When was gay marriage legalized in ohio

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The code cannot be enforced, but it could come back to life if a future decision changes the constitutional interpretation by the Supreme Court.

While this is hypothetically possible, Joakim said it is improbable.

“If our nation’s Constitution becomes a mere suggestion of what rights every person enjoys,” Obergefell said at the time, “then Ohioans must propose and pass laws and amendments to protect those rights.”

All rights reserved. A companion proposal, knows as the “Equal Rights” amendment, would bar discrimination based on sexual orientation, gender identity and other protected categories.
Organizers must collect more than 442,000 valid signatures for each proposal to qualify for the November ballot. The deadlines have passed for citizens and lawmakers to put statewide issues on the fall ballot.
Voters might see local levies and ballot measures when they head to the polls.
State government reporter Jessie Balmert can be reached at jbalmert@gannett.com or @jbalmert on X.
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Curious Cbus: Why is a ban on same-sex marriage still part of the Ohio Revised Code?
Hodges cleared the way for legal same-sex marriage across the country.
“The only way to take that constitutional amendment out of the constitution is for the voters of Ohio to be given the opportunity to vote again to remove that,” he said. Equality Ohio's legal clinic has seen difficulties when same-sex married couples try to adopt, for example.
“We experience challenges in adoptions depending on what court we're practicing in because if a judge confronts the statute that says husband and wife instead of spouse,” Joakim said, “it can be complicated for folks.” Currently, Equality Oho’s top legislative priority is passing the Ohio Fairness Act, a bill designed to ban housing, employment, and education discrimination based on someone’s sexuality or gender identity.
WOSU reached out to several lawmakers for comment on this story but did not receive a response.
Could the Supreme Court reverse its decision on same-sex marriage in the future?
As stated above, a Supreme Court ruling saying a statute is unconstitutional does not delete the statute from the books.

One day he was looking at the marriage section and was shocked to see the language was not changed.
When Slack shared his discovery with friends, he learned that many didn’t know the code still said marriage was only for one man and one woman. "If someone can't benefit from the legal privileges that come along with marriage because of who they fall in love with, is that really equality?

The ruling invalidated all state statutes and constitutional amendments that barred same-sex couples from marriage.

When Marriage Equality Became Law in Ohio

Marriage equality became legal in Ohio on June 26, 2015. The decision struck down Ohio’s statutory and constitutional bans on same-sex marriage.

The Current Legal Standing of Same-Sex Marriage in Ohio

Currently, same-sex marriage remains legal and fully recognized in Ohio.

The group has said a statewide signature drive is expected to ramp up in January.

Advocates say the effort is driven by concerns that the Supreme Court could still revisit Obergefell.

While a federal law passed in 2022, the Respect for Marriage Act, would require Ohio to recognize same-sex marriages performed in other states, it would not require the state to issue new marriage licenses if Obergefell was reversed and Ohio’s ban reinstated.

Ohio lawmakers have also explored a legislative route to protect marriage equality, though that effort has stalled.

This legislation took effect on May 7, 2004.

Later that year, Ohio voters approved State Issue 1 on November 2, 2004.

Supporters point to recent Ohio ballot measures as evidence that voters are willing to weigh in on major social issues. “Unlike some other states like Kentucky, we did not experience any denials and haven't since.”

That said, there is an impact.

It can only rule it unconstitutional and therefore unenforceable. “So I think that even a somewhat conservative reading of stare decisis and how this court might apply it suggests that an outright overturning is somewhat unlikely.“

However unlikely a reversal might be, Cory Slack is determined to change Ohio’s code.

Similar legislation failed to advance in previous sessions, and the latest resolution has not moved forward as Ohio Equal Rights presses ahead with its citizen-led campaign.

Akron LGBTQ+ nonprofit receives $25,000 national courage award

Earlier this year, Reps.