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Same sex marriage laws reconsidered nationwide

By Itzel Ayala, Gavel Media Staff, on February 16, 2012 9:42 AM

Same sex marriage laws have recently made the news with several states passing legislation either allowing it or bringing it up to a vote.

On February 14, a panel in the Maryland legislature approved a bill allowing same sex marriage and it is expected to go to the full house. This is only one of a recent surge of gay marriage laws that have been passed in the last week. On February 7, California repealed Proposition 8, which outlawed same sex marriage. Similarly, on February 13, the New Jersey State Senate passed marriage equality legislature with a vote of 24-16.

The governor of Washington signed Senate Bill 6239, which also allowed same sex couples to enter into legal marriage.

Now Washington will be added to the list of states that allow sex marriage including: Massachusetts, Iowa, Connecticut, Vermont, New York, and New Hampshire.  New Jersey, Maryland, and California are now included in the list of states which recognize same sex domestic partnerships, along with Hawaii, Maine, Nevada and Oregon.

This recent surge of gay marriage laws shows a promising future for same sex couples. Though it is surprising that these laws were passed in the same week, it shows a progressive movement sweeping state legislatures across the nations.

The governor of Maryland made it his top priority to pass legislature such as this. Hopefully this quick movement of gay marriage legislation will continue to sweep across the nation.