Updated 1 February 2011

In our ongoing effort to support marriage equality throughout the United States and around the world, we offer this update as a resource for congregations preparing marriage equality events this month.

We also offer tips to help improve the success of marriage equality actions. We are grateful for the work of Evan Wolfson and his Freedom to Marry organization for much of the information contained here. That organization’s website www.freedomtomarry.org is an invaluable resource available to all.

Five states (Massachusetts, Connecticut, Iowa, Vermont, and New Hampshire) plus the District of Columbia have the freedom to marry for gay couples, and there are three more states (Maryland, Rhode Island and New York) that officially pledge non-discrimination against marriages between same-sex couples from other states.

Various states now offer broad protections short of marriage, including civil union in Illinois and New Jersey, and broad domestic partnership in Oregon, Washington, Nevada, and California. Smaller packages of protections for same-sex couples are available in Hawaii, Maryland, Maine, Colorado, and Wisconsin.

With these advances, nearly 14% of the US population lives in a state that either has the freedom to marry for gay couples or honors out-of-state marriages of gay couples. 25% live in a state with either marriage or a broad legal status such as civil union/partnership.

When the Illinois Civil Union Act is signed into law, more than 40% of the US population (over 125 million Americans) will live in a state which provides some form of protections for gay couples.

The situation described above is constantly changing. For example, on Tuesday February 1 the Iowa State House is set to debate a resolution that would forbid Domestic Partnerships, Gay Marriage and Civil Unions in that state, if voters approve a proposed constitutional amendment. Debate is ongoing in states like Massachusetts where the desire exists to offer same sex married couples the same Federal benefits offered to opposite sex couples. The Obama Administration appears to be shifting in its positions on full equality for LGBT citizens. It remains to be seen whether the President will support full Marriage Equality.

It is clear that now, as much as ever, theo-political activism is needed from people of faith who support equality for all, and Metropolitan Community Churches, as a historic partner in this struggle has a key role to play.

Report This Post