A U.S. district court ruled on Aug. 21, 2014, that Florida’s ban of same-sex marriage violated the Fourteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which provides for equal treatment under the law. On Jan. 6, 2015, after a temporary stay of the ruling, marriage licenses began to be issued to same-sex couples in Florida.
Less than 11 years ago, same-sex marriages were not legal in any of the nation’s 50 states. Beginning with a Massachusetts court decision in 2005, at this writing same-sex marriage is now legal, either by statute or by court ruling, in 37 states. The U.S. Supreme Court recently has agreed to hear cases challenging bans on same-sex marriage in the remaining states. And it seems likely that by 2016, same-sex marriages will be legal, and any such marriages performed in a jurisdiction will be required to be recognized in all 50 states.
