As of this writing, 19 states and the District of Columbia allow same sex marriage, representing 44 percent of the American people! These states include Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Illinois, Minnesota, Iowa, New Mexico, California, Oregon, Washington, Hawaii. This means the Northeastern states, the Pacific Coast states, and some Midwestern states are included in this list, all for now “Blue’ states!
Additionally, the following nine states have had federal or state judges declare that same sex marriage should be allowed, but appeals are holding up action on this matter–Virginia, Arkansas, Kentucky, Oklahoma, Texas, Ohio, Michigan, Utah, Idaho. This list includes three “Blue” and six “Red” states.
More limited decisions on same sex marriage being recognized from other states has occurred through judicial intervention in five states–Tennessee, Indiana, Missouri, Colorado, Alaska. This is one “Blue” state and four “Red” states. Also, there has been some action on same sex unions in two states–Wisconsin and Nevada. Both of these states were Blue” states in 2012.
So 35 states and the District of Columbia have advanced on the subject in some form!
That leaves primarily Southern states and Mountain and Great Plains states out of the loop, nothing new in that regard! This list of 15 states not yet touched by same sex marriage rulings include North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, West Virginia, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Montana, Wyoming, Arizona. Only Florida went “Blue” in 2012, with the other 14 states all being “Red”.
These 15 states represent the past, and nothing will stop the forward movement to allow same sex marriage in all of the United States in the next few years!