Same-sex marriage is a legal marriage between two people of the same sex. It is sometimes called gay marriage. Some people believe that same-sex couples should have the same rights as heterosexual couples, including the right to marry. Other people oppose same-sex marriage for moral, cultural, or religious reasons.
A majority of countries do not legally recognize same-sex marriages. But same-sex marriages are legal in dozens of countries, including the United States. Some countries and U.S. states have allowed same-sex couples to enter into civil unions or domestic partnerships. These are legal relationships similar to a marriage, but usually with fewer rights and responsibilities.
The movement to obtain marriage rights and benefits for same-sex couples in the United States began in the early 1970’s. Same-sex marriage became a nationally debated issue after the Supreme Court of Hawaii issued a ruling in 1993 supporting same-sex marriages. In 1996, the U.S. Congress passed the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA). This law excluded same-sex marriage from federal government recognition. It defined marriage as “a legal union between one man and one woman as husband and wife.” It also declared that no state had to recognize a relationship between persons of the same sex as a marriage, even if the couple was considered married in another state. A 2003 ruling by a Massachusetts court resulted in Massachusetts becoming the first U.S. state to permit same-sex marriages, beginning in 2004.
In 2012, two federal appeals courts ruled that DOMA was unconstitutional. In 2013, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down a key provision of DOMA. The court’s ruling permitted same-sex spouses to receive the same federal benefits as heterosexual spouses. By 2015, more than half of all U.S. states had legalized same-sex marriage. That same year, the Supreme Court ruled in the case of Obergefell v. Hodges that the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution required all states to grant same-sex marriages and to recognize same-sex marriages granted in other states.
