Marriage Equality Since DOMA's Downfall

Kilian Melloy READ TIME: 2 MIN.

It's been a remarkable year for marriage equality. Since section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act was overruled by the Supreme Court in United States v. Windsor 14 states have either legalized marriage equality, or the ban on marriage equality has been ruled unconstitutional, while two other states have been ordered to recognize of out-of-state same-sex marriages.

This timeline shows the progression of marriage equality since the end of DOMA. In most, if not all, of the judicial rulings they judge's have cited the Windsor case as one of the reasons of ruling marriage bans unconstitutional.

September 27, 2013
New Jersey high court overrules the gay marriage ban in Garden State Equality v. Dow. Gov. Chris Christie later drops the state's appeal.

November 13, 2013
Hawaii Marriage Equality Act passed by the Hawaii State Legislature paving the way for gay marriages in the state.

November 20, 2013
Marriage equality is passed by the Illinois General Assembly and the law goes into effect June 1.

December 19, 2013
New Mexico Supreme Court rules in favor of gay marriage in Griego v. Oliver.

December 20, 2013
United States District Court for the District of Utah overturns the gay marriage ban in Utah in Kitchen v. Herbert.

January 14, 2014
United States District Court for the Northern District of Oklahoma overturns the gay marriage ban in Oklahoma in Bishop v. Oklahoma.

February 12, 2014
U.S. District Judge John G. Heyburn rules Kentucky's refusal to recognize same-sex marriages from other jurisdictions unconstitutional.

February 13, 2014
United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia overturns the gay marriage ban in Viringia in Bostic v. Rainey.

February 26, 2014
United States District Court for the Western District of Texas overturns the gay marriage ban in Texas in De Leon v. Perry.

March 21, 2014
United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan overturns the gay marriage ban in Michigan in DeBoer v. Snyder.

April 14, 2014
A judge rules that Ohio must recognize same-sex marriages from other jurisdictions.

May 9, 2014
Pulaski County Circuit Court overturns the gay marriage ban in Arkansas in Wright v. Arkansas struck down the same-sex marriage ban.

May 13, 2014
U.S. District Court overturns the gay marriage ban in Idaho in Latta v. Otter.

May 19, 2014
United States District Court for the District of Oregon overturns the gay marriage ban in Oregon in Geiger v. Kitzhaber. Oregon does not appeal the ruling so the National Organization for Marriage steps in and appeals. The Supreme Court rejects their appeal permanently legalizing gay marriage in the state.

May 20, 2014
United States District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania overturns the ban on gay marriage in Whitewood v. Wolf. Later Gov. Tom Corbett, a Republican, decides to not appeal the decision because it's unlikely to succeed.

June 6, 2014
United States District Court for the Western District of Wisconsin overturns the gay marriage ban in Wisconsin in Wolf v. Walker.


by Kilian Melloy , EDGE Staff Reporter

Kilian Melloy serves as EDGE Media Network's Associate Arts Editor and Staff Contributor. His professional memberships include the National Lesbian & Gay Journalists Association, the Boston Online Film Critics Association, The Gay and Lesbian Entertainment Critics Association, and the Boston Theater Critics Association's Elliot Norton Awards Committee.

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