Arizona gay marriage laws

Same-sex marriage has been legal in Arizona since October 17, The U.S. state had denied marriage rights to same-sex couples by statute since and by an amendment to its State Constitution approved by voters in In , Arizona did pass Proposition , which stated that only a union between a man and a woman would be recognized in that state.

The gay marriage debate in Arizona rages on. However, the The Arizona Together Coalition successfully prevented Proposition from becoming legal. The voters in Arizona voted against the ballot initiative. In Arizona, same-sex marriage has been legal since , when the state chose not to appeal a federal court’s decision that the state’s constitutional amendment barring same-sex marriage was unconstitutional.

Same-sex marriage first became legal in Arizona in after the state’s decision not to file an appeal of a federal court’s ruling that the state’s constitutional amendment that barred same-sex marriage was unconstitutional. Same-sex-marriage has been legal in the state of Arizona since In October of that year, the 9 th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that laws denying same-sex marriage were unconstitutional because they prevented same-sex couples from receiving equal protection of the law.

Same-sex couples began marrying in Arizona on October 17, after U. The ruling came ten days after the United States Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit ruled in favor of the freedom to marry in cases from Nevada and Idaho on October 7. History and the Path to Victory: April Anti-gay forces in Arizona force a bill through the legislature restricting marriage to different-sex couples after a same-sex couple receives a marriage license in the state.

The marriage license is later revoked. A similar statute is again passed in November 6, Anti-marriage forces attempt to ban same-sex couples from marriage or any other legal family status with Proposition , but voters reject the measure, in a narrow vote — the first-ever successful defeat of an anti-marriage constitutional amendment at the ballot.

marriage license arizona

November 4, Opponents of the freedom to marry in Arizona once again attempt a discriminatory constitutional amendment, Proposition , which denies same-sex couples the freedom to marry. The amendment is narrowly passed and cements clearly discriminatory language into the Arizona Constitution.

May Polling in Arizona tracks a marked growth in support for the freedom to marry, reflecting the power of the national discussion of why marriage matters. January 6, Same-sex couples and private counsel file a federal legal case seeking the freedom to marry in Arizona, Connolly v. Horne , is filed, building momentum for marriage in the courts. Read the initial complaint in Connolly and the initial complaint in Majors.

September 12, U. Without this ruling, Fred would not have been eligible for the Social Security and veterans survivor benefits that different-sex couples receive. Read the order. October 7, The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals rules in favor of the freedom to marry in cases based in Nevada and Idaho. The decision, combined with the U.

October 17, U. District Court Judge John Sedwick rules that Arizona's anti-marriage amendment is unconstitutional, bound by the precedent established by the 9th Circuit. Arizona Attorney General Horne announces just hours later that he will not appeal the ruling, meaning that same-sex couples immediately have the freedom to marry in the Grand Canyon State.

Read the ruling in Connolly , and read the ruling in Majors. June 26, The United States Supreme Court rules in favor of the freedom to marry, ending marriage discrimination across the country. The ACLU of Arizona is a non-partisan, non-profit organization dedicated to protecting the liberties guaranteed by the U.

Constitution, the state Constitution, and state and federal laws. Equality Arizona is the state's largest LGBT civil rights organization working to secure, protect and defend the rights and welfare of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender LGBT people in Arizona. Freedom to Marry was the campaign to win marriage for same-sex couples nationwide. See All States.