Equality for some

If you are gay in America, this is the current patchwork of what marital law looks like. 

You might be able to lawfully wed in one state, but not have it legally recognized in another state. 

Actually, it is even more complicated then that....

Laws regarding same-sex partnerships in the United States

  Same-sex marriage¹

  Unions granting rights similar to marriage^1,2

  Legislation granting limited/enumerated rights¹

  Same-sex marriages performed elsewhere recognized¹

  No specific prohibition or recognition of same-sex marriages or unions

  Statute bans same-sex marriage

  Constitution bans same-sex marriage

  Constitution bans same-sex marriage and some or all other kinds of same-sex unions

---

¹May include recent laws or court decisions which have created legal recognition of same-sex relationships, but which have not entered into effect yet.
²Same-sex marriage laws in California are complicated; please see the article on same-sex marriage in California.

If that's confusing, simply refer to this State by State chart:

State	Marriage					Same-sex unions				Notes
	Defined		Result			Civil Unions		Domestic Partnership
	Constitution	Statute	Licenses	Recogn.		Def.	Status	Def.	Status
Alabama	Yes	Yes	Banned			Banned		No	None
Alaska	Yes	Yes	Banned			No	None	No	None	Petitions are made to start a ban ballot on civil unions too.
Arizona	Yes	Yes	Banned			No	None	No	None
Arkansas	Yes	Yes	Banned			Banned		No	None
California	Yes	Yes (°)	Banned Ban upheld by California Supreme Court.[3] Ban overturned by theDistrict Court for Northern California, ruling stayed pending appeal.	Yes; Conditional		No	None	No	Yes	Main article:Same-sex marriage in California 2 Attempts to pass marriage have been vetoed by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. Supreme Court struck down ban on same-sex marriage (In Re Marriage Cases). Proposition 8 qualifies by petition as an initiative for constitutional amendment to ban marriage. Originally granting only hospital visitation rights, the scope of domestic partnerships was gradually expanded over a three-year period. Taking effect on January 1, 2005, A.B. 205 extended to domestic partnerships virtually all the legal rights and responsibilities of marriage in California. Thus, domestic partnership in California has been effectively transformed into a civil union status.
Colorado	Yes	Yes	Banned			No	Failed (Still Proposed)	Yes	On November 2006 ballot, Colorado banned marriage but rejected areferendum to allow a "civil union"-likedomestic partnership, sustained by aconstitutional amendment. See also this table
Connecticut	No	No	Legal* by Supreme Court decision, then by legislation.	Yes		Expires on 1 October 2010	Expires on 1 October 2010	None	None	Main article: Same-sex marriage in Connecticut Connecticut allows full civil marriage licences to same-sex couples. Civil unions expire from 1 October 2010.
Delaware	No	Yes	Not legal	Not legal		As Civil Unions Effective 6/1/11	Yes (Effective 1/1/2012)	No	None
District of Columbia	No	No	Legal	Yes		No	None	No	Legal*	Main article: Same-sex marriage in the District of Columbia Domestic partnerships were enacted in 1992; implemented from 2002 and then expanded from 2003 to 2009. Same-sex marriages were legalized on December 18, 2009 and marriages began on March 9, 2010.
Florida	Yes	Yes	Banned			Banned		No	None
Georgia	Yes	Yes	Banned			Banned		No	None
Hawaii	Yes	Yes	Ban permitted Not legal.	As Civil Union Effective 1/1/12		Yes	None (Effective 1/1/12)	No	Legal*	Minimal benefits, available to all adults, including relatives; official terminology isreciprocal beneficiary relationship*.[2] Civil Union Bill 2010 has been approved in the 2010 Senate, vote pending in the Hawaii House Committee.
Idaho	Yes	Yes	Banned			Banned		No	None
Illinois	No	Yes	Not legal	As Civil Unions Effective 6/1/11		No	YesEffective 6/1/11	No	None	Petitions are made to start a ban ballot. Marriage or civil union proposition, heading rather to civil unions.
Indiana	No	Yes	Not legal	Not legal		No	None	No	None	Legislative initiative to start a ban ballot.
Iowa	No	No	Legal* by Supreme Court decision	Yes		No	None	No	None	Main article: Same-sex marriage in Iowa In August 2007, Polk County judge ruled Iowa's statutory ban on same-sex marriage was unconstitutional, but ruling was quickly stayed and appealed. On appeal, the Iowa Supreme Court upheld the Polk County ruling in the case of Varnum v. Brien. Legislative initiative to begin constitutionalban ballot process was unsuccessful in 2009. Republicans in opposition vow to push the issue in 2010 legislative session.
Kansas	Yes	Yes	Banned			Banned		Uncertain
Kentucky	Yes	Yes	Banned			Banned		No	None
Louisiana	Yes	Yes	Banned			Banned		No	None
Maine	No (but proposed byRepublicans)	Banned by statute since 1997 and was rejected by "the people's veto" in 2009.	No (rejected by "the people's veto" in 2009)	No (rejected by "the people's veto"in 2009)		No	None	Yes (both opposite sex and same sex)	Legal*	Main article: Domestic partnership in Maine The Maine Domestic Partnership Act came into effect on July 30, 2004.[1] Same-sex couple who married elsewhere may register their marriage as a domestic partnership. The "people's veto" won by 52.9 percent in November 2009.
Maryland	No	Yes	Not legal* Same-Sex Marriage Postponed until 2012	Not legal		No	None	Few rights, unregistered domestic partnerships provide certain limited legal rights - just like Wisconsin, Hawaii and Colorado.	Legal*	Main article: Same-sex marriage in Maryland "The first state law defining marriage as a union between a man and woman was adopted by Maryland in 1973."[1]
Massachusetts	No	No	Legal* by Supreme Court decision	Yes.		No	None	No	None	Main article: Same-sex marriage in Massachusetts
Michigan	Yes	Yes	Banned			Banned		Banned* by Supreme Court decision
Minnesota	No	Yes	Not legal	Not legal		No	None	No	None	Legislative initiative and petitions are made to start a ban ballot.
Mississippi	Yes	Yes	Banned			No	None	No	None
Missouri	Yes	Yes	Banned			No	None	No	None
Montana	Yes	Yes	Banned			No	None	No	None
Nebraska	Yes	Yes	Banned			Banned		Banned
Nevada	Yes	Yes	Banned			No	No	Yes	Yes	Domestic partnership legislation in Nevada is similar to the Californian/Oregon models.
New Hampshire	No	No	Legal	Yes		No	Legal - Expires on midnight 1/1/2011.	No	None	New Hampshire allows full civil marriage licences to same-sex couples, civil unions to expire and convert into marriage from 1 January 2011.
New Jersey	Proposal rejected	No*	None	As civil unions		No	Legal	No	No more but present valid ones allowed.	Main article: Same-sex marriage in New Jersey The state of New Jersey has neither allowed nor recognized marriages between couples of the same-sex. However, the New Jersey Supreme Court, in Lewis v. Harris, required the New Jersey Legislature to change state law by April 24, 2007 to afford same-sex couples the same rights as heterosexual couples.[4] A bill now allows civil unions that will supersede domestic partnerships. These are no more applied but may remain for the present ones.
New Mexico	No	No	None	None		No	None	No	None	Does not contain any public policy explicitly banning same-sex marriage nor defining marriage as between a man and a woman (effectively making the state neutral).
New York	Yes	Yes	Legal* Approved June 24, 2011	Yes, by governmental entities; seeSame sex marriage in New York.		Yes	None	No	None	Main article: Same-sex marriage in New York
North Carolina	No	Yes	Not legal	Not legal		No	None	No	None	Legislative initiative to start a ban ballot.
North Dakota	Yes	Yes	Banned			Banned		No	None
Ohio	Yes	Yes	Banned			Banned		No	None
Oklahoma	Yes	Yes	Banned			Banned		No	None
Oregon	Yes	No	Banned*			No	Legal	No	Yes	Main article: Same-sex marriage in Oregon Domestic partnership legislation in Oregon is very similar to the California and Nevada model.
Pennsylvania	No	Yes	Not legal	Not legal		No	None	No	None	Petitions are made to start a ban ballot.
Rhode Island	No	No	Proposed	Yes		No	Proposed	No	None	Does not contain any public policy explicitly banning same-sex marriage nor defining marriage as between a man and a woman (effectively making the state neutral). Does not award marriage licenses, but does extend limited rights to same-sex couples.[2]Now this is the basis on which RI will recognize the same-sex couples married in Massachusetts according to the Attorney General.
South Carolina	Yes	Yes	Banned			Banned		Yes	None
South Dakota	Yes	Yes	Banned			Banned		Banned
Tennessee	Yes	Yes	Banned			No	None	No	None
Texas	Yes	Yes	Banned			Banned		No	None
Utah	Yes	Yes	Banned			Banned		No	None
Vermont	No	No	Legal[5]	Yes		No	No more but present valid ones allowed.	No	None	Vermont allows full civil marriage licences to same-sex couples. Civil unions still recognised before 31 August 2009, but can not be performed after that date - also there is no "conversion into civil marriage" (as CT and NH have done).
Virginia	Yes	Yes	Banned			Banned		Banned
Washington	No	Yes	Not legal *	As domestic partners		No	None	Yes (same-sex only)	Legal	Main article: Same-sex marriage in Washington Same-sex couple who married elsewhere may register their marriage as a domestic partnership. The 2009 reforms called the"all-but-marriage" law will come into effect from December 3, 2009, since it wasapproved by voters by 53 percent.
West Virginia	No	Yes	Not legal	Not legal		No	None	No	None	Petitions are made to start a ban ballot.
Wisconsin	Yes	Yes	Banned			Banned		Yes	Yes	Domestic partnerships provide certain limited legal rights - just like Hawaii, Maryland and Colorado.
Wyoming	No	Yes	Not legal	Not legal		No	None	No	None	State law pre-dates DOMA.[1]
State	Marriage					Same-sex unions				Notes
	Defined		Result			Civil Unions		Domestic Partnership
	Constitution	Statute	Licenses

Clear now?

As much as it is a small victory for "States Rights" to one by one, individually fight in each state for the equal right of marriage for some, because it is not Federal, the laws do not follow over state lines. 

How would you like it if you got married in one state, but the marriage was not legally binding in another?

How about Oregon, passed a law making gay marriage legal, then having it overturned & the marriages reversed?

Can you imagine getting the you are now "unmarried"  due to political changes, notice in the mail??

Yes, No, Banned, Pending, Conditional, Postponed,  Civil Unions, Domestic Partnership.... what a mess. 




Speaking of messes, that State by State spreadsheet spilled over. 


The "Notes" section will make your head spin:
California: 
Same-sex marriage in California

• 2 Attempts to pass marriage have been vetoed by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger.
• Supreme Court struck down ban on same-sex marriage (In Re Marriage Cases).
• Proposition 8 qualifies by petition as an initiative for constitutional amendment to ban marriage.

Originally granting only hospital visitation rights, the scope of domestic partnerships was gradually expanded over a three-year period. Taking effect on January 1, 2005, A.B. 205 extended to domestic partnerships virtually all the legal rights and responsibilities of marriage in California. Thus, domestic partnership in California has been effectively transformed into a civil union status.

Iowa: 

Same-sex marriage in Iowa

In August 2007, Polk County judge ruled Iowa's statutory ban on same-sex marriage was unconstitutional, but ruling was quickly stayed and appealed. On appeal, the Iowa Supreme Court upheld the Polk County ruling in the case of Varnum v. Brien.

Legislative initiative to begin constitutionalban ballot process was unsuccessful in 2009. Republicans in opposition vow to push the issue in 2010 legislative session.

Washington: Same-sex couple who married elsewhere may register their marriage as a domestic partnership. The 2009 reforms called the"all-but-marriage" law will come into effect from December 3, 2009, since it wasapproved by voters by 53 percent.

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