Manplay.com’s History of Michigan Gay Marriage

Here at Manplay.com, we are determined to make you feel at home when it comes to online dating, but when it comes to learning more about Michigan gay marriage, then all you have to do is stay on this page. We aim to teach you everything important about gay marriage and we want to help you understand the struggle that men and women have gone through to receive equal rights. It’s amazing how few states banned gay marriage, before the Supreme Court ruled that banning same-sex marriage was unconstitutional. Take a look at some info about Kentucky to know what it took for gay marriage to finally be legalized. Become informed about gay marriage with us.

Some History On Michigan Gay Marriage

Michigan has had a vibrant history with cars and music, but the history of Michigan gay marriage is also of note. Gay marriage is currently legal in the state thanks to the Supreme Court in June 2015, however this was obviously met with much opposition from groups that propose traditional family settings as well as many others. As recently as 2004, Michigan banned any form of same-sex marriage and voted to not recognize same-sex marriages from other jurisdictions. This proved to be a very difficult feature for gay marriage activists in the state. Though in 2014, there was a decision that denying same sex couple marriage rights was very unconstitutional and soon gay couples began to marry, however this decision was quickly repealed and many gay couples’ licenses were declared invalid.

Banning Same Sex Marriage In Michigan

In 1995, the House of Representatives voted to ban Michigan gay marriage. This proved to be a severe blow to gay rights activists. To add more salt to the wound, the Michigan Senate voted to not recognize out of state gay marriages. This meant that same-sex couples who had been legally married or had a civil union out of state, were unable to apply for benefits that could be enjoyed by straight couples. This was a feature of many debates that concerned gay marriage. It boiled down to being a question of ethics and a battle of ideals. Then in 2004, many voters approved a law that would once again ban Michigan gay marriage. This was not only to reiterate that gay marriage was not going to be accepted, but it also ensured that partners in same-sex relationships were not eligible for any sort of benefits. In 2004, Michigan also passed a law that denied same-sex couples any recognition even if they had had a civil union. Time and time again, Michigan lawmakers aimed to discriminate and ensure that gay couples, even in civil unions and domestic partnerships could not receive a single cent. In 2011, these decisions were eventually reversed and were called barbaric and discriminatory. It should be noted that many same-sex couples were still able to receive benefits based on Michigan’s lax benefits laws and the ability for benefits provider to overlook the fact that some couples were gay couples.

DeBoer v. Snyder: A Step In The Right Direction

In a lawsuit titled DeBoer v. Snyder, a lesbian couple had been attempting to adopt a child, but were barred from doing so because they were a gay couple. Later in 2012, the couple were asked to challenge the gay marriage ban in the state via their own lawsuit. It was believed that this would help them appeal to people in the state and validate their chances of being able to adopt. The Judge on the case believed that their being barred from adopting a child carried the main point of gay marriage being legalized. Two years later after a tough battle, the couple were granted their chances of adoption. This motion also extended to other gay couples. He claimed that denying rights to gay couples was unconstitutional. Naturally, this verdict was met with staunch opposition.

Benefits of Marriage For Gay Couples

After this decision by Judge Bernard Friedman, a few Michigan county clerks began to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples. Finally Eric Holder, the Attorney General ordered that same-sex marriage licenses be recognized by the state of Michigan and that they continue to be issued by the state. Finally on November 6th 2014, the Sixth Circuit Court ruled that they would continue to ban gay marriage. Many couples were married during this time and their licenses would be recognized. In one specific instance, several couples became married while one partner was on their deathbed, which lead to ‘widow marriages’. These marriages would offer the widowed spouse any benefits that would be laid out in their deceased partner’s will. But as soon as the circuit court continued to uphold their ban on gay marriage, many viewed marriage licenses as null and void. However a court later ruled that any marriages that were legally performed between gay couples would be lawfully recognized and the various widows from these marriages would receive benefits. This case was titled Caspar v. Snyder.

The Battle For Benefits

In 2011, a lawsuit titled Basset V. Synder attempted to challenge a state law that would ban spousal benefits for domestic relationships. More often than not, many gay couples in the state had these simple benefits to hope for, but they were denied them. Finally in 2013, U.S District Judge David M. Lawson, filed injunction to stop the state from banning domestic relationship benefits. He intended to ensure that domestic partnerships would be guaranteed benefits and made the claim that the government can not and should not interfere in handing out benefits to spouses in domestic relationships. This proved to be a victory for gay couples across the state, because it represented a shift in attitude. Lawson also determined that this ban was simply unconstitutional and argued that conservatives should consider their fiscal responsibilities should be withheld when it comes to safeguarding their own citizens and potential voters.

Michigan Gay Marriage Statistics

Overall, many Michigan voters believe that same-sex marriage should be legal. On average, approximately 49% of voters believe gay marriage should be legal. A recent poll by the Glengariff Group, took a poll of registered voters that determined that 56.2% of them supported same-sex marriage. This goes to show that people in Michigan do care and do support it, but it seems that lawmakers and politicians weren’t really listening. In a recent poll by Unity Michigan they determined that approximately 90% of voters had a friend or family who was homosexual and about 60% were close to this person. Many more voters, polled by Unity Michigan also supported an anti-discrimination bill that outlined whether a person should be denied a mortgage or a home, simply for being gay. Approximately 75% of voters agreed that this would be a denial of rights and would be unconstitutional. These questions posed by Unity Michigan were formed to create a sense of the practical purposes that gay marriage has. For example, one question outlined a homosexual dying spouse and whether or not the other spouse could visit them, and 85% of Michigan voters believed that it was their right to be able to visit someone dying. This goes to show that a majority of citizens in Michigan believe same sex marriage should be legal.

The Current and Future Status of Michigan Gay Marriage

Overall, it is clear that Michigan gay marriage has faced many, many hurtles. It is also striking how much this debate seems to be a debate of ideals rather than a debate that has any moral ground. Many of thee lawmakers that supported a ban on gay marriage seem to have come from places of ‘tradition’ or had a very religious background. This of course has all changed since the U.S. Supreme Court determined that banning gay marriage and denying rights to gay couples was unconstitutional. This means that all gay couples throughout Michigan can enjoy the exact same benefits as straight couples. Many refuse or simply do not understand that gay marriage isn’t simply about the union between two people, it also carries the weight of what partners receive in their relationship. More often than not, many who have supported gay marriage have argued that being married has benefits and rights: Gay couples deserve these rights. Overall, it is clear that Michigan gay marriage is here to stay. However, there are some hurdles that lawmakers and gay couples face and that has to do the language used in various laws throughout the state, that use the terms, husband, wife and so on. These will prove to be problematic for many states and laws concerning gay marriage.

External Links With More Info About Michigan Gay Marriage

Here at Manplay.com we want to help you understand more about gay marriage in Michigan, but we also want to help you find out where in Michigan who can find friendly wedding vendors and where else you might be able to go for some more detailed information regarding Michigan gay marriage rights and laws:

1. Equality Michigan’s Information on Michigan Gay Marriage
2. Purple Union’s Lovely Info On Gay Friendly Wedding Vendors
3. Gay Friendly Places and Wedding Vendors Throughout Michigan
4. Small Towns in Michigan That Are Very Gay Friendly
5. Some Info On Gay Friendly Travel Agents