Marriage Equality Throughout History
From state bans to national legalization
1970 — Gay activists Jack Baker and Michael McConnell are denied for a marriage license in Hennepin County, Minnesota. They are granted a license the following year by Blue Earth County, Minnesota. 1971 — In Baker v. Nelson, the Minnesota Supreme Court rules that the Hennepin County’s denial of Baker and McConnell’s license did not violate the U.S. Constitution. The U.S. Supreme Court lets the state decision stand. 1973 — Maryland passes a statute banning gay marriage, the first state to do so. 1993 — The Supreme Court of Hawaii rules that a state law limiting marriage only to heterosexual…
