Statistics on Gay Marriage a Year After the Landmark SCOTUS Decision

As of late June 2016, it had been one year since Obergefell v. Hodges, in which the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that same-sex couples had the fundamental right to get married in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. There was a record number of marriages in the last year as a result, but also other statistics that would indicate there is still plenty of progress to be made.

The following are a few statistics to examine after the one-year anniversary of SCOTUS’s landmark decision:

  • Same-sex marriages rose by 33 percent: Since the SCOTUS ruled that all gay men and women had the right to marry, same-sex marriage rates skyrocketed. Now, according to a recent Gallup poll, approximately half of all same-sex couples who live together throughout the country are married. States that did not previously allow same-sex marriage had even higher rates of marriage in the last year. Clearly, there were many couples who were waiting for it to be legalized.
  • Many states still have murky rules regarding hospital visitation: Despite the progress made with marriage equality, there are still 15 states that do not have clear laws regarding whether or not same-sex spouses are allowed hospital visitation rights.
  • Approximately 37 percent of American adults oppose same-sex marriage: This number is drastically lower than it had been even just a few years ago, as Americans have become more accepting of same-sex marriage. We would expect this number to continue to drop as time goes on.
  • Some counties are still restricting gay marriage illegally: There have been a number of reports of county officials in states like Texas and Alabama refusing to issue marriage licenses to homosexual couples. Although these couples now have legal recourse to force the counties into action, there are clearly still some hurdles to overcome.

It’s remarkable just how much progress has been made when it comes to same-sex marriage in the United States. If you have questions on the legal aspects of this issue, including marriage and divorce, consult a knowledgeable family law attorney with Bryan L. Salamone & Associates.

 

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