In January 1973, Maryland became to the first state to formally ban gay marriage, refusing to issue any licenses to same sex couples. By 1994, the entirety of the United States had followed suit and banned the practice as well. It wouldn’t be until November 2003, almost ten years later, that Massachusetts would finally overturn this ruling, and allow same sex couples to wed. Since then, thirty six other states have also abolished the outdated law, but there are still many steps that need to be taken down this road of equality. Gay marriage is a big leap forward in the pursuit of equality, but it is just one of many. Despite this, it is no less important than any other issues the LGBT+ community faces. This is evident by the fact that there …show more content…
Before legalizing gay marriage, many states allowed same sex couples to have a legally binding civil unions. According to the Gay and Lesbian Advocates and Defenders, a civil union is defined as providing “legal protection to couples at the state law level, but omits federal protections as well as the dignity, clarity, security and power of the word ‘marriage’” (LGBT Legal Advocates 2). The latter half of the definition is up to interpretation, but encapsulates many of the reasons why the LGBT+ community find issue with civil unions. This simple act of allowing civil unions, but not legal marriages, may have seemed like a step in the right direction for the gay rights movement, when in reality, it was just seen as patronizing and condescending. Why shouldn’t same sex couples be allowed to legally marry, when the process was all the same as if it were a marriage between a man and a woman? However, justice was soon served, as five states, which include Connecticut, Delaware, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont, all changed their laws, switching from civil unions for gay couples to marriage by the year