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Same-sex marriage law in the united states by state
What country was the first to legalize same-sex marriages quizlet...
Early Years: Same-Sex Marriage Bans
How the Stonewall Riots Sparked a Movement
In 1970, just one year after the historic Stonewall Riots that galvanized the gay rights movement, law student Richard Baker and librarian James McConnell applied for a marriage license in Minnesota.
Clerk Gerald Nelson rejected their application because they were a same-sex couple, and a trial court upheld his decision.
Baker and McConnell appealed, but the state Supreme Court affirmed the trial judge’s decision in 1971 in Baker v. Nelson.
When the couple appealed again, the U.S. Supreme Court in 1972 declined to hear the case “for want of a substantial federal question.” This ruling effectively blocked federal courts from ruling on same-sex marriage for decades, leaving the decision solely in the hands of states, which dealt blow after blow to those hoping to see gay marriage becoming legal.
In 1973, for instance, Maryland became the first state to create a law that explicitly defines marriage as a union between a man and woman, a belief held by many conservative religious groups.
Other states
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