May 1993: Hawaii Supreme Court rules that the state must show a compelling reason to ban same-sex marriage and orders a lower court to hear a case seeking the right of same-sex couples to marry.

March 1995: Utah Gov. Mike Leavitt (R) signs into law the first state Defense of Marriage statute, which stipulated that Utah did not have to recognize out-of-state marriages that violated state public policy.

September 1996: President Bill Clinton signs into law the federal Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), which upholds states’ rights to ban same-sex marriages and refuse to recognize such marriages performed elsewhere. (39 states adopt DOMA statutes between 1995 and 2004.)

December 1996: Hawaii Circuit Court judge rules that denying same-sex couples the right to marry violates the state Constitution. The ruling is appealed to the state Supreme Court.

February 1998: Alaska Superior Court judge rules that same-sex couples have a constitutional right to marry, but stays the decision pending appeals to the state Supreme Court.

November 1998: Hawaii voters approve state constitutional amendment reserving the right to define marriage to the Legislature.

November 1998: Alaska voters approve constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage.

September 1999: Alaska Supreme Court rules that same-sex couples cannot seek the right to marry under the state Constitution in light of the 1998 constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage.

December 1999: Hawaii Supreme Court reversed the 1996 circuit court ruling on the grounds that the 1998 constitutional amendment nullified the court’s power to define marriage.

December 1999: Vermont Supreme Court rules that the state Constitution guarantees same-sex couples the same rights to marriage as heterosexual couples. However, the court left it up to the Legislature to decide how to provide marriage rights and benefits to same-sex couples.

May 2000: Vermont Legislature passes law allowing same-sex couples to receive state-level marriage benefits by entering into civil unions.

April 11, 2001: Seven same-sex couples who were denied marriage licenses file a suit, Goodridge et al. V. Department of Public Health, seeking the right to marry in Massachusetts.

May 8, 2002: The trial court rules against plaintiff couples in Goodridge.

May 21, 2003: Resolution introduced in the House of Representatives to amend the U.S. Constitution to define marriage as between a man and a woman.

Nov. 18, 2003: Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court rules state Constitution guarantees equal marriage rights for same-sex couples.

Feb. 12, 2004: San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom authorizes city officials to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples.

Feb. 12, 2004: A Massachusetts constitutional convention fails to support an amendment to the state constitution to limit marriage to one man and one woman.

Feb. 20, 2004: Sandoval, N.M., county clerks issue licenses to 26 same-sex couples before courts intervene.

|Feb. 24, 2004: President Bush announces support for federal constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage.

Feb. 27, 2004: New Paltz, N.Y., Mayor Jason West begins officiating same-sex marriages.

March 3, 2004: Multnomah County (Portland), Ore., commissioners begin issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples.

March 5, 2004: New York judge bars New Paltz mayor from performing same-sex marriages.

March 11, 2004: California Supreme Court orders halt to San Francisco same-sex marriages.

March 29, 2004: Massachusetts’ Legislature votes to amend the state Constitution to ban same-sex marriage but allow civil unions. (Legislature must approve the measure again by 2006 before amendment can go to statewide vote.)

April 20, 2004: Oregon circuit court judge orders halt to same-sex marriages in Multnomah County, saying a state Supreme Court ruling is needed on the issue, but orders the state to recognize the 3,000 same-sex marriages already performed there.

May 17, 2004: Same-sex couples begin marrying in Massachusetts.

July 14, 2004: The U.S. Senate votes on whether to move forward with the Federal Marriage Amendment. The amendment fails, with 50 votes against proceeding and 48 in favor.

July 22, 2004: The U.S. House of Representatives passes the Marriage Protection Act, which would limit the power of federal courts to rule on cases related to same-sex marriage.

Aug. 3, 2004: Missouri voters approve constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage.

Aug. 4, 2004: Washington Superior Court judge in King County rules the state’s ban on same sex-marriage unconstitutional.

Aug. 12, 2004: California Supreme Court voids San Francisco same-sex marriage licenses.

Sept. 7, 2004: Washington Superior Court judge in Thurston County rules state’s ban on same sex marriage unconstitutional. (Case combined with King County ruling in appeal to state Supreme Court.)

Sept. 18, 2004: Louisiana voters approve constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage.

Nov. 2, 2004: Voters in 11 states (Arkansas, Georgia, Kentucky, Michigan, Mississippi, Montana, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon and Utah) approve constitutional amendments banning same-sex marriage.

Dec. 7, 2004: New York judge in Albany rules that limiting marriage to unions of a man and a woman is constitutional.

Jan. 20, 2005: Indiana Court of Appeals rules limiting marriage to unions of one man and one woman is constitutional.

Feb. 4, 2005: New York, N.Y., judge rules state law prohibiting same-sex marriage violates state Constitution, concluding the right to marry the person of one’s choosing is both a privacy right and a liberty right.

Feb. 23, 2005: New York state judge in lthaca rules same-sex couples are not entitled to marriage licenses.

March 8, 2005: Washington Supreme Court heard oral arguments in an appeal of two lower-court rulings outlawing discrimination against gay couples who want to marry. (A decision by the high court is expected before the end of 2006.)

March 14, 2005: California Superior Court judge rules ban on same sex marriage is unconstitutional. (Case has been appealed to state Supreme Court.)

April 2005: Connecticut enacts civil union legislation.

April 5, 2005: Kansas voters approve constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage.

April 14, 2005: Oregon’s Supreme Court nullifies nearly 3,000 marriage licenses issued to same-sex couples in violation of state law in 2004.

May 12, 2005: Federal judge in Lincoln, Neb., strikes down Nebraska’s state constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage.

June 17, 2005: Federal judge in Orange County, California, ruled that the federal Defense of Marriage Act does not violate the U.S. Constitution.

June 29, 2005: California Supreme Court let stand new law creating domestic partners’ registry for same-sex couples.

Aug. 22, 2005: California Supreme Court issued first-of-its-kind ruling recognizing the co-parenting rights of same-sex couples.

Sept. 6, 2005: California State Assembly approves Senate-passed bill to legalize same-sex marriage and sends it to Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Sept. 14, 2005: Massachusetts’ Legislature defeats proposal at second constitutional convention to amend the state Constitution to ban same-sex marriage but allow civil unions.

Sept. 14, 2005: California Gov. Arnold Schwazenegger vetoes bill to legalize same-sex marriage.

Oct 1, 2005: Connecticut begins accepting civil union licenses from same sex couples.

Oct 28, 2005: Alaska Supreme Court ruled that state and local governments must offer the same benefits to same-sex employees’ partners that they do to spouses.

Nov. 3, 2005: Washington state Supreme Court recognized co-parenting rights of same-sex couples.

Nov. 4, 2005: A district court judge in Oregon rejected a lawsuit challenging Oregon’s constitutional same-sex marriage ban.

Nov. 8, 2005: Texas voters approved constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage.

Nov. 8, 2005: Maine voters rejected attempt to repeal a state law prohibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation.

Jan 20, 2006: Maryland’s ban on marriage for same-sex couples is struck down as unconstitutional by a Maryland trial court judge. The decision is stayed pending appeal.

March 30, 2006: Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court upheld a 1913 state law banning out-of-state couples from marrying in Massachusetts if the marriage is illegal in their home state.

May 31, 2006: New York Court of Appeals heard oral arguments in a case filed by 44 same-sex couples seeking the right to marry.

June 6, 2006: Alabama voters approve constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage.