married outside Wyoming. The bill did pass the House, but not before a passionate debate that included some Republicans in opposition.
Resources Related to Wyoming
Party Principles: Support for the Freedom to Marry by State and National Political Parties
A listing of both state and national political parties that have made strong statements in support of the freedom to marry.
Wyoming Census Snapshot
Demographic and economic information about same-sex couples and same-sex couples raising children in Wyoming.
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".