How long has same-sex marriage been an issue?

Answer 1

Gay marriage itself if a fairly recent issue. Most people did not question marriage, but still had gay relations. During the 1970s and 1980s, gay marriage became an issue as gay people decided they wanted the same rights as other heterosexual couples.

Answer 2

Ancient Times:

• 342 C.E. Same-sex marriage outlawed in Roman Empire by Christian Emperors.
• Gay marriage was banned was during the Renaissance. After the Bubonic Plague had finished running its course, Europe's population had significantly declined relative to that of the Muslim empire, and a crack down on homosexuality was started in the hopes of rebuilding Europe's Christian population. A priest named Girolamo Savonarola is attributed with starting the actual persecution around the 1490's.

Modern Times:

• 1971 -- California legislature removes gender-specific pronouns from state laws thereby opening loophole for potential same-sex marriages.
• 1972 -- in Baker v Nelson, a Minnesota couple sues the state for the right to become married. The state Supreme Court ruled against them.
• 1977 -- California legislature enacts statute banning same-sex marriage, but leaves loophole permitting recognition of out-of-state same-sex marriages.

Answer 3

In 2004, after the state of Massachusetts had a judge rule that prohibiting Homosexuals the same marriage rights as Heterosexuals was Unconstitutional.

Prior to that, the most attention the issue received was in 2000, when the State of Vermont invented Civil Unions as a means to extend the rights of marriage without using the word "marriage". The issue also received attention in California in the 1970s, when sweeping changes to make all state laws "gender neutral" inadvertently opened up a loophole for any two "persons" to marry regardless of gender. No same-sex couple actually married and the loophole was closed by the Knight Initiative.

Answer 4

The first jurisdiction to legalize same-sex marriage was the Netherlands on April 1, 2001.

Answer 5

This issue has been going on since about 1924. The Society for Human Rights in Chicago, is the earliest known gay rights organization.

Answer 6

The modern U.S. debate on same-sex marriage started in the early 1990's (although there were a few attempts by gay couples to obtain marriage licenses in the 1970's).

Answer 7

Since April 1, 2001, the first day in modern history on which same-sex couples were permitted to legally marry. This happened in the Netherlands, but has since extended to other countries.