On June 26, 2013, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down Section 3 of DOMA, the Defense of Marriage Act established in 1996, in favor of the recognition of same-sex marriage. However, as of the day of that ruling only 12 states plus the District of Columbia are actually in alignment with this decision. The other 37 states still simply do not recognize gay marriage as a legal condition.
The ultimate result of this ruling is a polarization. The states that recognized gay marriage in the first place, before the striking down of DOMA, are friendlier then ever to LGBT citizens and the states that are not are more hostile (with the exception of Rhode Island and Minnesota that will officially recognize gay marriage as of August 1, 2013 and the bring the number of friendly states in the United States to fifteen.) The polarity will be made even more obvious because even though the federal government has recognized the constitutional rights of gay marriage partners the states that don’t will seem even more defiant and unethical towards LGBT spouses.
Currently the 11 friendliest gay states to move to (because they are in alignment already with the Supreme Court ruling) are;
California: This hip state first began issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples in 2008 and is home to many gay friendly towns and cities including San Francisco, Los Angeles, Long Beach, Palm Springs and San Diego.
Connecticut: This progressive state enacted a civil union law in 2005 that provides same sex couples full rights, and as of 2008 automatically transformed all of these unions into marriages that are honored in towns like Hartford, Bridgeport and New Haven.
Delaware: On May 7, 2013, Delaware became the 11th state to recognize same sex couples despite its rather conservative past thus playing a traditional role, as it always has, in defending the constitutional rights of Americans.
District of Columbia: Not really a state, the District of Columbia made same-sex marriage legal in 2010 after recognizing them as civil unions since 2002; the district was the first jurisdiction in the United Stets below the Mason-Dixon Line to allow same sex couples to marry and also to recognize domestic partnerships (in 1992.)
Iowa: Gay marriage became legal in Iowa in 2009 after recognizing civil unions since 2005; the state is home to Des Moines, which is a hub of cultural activity and progressive thinking in the U.S.
Maine: Maine has many gay-friendly small towns and resorts and a history of tolerance with Boston, Cambridge, Portland and South Portland leading the way when it comes to establishing gay-friendly communities.
Maryland” This is a progressive state that passed The Civil Marriage Protection Act in 2012 to recognize gay marriage and that boasts many eccentric LGBT communities, especially in Baltimore.
Massachusetts: This was one of the first states to recognize gay marriage in 2003 and is home to many gay friendly towns and cities including Boston, Provincetown and Northampton.
New Hampshire: This state first began recognizing civil unions in 2008 and gay marriage in 2010; many of its cities and quaint small towns are gay friendly including Berlin, Claremont, Franklin and Keene.
New York: Every city in this progressive state is gay friendly with The Big Apple (New York City) being the center of gay activism, theater, fashion and a huge supportive gay community.
Vermont: This state is considered a pioneer in terms of its legislative approach to LGBT rights and is known for swearing in a renowned lesbian activist, Beth Robinson, as the state’s first openly gay Supreme Court Justice.
Washington: Almost twenty percent of people who live in Washington have a post-graduate degree making this one of the most civilized and culturally sophisticated places to live in all of the United States.
These states plus the District of Columbia are the recommended places to move if you want to make the most of the financial perks, tax benefits and federal/veteran benefits now available to gay couples thanks to the repeal of DOMA.
Author Jeff Hammerberg is the Founding CEO of GayRealEstate.com. Free Instant Access to the Nation’s Top Gay, Lesbian and Gay Friendly Realtors Coast to Coast. FREE Buyers Representation ~ Free Relocation Kit to any City, USA ~ Free Sellers Market Analysis for home sellers.
