Same-sex marriage in Wyoming

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Same-sex marriage has been legally recognized in Wyoming since October 21, 2014. The U.S. state of Wyoming had previously prohibited state recognition of same-sex marriages by statute since 1977 and had enacted a more explicit ban in 2003. An attempt to enact legislation recognizing domestic partnerships as an alternative to marriage for same-sex couples failed in 2013. On October 17, 2014, a federal district court found the state's ban on same-sex marriage unconstitutional. Its ruling took effect on October 21 when state officials notified the court that they would not appeal the decision.

Contents

Statutes

In 1977, the Wyoming State Legislature passed a ban on same-sex marriage. [1] In 2003, the State Legislature passed another ban on same-sex marriage. [2] The statutes read: "marriage is a civil contract between a male and a female person". [3] Wyoming law also states that "all marriage contracts which are valid by the laws of the country in which contracted are valid in this state" and it does not qualify that statement. [4] Lawsuits have cited this provision when challenging the state's denial of recognition to same-sex marriages established in other jurisdictions. [5] [6] [7]

On February 22, 2007, a bill to prohibit Wyoming from recognizing same-sex marriages from other states was defeated by one vote in a committee of the Wyoming House of Representatives. [8] On January 24, 2011, the House passed a bill that would have prohibited the state from recognizing same-sex marriages performed outside the state. [9] On February 18, it was passed by the Senate, [10] but after further legislative action it failed. [11]

Constitution

In 2009, the House considered an amendment to the State Constitution, House Joint Resolution 17, known as the "Defense of Marriage" resolution, defining marriage as a "union between a man and a woman". After an intense, emotional debate on the matter, the measure was defeated by the House on February 6, with 35 votes against and 25 in favor. [12]

On January 27, 2011, the Senate approved a constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage by a two-thirds majority. [13] The proposal died when the House adjourned without taking action on it. Speaker Tom Lubnau said he "didn't want to spend hours of floor time debating a bill that didn't have the votes to pass". The Wyoming Democratic Party opposed the bill; "[We don't] think it was an appropriate thing to put in the Wyoming Constitution.", said Brianna Jones, the party's communication director. [14]

Legislative efforts

On January 28, 2011, the House Judiciary Committee rejected a bill to legalize same-sex civil unions. [15]

On January 14, 2013, legislators filed a bill to legalize same-sex marriage in Wyoming by defining marriage as a civil contract between "two natural persons". On January 28, a House committee defeated the marriage bill by a vote of 5–4. [16] A domestic partnership bill allowing same-sex couples to "obtain the rights, responsibilities, protections and legal benefits provided in Wyoming for immediate family members" was passed by a House committee on a vote of 7–2 on January 28. Legislators who favored same-sex marriage supported the legislative tactic of offering the alternatives. [17] Governor Matt Mead said he favored domestic partnerships. [18] The House rejected the bill on January 30, 2013 in a 24–35 vote. [19]

The House considered a same-sex marriage bill in 2014 but defeated it on February 13, 2014 by a vote of 17–41. [20]

Lawsuits

Wyoming Governor Matt Mead said that despite action by the U.S. Supreme Court on October 6, 2014, which left standing as binding precedent on courts in Wyoming rulings of the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals that found bans on same-sex marriage unconstitutional, the Attorney General, Peter K. Michael, "will continue to defend Wyoming's constitution defining marriage between a man and a woman", mistakenly referring to the State Constitution, which does not define marriage. Clerks in Laramie, Natrona and Teton counties said they had received inquiries about issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples, but were waiting for a change in state law or an order from a judge. [21]

Guzzo v. Mead

On October 7, 2014, after the U.S. Supreme Court declined appeals in two cases from the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals, Kitchen v. Herbert and Bishop v. Smith , allowing decisions invalidating state bans on same-sex marriage to become binding precedent on courts in Wyoming, four same-sex couples and Wyoming Equality filed a lawsuit in federal court, Guzzo v. Mead, asking for an immediate order to end the state's denial of marriage rights to same-sex couples. Three of the couples had earlier initiated a lawsuit in state court and the fourth had just been denied a marriage license. They were represented by private attorneys and the National Center for Lesbian Rights. [22] U.S. District Judge Scott W. Skavdahl ruled for the plaintiffs on October 17 and stayed enforcement of his ruling until 5 p.m. MDT on October 23 or until the defendants informed the court that they would not appeal to the Tenth Circuit, whichever was first. [23] Governor Mead's office released a statement that the state would decline to appeal the ruling, [24] and notified the court on October 21 of that decision, [25] at which point the judge lifted his stay and same-sex couples began obtaining marriage licenses. Wyoming is also required to recognize same-sex marriages from other jurisdictions. [26]

Jeran Artery of Wyoming Equality welcomed the court decision, and said, "I wonder what Matthew Shepard would think if he were alive today to see all this progress we've made in Wyoming and how hearts and minds have changed. I would really hope that if I could have a conversation with him that he would say, 'Job well done. You are changing Wyoming and it makes me proud.'" [27] Representative Gerald Gay said the issue should have been decided by voters. [27] Among the first couples to receive a marriage license in Wyoming were Linda Mahaffey and Teresa Bingham, plaintiffs in Guzzo, who obtained a license in Laramie on Tuesday morning, October 21. Travis Gray and Dirk Andrews were the first couple to be issued a license in Casper, [28] and A.J. McDaniel and Jennifer Mumaugh, also plaintiffs in Guzzo, were the first in Cheyenne, the state capital. [29]

Courage v. Wyoming

On March 5, 2014, four same-sex couples and Wyoming Equality filed a lawsuit, Courage v. Wyoming, in the First Judicial District, challenging Wyoming's statutory ban on same-sex marriage and the recognition of same-sex marriages performed in other jurisdictions. [30] The plaintiffs were couples from Cheyenne, Casper, Laramie and Evanston who had married in Canada or Iowa or who had been denied marriages licenses by the Laramie County clerk. [3] In April, former Senator Alan Simpson expressed his support for same-sex marriage, releasing a video in association with Freedom to Marry, "Whether you're gay or lesbian or straight, if you love someone and you want to marry them, marry them. [...] I'm a Republican. The party's basic core is, government out of your life and the right to be left alone." [27] The state sought to dismiss the case, and on July 1, 2014 the plaintiffs sought summary judgment. On July 29, a judge denied the state's request for a stay of proceedings, but deferred a hearing on the motion for summary judgment for 90 days to give the state an opportunity to conduct discovery. On October 6, a joint motion was filed to lift the stay and enter judgement.

Christiansen v. Christiansen

In November 2010, a district judge ruled that he lacked jurisdiction to grant a divorce to two Wyoming women who had married in Canada in 2006. [31] On June 6, 2011, the Wyoming Supreme Court, in Christiansen v. Christiansen, unanimously reversed the district court decision and granted the divorce. Its decision said: "Nothing in this opinion should be taken as applying to the recognition of same-sex marriages legally solemnized in a foreign jurisdiction in any context other than divorce. The question of recognition of such same-sex marriages for any other reason, being not properly before us, is left for another day." [32] [33]

Developments after legalization

On June 26, 2015, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Obergefell v. Hodges that same-sex couples have a constitutional right to marry under the Due Process and Equal Protection clauses of the Fourteenth Amendment. The decision legalized same-sex marriage nationwide in the United States.

In March 2017, the Wyoming Supreme Court issued a ruling 3–2 discipling a judge, Ruth Neely from Pinedale, who had, in violation of her oath of office, said she would not marry same-sex couples. Neely had informed a local newspaper in 2015 that she would "not be able to" perform the marriages due to her religious beliefs, and compared homosexuality to alcoholism and theft. The Wyoming Commission on Judicial Conduct and Ethics opened an investigation into her, and concluded that Neely had violated the Wyoming Code of Judicial Conduct and recommended that she be removed from her judicial position: "Judges do not enjoy the same freedom to proselytize their religious beliefs as ordinary citizens." The commission said that her statement amounted to a conclusion that "adherence to the law is optional". [34] Neely appealed directly to the Supreme Court in August 2016. The court rejected Neely's claims but modified her penalty, issuing instead a "public censure" and demanding that she either marry all couples, regardless of sexual orientation, or none. [35]

On February 14, 2018, two Republican representatives, Lars Lone and Roy Edwards, introduced the Marriage and Constitution Restoration Act to the Wyoming House of Representatives. The bill sought to reenact the state's same-sex marriage ban, and ban the state's political subdivisions from "granting, endorsing, respecting or recognizing any marriage not between a man and woman". The bill would have thus been in violation of Obergefell and the U.S. Constitution. House lawmakers refused to consider the bill and killed it merely two days after its introduction to the House. [36] [37]

Native American nations

Same-sex marriage is recognized on the Wind River Indian Reservation, a Native American reservation shared by the Eastern Shoshone and the Northern Arapaho peoples. The first same-sex marriage at the Shoshone and Arapaho Tribal Court in Fort Washakie was registered on November 14, 2014 for Saun and Renee Allen. [38]

While there are no records of same-sex marriages as understood from a Western perspective being performed in Native American cultures, there is evidence for identities and behaviours that may be placed on the LGBT spectrum. Many of these cultures recognized two-spirit individuals who were born male but wore women's clothing and performed everyday household work and artistic handiwork which were regarded as belonging to the feminine sphere. [39] Arapaho culture has traditionally regarded two-spirit people as "esteemed persons with special spiritual powers". They are known as hoxúx (pronounced [hɔxʊ́x] , plural: hoxúxuno) [40] in the Arapaho language. Many hoxúxuno married cisgender men without indication of polygyny. [39] The two-spirit status thus allowed for marriages between two biological males to be performed in the tribe. In the eastern dialect of the Shoshone language, two-spirit people, who "act[ed] like women" and did women's work, are known as waipenaiteN, [41] but unlike the Arapaho hoxúx, they would never marry. [39]

Economic impact

The Williams Institute estimated in September 2014 that if marriage were extended to same-sex couples in Wyoming, the state would see an economic boost of $2.4 million over the course of three years. This net impact would be the result of savings in expenditures on state means-tested public benefit programs and an increase in state income and sales tax revenue. [42]

Demographics and marriage statistics

Data from the 2000 U.S. census showed that 807 same-sex couples were living in Wyoming. By 2005, this had increased to 1,044 couples, likely attributed to same-sex couples' growing willingness to disclose their partnerships on government surveys. Same-sex couples lived in all counties of the state and constituted 0.7% of coupled households and 0.4% of all households in the state. Most couples lived in Natrona, Laramie and Fremont counties, but the counties with the highest percentage of same-sex couples were Niobrara (0.69% of all county households) and Fremont (0.65%). Same-sex partners in Wyoming were on average younger than opposite-sex partners, and less likely to be employed. The average and median household incomes of same-sex couples were lower than different-sex couples, and same-sex couples were also far less likely to own a home than opposite-sex partners. 20% of same-sex couples in Wyoming were raising children under the age of 18, with an estimated 501 children living in households headed by same-sex couples in 2005. [43]

On October 21, 2015, exactly one year after the ruling in Guzzo v. Mead, the Vital Statistics Services office of the Wyoming Department of Health estimated that 201 marriage licenses had been issued to same-sex couples in the state. This constituted about 5% of the 3,850 marriage licenses issued in Wyoming in that time. [44]

The 2020 U.S. census showed that there were 681 married same-sex couple households (271 male couples and 410 female couples) and 473 unmarried same-sex couple households in Wyoming. [45]

Public opinion

Public opinion for same-sex marriage in Wyoming
Poll sourceDates administeredSample sizeMargin of errorSupportOppositionDo not know / refused
Public Religion Research Institute March 9 – December 7, 2023 157 adults± 0.82%162%36%2%
Public Religion Research Institute March 11 – December 14, 2022  ? ?62%38%<0.5%
Public Religion Research Institute March 8 – November 9, 2021  ? ?58%41%1%
Public Religion Research Institute January 7 – December 20, 2020 105 adults ?75%17%8%
Public Religion Research Institute April 5 – December 23, 2017 236 adults ?62%30%8%
Public Religion Research Institute May 18, 2016 – January 10, 2017 244 adults ?49%39%12%
Public Religion Research Institute April 29, 2015 – January 7, 2016 213 adults ?48%43%9%
University of Wyoming October 13–28, 2014 ? ?53%39%8%
Public Policy Polling July 19–21, 20131,203 registered voters± 2.8%32%57%11%

Notes:

In 2004, the Williams Institute estimated public support for same-sex marriage in Wyoming at 26% (± 5%), [27] and in 2012 at 41% (± 7%). [46] The July 2013 Public Policy Polling survey found that 57% of Wyoming voters thought same-sex marriage should be illegal, while 32% thought it should be legal and 11% were not sure. A separate question on the same survey found that 64% of respondents supported legal recognition for same-sex couples, with 28% supporting same-sex marriage, 36% supporting civil unions but not marriage, 32% opposing all legal recognition and 4% not sure. [47]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Same-sex marriage in the United States</span>

The availability of legally recognized same-sex marriage in the United States expanded from one state (Massachusetts) in 2004 to all fifty states in 2015 through various court rulings, state legislation, and direct popular votes. States each have separate marriage laws, which must adhere to rulings by the Supreme Court of the United States that recognize marriage as a fundamental right guaranteed by both the Due Process Clause and the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, as first established in the 1967 landmark civil rights case of Loving v. Virginia.

This article contains a timeline of significant events regarding same-sex marriage and legal recognition of same-sex couples worldwide. It begins with the history of same-sex unions during ancient times, which consisted of unions ranging from informal and temporary relationships to highly ritualized unions, and continues to modern-day state-recognized same-sex marriage. Events concerning same-sex marriages becoming legal in a country or in a country's state are listed in bold.

Same-sex marriage has been legal in Florida since January 6, 2015, as a result of a ruling in Brenner v. Scott from the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida. The court ruled the state's same-sex marriage ban unconstitutional on August 21, 2014. The order was stayed temporarily. State attempts at extending the stay failed, with the U.S. Supreme Court denying further extension on December 19, 2014. In addition, a state court ruling in Pareto v. Ruvin allowed same-sex couples to obtain marriage licenses in Miami-Dade County on the afternoon of January 5, 2015. In another state case challenging the state's denial of marriage rights to same-sex couples, a Monroe County court in Huntsman v. Heavilin stayed enforcement of its decision pending appeal and the stay expired on January 6, 2015.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Same-sex marriage in Hawaii</span>

Same-sex marriage has been legal in Hawaii since December 2, 2013. The Hawaii State Legislature held a special session beginning on October 28, 2013, and passed the Hawaii Marriage Equality Act legalizing same-sex marriage. Governor Neil Abercrombie signed the legislation on November 13, and same-sex couples began marrying on December 2. Hawaii also allows both same-sex and opposite-sex couples to formalize their relationships legally in the form of civil unions and reciprocal beneficiary relationships. Civil unions provide the same rights, benefits, and obligations of marriage at the state level, while reciprocal beneficiary relationships provide a more limited set of rights.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">LGBT rights in Wyoming</span>

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people in the U.S. state of Wyoming may face some legal challenges not experienced by non-LGBT residents. Same-sex sexual activity has been legal in Wyoming since 1977, and same-sex marriage was legalized in the state in October 2014. Wyoming statutes do not address discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity; however, the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling in Bostock v. Clayton County established that employment discrimination against LGBT people is illegal under federal law. In addition, the cities of Jackson, Casper, and Laramie have enacted ordinances outlawing discrimination in housing and public accommodations that cover sexual orientation and gender identity.

Same-sex marriage has been legal in Utah since October 6, 2014. On December 20, 2013, the state began issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples as a result of the U.S. District Court for the District of Utah's ruling in the case of Kitchen v. Herbert, which found that barring same-sex couples from marrying violates the U.S. Constitution. The issuance of those licenses was halted during the period of January 6, 2014 until October 6, 2014, following the resolution of a lawsuit challenging the state's ban on same-sex marriage. On that day, following the U.S. Supreme Court's refusal to hear an appeal in a case that found Utah's ban on same-sex marriage unconstitutional, the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals ordered the state to recognize same-sex marriage.

Same-sex marriage has been legal in South Carolina since a federal court order took effect on November 20, 2014. Another court ruling on November 18 had ordered the state to recognize same-sex marriages from other jurisdictions. Following the 2014 ruling of the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals in Bostic v. Schaefer, which found Virginia's ban on same-sex marriage unconstitutional and set precedent on every state in the circuit, one judge accepted marriage license applications from same-sex couples until the South Carolina Supreme Court, in response to a request by the Attorney General, ordered him to stop. A federal district court ruled South Carolina's ban on same-sex marriage unconstitutional on November 12, with implementation of that decision stayed until noon on November 20. The first same-sex wedding ceremony was held on November 19.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">LGBT rights in Colorado</span>

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This article contains a timeline of significant events regarding same-sex marriage in the United States. On June 26, 2015, the landmark US Supreme Court decision in Obergefell v. Hodges effectively ended restrictions on same-sex marriage in the United States.

Same-sex marriage became legal in Kansas following the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in Obergefell v. Hodges on June 26, 2015, which found the denial of marriage rights to same-sex couples unconstitutional. By June 30, all 31 judicial districts and all 105 Kansas counties were issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples or had agreed to do so. Kansas state agencies initially delayed recognition of same-sex marriages for purposes including but not limited to changing names, ascribing health benefits and filing joint tax returns, but began doing so on July 6.

Same-sex marriage has been legal in Oklahoma since October 6, 2014, following the resolution of a lawsuit challenging the state's ban on same-sex marriage. On that day, following the U.S. Supreme Court's refusal to review Bishop v. Smith, a case that had found the ban unconstitutional, the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals ordered Oklahoma to recognize same-sex marriages. On January 14, 2014, Judge Terence C. Kern of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Oklahoma declared the state's statutory and constitutional same-sex marriage bans unconstitutional. The case, Bishop v. Smith, was stayed pending appeal. On July 18, 2014, a panel of the Tenth Circuit upheld Kern's ruling overturning Oklahoma's same-sex marriage ban. However, the panel put its ruling on hold pending disposition of a petition for certiorari by the U.S. Supreme Court. On October 6, 2014, the U.S. Supreme Court rejected the request for review, leaving the Tenth Circuit Court's ruling in place. State officials responded by implementing the Tenth Circuit's ruling, recognizing same-sex marriage in the state.

Same-sex marriage has been legal in Texas since the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling in Obergefell v. Hodges on June 26, 2015. Previously, the U.S. state of Texas had banned same-sex marriage both by statute since 1973 and in its State Constitution since 2005. On February 26, 2014, Judge Orlando Luis Garcia of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas found that Texas's ban on same-sex marriages was unconstitutional. On April 22, 2014, a state court came to the same conclusion. Both cases were appealed. The district court's decision was appealed to the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, but before that court could issue a ruling, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down all same-sex marriage bans in the United States in Obergefell on June 26, 2015. Within a few months of the court ruling, all counties had started issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples, except for Irion County, which announced in 2020 that it would begin issuing licenses to same-sex couples, making it the last county in the United States to comply with the ruling.

Same-sex marriage has been legal in Tennessee since the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling in Obergefell v. Hodges on June 26, 2015. Governor Bill Haslam quickly announced that the state would abide by the court's decision, and same-sex couples began to marry in Tennessee. Previously, Tennessee had banned same-sex marriage both by statute and its State Constitution.

This is a list of notable events in the history of LGBT rights that took place in the year 2014.

Same-sex marriage has been legal in Kentucky since the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling in Obergefell v. Hodges on June 26, 2015. The decision, which struck down Kentucky's statutory and constitutional bans on same-sex marriages, was handed down on June 26, 2015, and Governor Steve Beshear and Attorney General Jack Conway announced almost immediately that the court's order would be implemented.

Same-sex marriage has been legal in Arkansas since the U.S. Supreme Court's landmark decision in Obergefell v. Hodges on June 26, 2015, striking down same-sex marriage bans nationwide. Prior to this, same-sex marriage in Arkansas was briefly legal for a period beginning on May 9, 2014, as a result of a ruling by Sixth Judicial Circuit Judge Chris Piazza striking down the state's constitutional and statutory bans on same-sex marriage as violating the U.S. Constitution. Approximately 541 same-sex couples received marriage licenses in several counties before the Arkansas Supreme Court stayed his ruling pending appeal on May 16, 2014.

In the United States, the history of same-sex marriage dates from the early 1940s, when the first lawsuits seeking legal recognition of same-sex relationships brought the question of civil marriage rights and benefits for same-sex couples to public attention though they proved unsuccessful. However marriage wasn't a request for the LGBTQ movement until the Second National March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights in Washington (1987). The subject became increasingly prominent in U.S. politics following the 1993 Hawaii Supreme Court decision in Baehr v. Miike that suggested the possibility that the state's prohibition might be unconstitutional. That decision was met by actions at both the federal and state level to restrict marriage to male-female couples, notably the enactment at the federal level of the Defense of Marriage Act.

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