Gay-marriage status report by state

By Seattle Times staff and news services

AP Bev Ehlen of the Coalition to Protect Marriage in Missouri thanks voters after a gay-marriage ban passed there last week.

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King County Superior Court Judge William Downing ruled last week that denying marriage to same-sex couples violates Washington state's constitutional guarantees of equality, but marriage licenses won't be issued unless the state Supreme Court sanctions gay marriage.

Here's a look at how the issue of gay marriage is playing out across the country:

State constitutional bans on same-sex marriage

Alaska, Hawaii, Nebraska, Nevada and Missouri

Marriage amendments on fall ballots

Louisiana, Arkansas, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, Montana, Oklahoma, Oregon and Utah

Anti-gay-marriage initiatives pending

Michigan, North Dakota and Ohio

Civil unions allowed
 
Vermont

Same-sex marriages allowed

Massachusetts, although next year the state Legislature will consider a constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage and establish civil unions. If approved, the earliest the amendment could go to voters is November 2006.

Federal

President Bush supports amending the U.S. Constitution to ban gay marriage, which would require a two-thirds majority of both houses of Congress and ratification by three-quarters of the states.

Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry, who opposes same-sex marriage, does not support a constitutional amendment banning gay marriage.