Alaska Gay Marriage History

Alaskan towns are extremely small which means, naturally, there will be a lot of controversy when it comes to Alaska gay marriage. Read all of the facts on Manplay.com. Here are some things you didn't know. Alaska was the first state to ban same-sex marriage in the United States. A different way of life usually causes people to have smaller minds and be more ignorant to these things. A small population of people in general means a small population of homosexuals and people seeking to be married to someone of the same-sex. Being married when you were of the same gender was a complete no-no in the eyes of the Alaskan population. Legally banned in 1998, no one could marry anyone of the same gender. If you approached a judge wanting to be wed to someone of the same sex, you would be put down. There never seemed to be a point in trying.

In March 1995, Norman Rokeberg who was the State Rep at the time and became interested in same-sex marriage. He brought in the House Bill 227 to the Alaska House Of Representatives to restrict same-sex marriage to the people of “one man and one woman". The bill passed in February 1996. That March, Senator Lynda Green brought in Senate Bill 30, which made sure that only men and women could wed or even be in a civil relationship. Forget about getting married, no same-sex RELATIONSHIPS were even legal at the time. In May the same year, Governor Tony Knowles did not agree with the bill, but allowed it to become the law without his name on the line. The legislature passed Ballot Measure 2 in 1998 that banned same-sex marriage. This was voted in by the people of Alaska. It passed with 68% of the population not wanting same-sex marriage to be legal, and 32% of the vote for gay marriage.

Alaska Gay Marriage Statistics

During the Public Policy Polling, in 2013, 51% of the Alaskan population voted against same-sex marriage, while 43% voted for it. 6% had no opinion. On November 4th 2014, 55% of the population were supportive of same-sex marriage while the minority were against. As of 2016, 43,000 same-sex couples have been wed. There were even more same-sex couples being married than straight couples in the last two years.

First Same-Sex Married Couple

The first same-sex married couple in Alaska were Sarah and Kristine of Borrow, Alaska. Borrow is the most northern point in all of Alaska and the United States. Borrow is so small that there are no roads to get in or out. You must fly. Being in such a small town when Kristine and Sarah began dating was difficult, they had trouble with their parents and the townspeople. As time went on, the two ladies being together became normal. Everyone knew them and became extremely supportive because the people of Borrow started getting to know each other on a more personal level. They saw that they were both great people, and also started to see that they were perfect for one another. As time went on, the two wanted to marry each other more and more every day. Everyone in town banned together so that the two ladies could get married. When the time finally came for same-sex marriage to be legal, the couple grabbed their wedding licence and decided to get married in their town. There was talk of going to the east coast where their families lived, but they said that they couldn’t imagine getting married being wed somewhere other than the place where they were so accepted.

Current Status of Alaska Gay Marriage

On October 12th 2014, Obama declared that same-sex marriage was legal in the state of Alaska. Like everywhere else, there are some people who were unhappy about this right being given, but of course you’ll never make everyone happy. Alaska has many activities and events for the LGBT community. In June, the pride events take place including the parade and tons of fun competitions to enter in with your partner or also alone. In 1998, 68% of Alaska were against gay marriage. Today, 70% are for gay marriage! How the tables have turned.

If you are ready to finally settle down, Alaska may not be the best place to find a partner. The only reason for this is because there is such a small population, everyone already seems to be taken! By now, most people have already found their partner and have started settling down. Of course, there is always a chance that couples may break up, but even then, you’ll have to be reminded about who your partner was with wherever you go, since there is a 100% chance that you will bump into each other. If you aren’t into that type of thing, you may want to find love in a bigger city. That way, you will never have to run into someone you don’t want. Alaska is doing a great job being supportive of their LGBT community in many ways.

Alaska air helps show support to their community by giving the LGBT community deals and discounts for flights all around the world. There are great deals when traveling outside of the state for pride events and also have discounts for wedding destinations, special events, birthdays, honeymoons and also for regular travel. The reason Alaska has began giving discounts to the LGBT community is because a lot of the community actually works for the airline as flight attendants, pilots and workers in the airport. Alaskan air is one of the only airlines to give discounts to the LGBT community. Since Alaska brings in tons of tourists, it has to be made sure that everyone is comfortable. The activities in Alaska for the LGBT community are endless! Surprising, huh?

There aren’t many people who live in Alaska which means that there isn’t a huge LGBT community. From the community that exists, there is a lot of work being done to keep the events, activities and support groups running. Everyone is friends with everyone and everyone likes to be a part of things and enjoy helping out. If you choose to move to Alaska and are gay, be ready to get a warm welcome from the Alaskan LGBT community.

The Future Status Of Alaska Gay Marriage

The future status of Alaska gay marriage is bright. There will be more same-sex couples being married on Alaskan soil. Even people who don’t reside in Alaska have been going to being married there due to the beautiful scenery that Alaska has to offer. More people in Alaska are open to the idea, and that will only continue to grow. Even though Alaska is built up by small towns that may not be used to the idea of same-sex couples or marriage, they are doing and will continue to do a great job when it comes to being more and more accepting towards the LGBT community as a whole.