Same-sex unions in the United States

According to the federal Government Accountability Office (GAO), more than 1,138 rights and protections are conferred to U.S. citizens upon marriage by the federal government;[1] areas affected include Social Security benefits, veterans' benefits, health insurance, Medicaid, hospital visitation, estate taxes, retirement savings, pensions, family leave, and immigration law.As a result, shortly after Windsor was decided, a number of federal areas ranging from veteran benefits to immigration were clarified as applying equally to same-sex couples.The movement to obtain civil marriage rights and benefits for same-sex couples in the United States began in the 1970s but remained unsuccessful for over forty years.On May 17, 2004, Massachusetts became the first U.S. state and the sixth jurisdiction in the world to legalize same-sex marriage following the Supreme Judicial Court's decision six months earlier.Some tribes have passed legislation specifically addressing same-sex relationships and some specify that state law and jurisdiction govern tribal marriages.After same-sex marriage became legal in Vermont, Connecticut, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Delaware, those states ceased to offer civil unions.[9] According to data from the Human Rights Campaign Foundation, the majority of Fortune 500 companies provided benefits to same-sex partners of employees as of June 2006.
State laws regarding same-sex unions similar to marriage in the United States 1
Domestic partnerships or civil unions granting state privileges of marriage 2
Domestic partnerships granting limited/enumerated privileges
No same-sex unions similar to marriage
Same-sex unions similar to marriage banned
Same-sex and opposite-sex unions similar to marriage banned
1 Not recognized by the federal government. However, same-sex marriage is legal nationwide (excluding some territories and Native American tribal jurisdictions) and is recognized by the federal government. Same-sex unions similar to marriage are provided at the local level in many jurisdictions.
2 Domestic partnerships in Washington are only available when at least one of the partners is 62 years of age or older.
Laws regarding same-sex partnerships similar to marriage by state, county, and local level in the United States 1
Same-sex unions similar to marriage 2
Domestic partnership granting limited/enumerated privileges
State grants benefits to state employees
Same-sex unions not provided
1 Not recognized by the federal government. However, same-sex marriage is legal nationwide (excluding American Samoa and some Native American tribal jurisdictions) and is recognized by the federal government.
2 Domestic partnerships in Washington are only available when at least one of the partners is 62 years of age or older.
Example of California domestic partnership certificate.
Cities , boroughs , towns , townships , unincorporated areas , and villages that offers domestic partner benefits
Counties , consolidated city-counties , boroughs , parishes , and independent cities that offers domestic partner benefits
State-wide partner benefits through same-sex marriage , civil unions , domestic partnership , designated beneficiary agreements , or reciprocal beneficiary relationships
State-wide partner benefits through same-sex marriage, civil unions, domestic partnership, designated beneficiary agreements, or reciprocal beneficiary relationships, including state-wide domestic partnership benefits for state employees 1
Legal status ofsame-sex unionsMarriageAndorraArgentinaAustraliaAustriaBelgiumBrazilCanadaColombiaCosta RicaDenmarkEcuadorEstoniaFinlandFranceGermanyGreeceIcelandIrelandLiechtensteinLuxembourgMexicoNetherlandsNew ZealandNorwayPortugalSloveniaSouth AfricaSwedenSwitzerlandTaiwanThailandUnited KingdomUnited StatesUruguayIsraelAmerican SamoaCivil unionsBoliviaCroatiaCyprusCzech RepublicHungaryLatviaMonacoMontenegroSan MarinoBermudaCayman IslandsMinimal recognitionBulgariaCambodiaHong KongLithuaniaNamibiaSint MaartenPolandRomaniaSlovakiaSame-sex union legislationSame-sex union court casesTimeline of same-sex marriageRecognition of same-sex unions in AfricaRecognition of same-sex unions in AsiaRecognition of same-sex unions in EuropeRecognition of same-sex unions in the AmericasRecognition of same-sex unions in OceaniaMarriage privatizationDivorce of same-sex couplesDomestic partnershipMilitary policyAdoptionLGBTQ rights by country or territoryCaribbean NetherlandsAruba and CuraçaoNiue, Tokelau, or the Cook IslandsBritish Overseas Territoriessome tribal nationsComan v. RomaniaEuropean Court of JusticeEU citizensguru–shishyanata prathamaitri kararpartnership certificatessame-sex marriagedomestic partnershipsreciprocal beneficiary relationshipsfederalinterracial marriageanti-miscegenation lawsGovernment Accountability Office1,138 rights and protectionsDefense of Marriage ActBaehr v. Miike1 U.S.C.United States v. WindsorSame-sex marriage in the United StatesSame-sex marriage law in the United States by stateSame-sex marriage status in the United States by stateTimeline of same-sex marriage in the United Statescivil marriage rightsMassachusettsSupreme Judicial CourtSupreme Court of the United StatesObergefell v. HodgesSame-sex marriage in tribal nations in the United States24 tribal nationsDomestic partnerships in WashingtonVermontSupreme Court's invalidation of Section 3 of the Defense of Marriage ActColoradoArizonaDomestic partnership in the United StatesCities and counties in the United States offering a domestic partnership registryOregon began offering marriage to same-sex couplesCitiesboroughstownshipsunincorporated areasvillagesCountiesconsolidated city-countiesparishesindependent citiesdesignated beneficiary agreementssunsetCook County, IllinoisCaliforniaHawaiiMarylandNevadaNew JerseyWashingtonsmall businessesHuman Rights Campaign FoundationFortune 500U.S. federal governmentInternal Revenue Codetaxable incomeTax Equity for Domestic Partner and Health Plan Beneficiaries ActCivil union in the United StatesLGBT rights in the United StatesJulian Brave NoiseCatWayback MachineRights and responsibilities of marriages in the United StatesU.S. state constitutional amendments banning same-sex unionsRecognition of same-sex unions in ColoradoRecognition of same-sex unions in TexasRecognition of same-sex unions in FloridaHistory of same-sex marriage in the United StatestimelinePublic opinion of same-sex marriage in the United StatesSame-sex marriage legislation in the United StatesAlabamaAlaskaArkansasConnecticutDelawareFloridaGeorgiaIllinoisIndianaKansasKentuckyLouisianaMichiganMinnesotaMississippiMissouriMontanaNebraskaNew HampshireNew MexicoNew YorkNorth CarolinaNorth DakotaOklahomaOregonPennsylvaniaRhode IslandSouth CarolinaSouth DakotaTennesseeVirginiaWest VirginiaWisconsinWyomingTribal nationsNavajo NationCircuit CourtsFourthSeventhDistrict of ColumbiaNorthern Mariana IslandsPuerto RicoU.S. Virgin IslandsLGBTQ rights in the United StatesOne, Inc. v. OlesenExecutive Order 12968Romer v. EvansExecutive Order 13087Lawrence v. TexasMatthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention ActDon't Ask, Don't Tell Repeal Act of 2010Violence Against Women ActExecutive Order 13672Pavan v. SmithMasterpiece Cakeshop v. Colorado Civil Rights CommissionBostockHarris Funeral HomesAltitude ExpressG.G. v. Gloucester County School BoardExecutive Order 13988Respect for Marriage Act303 Creative LLC v. ElenisImmigration Act of 1917Immigration and Nationality Act of 1952Executive Order 10450Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965Bowers v. HardwickDoD Directive 1304.26Presidential Memorandum of August 25, 2017StatesFederal districtIndian CountryUnincorporatedterritoriesAge of consentConversion therapy bansHate crimesHousing discriminationIntersex rightsMilitaryTransgenderIntersexSexual orientationEmployment discriminationby municipalityState bans on local anti-discrimination lawsImmigrationAnti-LGBTQ curriculum lawsFlorida Parental Rights in Education ActPublic accommodationsReligious exemptionsTransgender rightsvotingBathroom billProtecting Women's Private Spaces ActSodomy laws in the United StatesLGBTQ movements in the United StatesLGBTQ history in the United StatesHistory of violence against LGBTQ people in the United States2020s anti-LGBTQ movement in the United StatesCongressional Equality CaucusLavender ScareSave Our ChildrenLGBTQ people in prisonArnold Schwarzenegger and LGBT rightsLGBT protests against Donald TrumpDisney and Florida's Parental Rights in Education Act