In Utah,
marriage is strictly defined as a union between one man and one woman. In fact,
the state does not recognize any legal rights regarding any same sex
relationships. In addition to the Defense of Marriage Act, Utah passed
constitutional amendments banning gay marriage. In many states, the
constitutionality of banning gay marriage is being challenged in the courts. 

Many claim that such a ban is a violation of an individual’s constitutional
rights. In Utah, gay marriage is explicitly forbidden by the law’s of the
state. By banning gay marriage, the state violates individual rights on several
fronts. First, the state is preventing  couples access to their right to
marry. In addition, the couples are not entitled to the rights and
responsibilities acquired through marriage. In Utah, gay couples cannot receive
any rights or responsibilities that relate to their relationship.

In Utah, marriage is currently viewed as a unique relationship between a man
and a woman.  However, in 2005, a bill was introduced that would have
allowed same sex couples to enter into a reciprocal benefits agreement in Utah.
Gay couples would have been able to enter into an agreement that would have
offered them some of the legal benefits of marriage. However, the bill was
defeated by the Senate. 

In Utah, marriage is currently only allowed for a
couple that consists of one man and one woman. In addition, same sex couples
have no access to any legal  recognition of their relationship. Because of
the lack of legal recognition, couples have no protection granted for the
rights that should be afforded to any couple in Utah. Gay rights advocates
state that the rights of marriage include things such as inheritance, shared
property, and the right to make health car decisions for partners. In Utah, gay
couples are unable to enjoy any of those rights.

In Utah, gay marriage is prohibited. In addition, there is no legal recognition
afforded to same sex relationships in any form. Same sex couples have no legal
recourse if a partner should die, or if the couple should separate. It can be
very difficult for a partner to prove ownership of property or assets, if there
is no written documentation. 

In addition, no written documentation pertaining
to their relationship will be legally  allowed and therefore, an
individual will have no proof of ownership. In Utah, marriage is the only
legally enforceable relationship contract.  In fact, in Utah, Marriage is
considered a sacrament of the church and the church does not condone same sex
relationships. The separation of church and state, is seriously lacking in the
marriage law’s of Utah.

In Vermont,
gay marriage is currently legal. In fact, Vermont was the first state to
legally recognize civil unions and they did so without a court ruling in 2000.
In Vermont, gay marriages and civil unions are both afforded the same rights as
marriage. In 1999, the state Supreme Court ruled that the right to marry, was an
entitlement offered to all individuals, regardless of gender. 

In Virginia,
marriage is strictly defined as a union between one man and one woman.There is
no legal recognition of gay marriage, civil unions or domestic partnerships in
Virginia. Marriage attorneys are set to challenge the constitutionality of the
the state’s legal definition of marriage in Virginia. 

Currently,
Washington state offers no legal recognition for gay marriage. The state
enacted the Defense of Marriage  in 1998 and the act was upheld by the
courts. In fact, the State’s Supreme Court decided that the state did indeed,
have the power to limit marriage to opposite sex couples. Yet, the language of
the law only forbid same sex marriage, not recognition of other same sex
relationships in Washington. 

West Virginia marriage laws only allow for one man and one woman to enter into marriage. In, West Virginia marriage was clearly defined with the enactment of the Defense of Marriage act. However, a bill that would have amended the constitution to ban same sex marriage, was voted down in 2009. In fact the amendment was reintroduced and voted down again. Yet, there are no laws preventing discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity.

In West Virginia, marriage laws are the only laws that currently apply to the LGBT community. They are prevented form getting married, but unable to legally protect themselves from discrimination. Perhaps, discrimination laws would be utilized to fight the ban on gay marriage and that is why there are none in place.

West Virginia law on marriage explicitly forbid the legal recognition of same sex marriage. However, the state's constitution is without an amendment that bans gay marriage. In fact, a proposed amendment that would ban gay marriage, was voted down twice. 

Law makers have claimed that there are much more pressing issues that should be dealt with before they decide on the legality of gay marriage in West Virginia. Marriage is already defined by the Defense of Marriage Act and lawmakers feel that it deserves no further protection.

Conversely, there are no legal protections against discrimination in the LGBT community. However, the state's laws regarding domestic violence, protect all couples, regardless of gender in West Virginia. Marriage laws however, do not allow for any legal recognition for same sex couples. In fact, same sex couples are not entitled to any of the rights, benefits or responsibilities afforded to married couples in West Virginia. 

Marriage is seen as a unique relationship, that is entitled to special rights and protections, that are not afforded to any other relationship, same sex or otherwise. However,many law makers in West Virginia, believe that banning gay marriage in the constitution, would be akin to making discrimination legal. Therefore, there does not seem to be a rush to ban gay marriage in West Virginia. 

Marriage should not be banned for the LGBT community because it is a form of discrimination by preventing equal access to the benefits of marriage. Perhaps, that is why the state offers no legal protection form discrimination in West Virginia. Marriage laws should be changed to offer some legal recognition for same sex couples, so that they can enjoy equal rights.

North Carolina’s gay marriage laws do not allow for same-sex marriage. North Carolina gay marriage law does not even recognize gay marriage. North Carolina gay marriage law does not recognize any type of same-sex union no matter what state it was legally performed in. 

The people of North Carolina have not been fighting hard enough to pass gay marriage laws, nor getting involved enough in the community to show they are serious about changing the gay marriage laws. DOMA is the legal term for the legislation that bans gay marriage in the state of North Carolina.

There are certain jurisdictions in North Carolina that allow for domestic partnerships such as Chapel Hill and Carrboro. These jurisdictions choose to allows domestic partnerships without any preference as to what the sex of the people joining together are. According to North Carolina gay marriage laws, those domestic partnerships are recognized in those two cities alone. 

North Carolina as a whole, will not recognize the partnership if it is a same-sex couple who got their license in one of those two cities. They would like to be looked at as a normal couple that enjoys the benefits of legally being together.

Gay marriage law in North Carolina shows that the state is unsympathetic to gay rights. They will not even recognize any type of same-sex union even if it was attained legally, in some cases in one of the state’s own cities!   Without any gay marriage law legislation in the works it is difficult to see the state changing it’s stance on the topic any time in the near future. 

Some states may not have the outcry from the volume of people necessary to make change on the subject. The current gay marriage law in North Carolina could very well be what the majority of the people living there want. While gay couples in North Carolina will have to either deal with the problem or leave, there most likely won’t be many gay couples thinking of North Carolina as an option for a future home.    

North Dakota gay marriage is banned. DOMA is the name of the law that prevents North Dakota gay couples from marrying or creating any type of civil union. Clearly North Dakota’s gay population is not treated well, especially compared to more liberal states in the country. 

In addition to DOMA, in 2004 a state constitutional amendment was passed that banned all gay marriages and unions in North Dakota. There is not much hope at all for North Dakota gay couples to live in the state as a union or marriage in the future, as the state will not recognize anything of the sort. North Dakota marriage laws give off an unwelcome feeling towards gays and even people who support gays.

In addition to North Carolina gay marriage laws, the state also discriminates against hopeful gay couples looking to become parents. The state and it’s adoption agencies are another group of people who use religion as an excuse for not allowing gay couples to raise a child. They are legally allowed to discriminate against gay couples. The North Dakota gay community is not a large or vocal one.

North Dakota marriage laws will not support same-sex couples and most likely the poor couples who would love nothing more than to change the North Carolina Marriage laws and show everyone that they are not out to hurt anyone’s way of life. North Dakota marriages will remain strictly between people of opposite sexes as there is no legislation allowing for change. 

With the support of the federal government North Dakota marriage laws are under no pressure to change. While some look at North Dakota as old fashioned it is the United States’ own federal government that can not even realize that there are more than enough people that support change and people’s right to love and marry who they want.  

Oklahoma gay marriage has been banned from the state. The citizens of Oklahoma believe they are protecting the integrity of Oklahoma marriage. The people there appear to be against gay marriage and gay civil-unions that they are trying to make the DOMA law a federal law. Some Oklahoma gays have fought against the Oklahoma law on marraige in court. They explain how they have been together for years and were even married in Canada. 

They just want to be treated like every other couple but there are too many people who do not think their relationship is worthy of an Oklahoma marriage. The couple does not want to leave Oklahoma because it has been their home for the last 12 years and they love almost everything about it, except one thing, they are not accepted as a couple. They need and rely on the state benefits just like straight couples, but do not get a chance to receive them because too many voters are out to get them for no reason aside from the fact that they do not support Oklahoma gays.

From an outsiders perspective, views on Oklahoma marriage regarding Oklahoma gays could be viewed as hate for all gay people. Even the federal government is in the cross hairs of anti-gay marriage advocates. A nation wide ban on gay marriage would devastate millions of Americans and it would be done for no good reason except discrimination.

Oklahoma marriage is not the only thing under fire. There is no chance for Oklahoma gay couples to adopt a child who needs a loving family because of the anti-gay parenting act. The anti-gay parenting act is another attack at those gays who are trying to build a family but there are too many people creating road blocks. If the whole country followed the ways of Oklahoma regarding gay Oklahoma marriage then the world would be moving back in time. 

If Oklahoma somehow got the federal government to pass the act banning gay unions and gay adoptions everywhere it would be like segregation and old Jim Crow laws coming back into everyday life. Gays and their supporters will have to do their best to make sure Oklahoma changed it's ways and and starts to become progressive.

Although almost half of Michigan’s
residents support the idea of allowing full marital rights and benefits for Michigan
gay, lesbian, and transgender couples, Michigan marriage unions between
same-sex relationships are still heavily banned within the state of Michigan.
Gay partnerships were dealt a very disappointing verdict in 2004, when nearly
60% of voters approved the Michigan State Proposal- 04-02, which legally
prohibits same-sex Michigan marriages and civil unions, as well as domestic
partnership benefits. 

Although the Michigan gay community and Michigan gay
marriage supporters are persistently lobbying for this ban to be lifted, or, at
least, for limited homosexual
partnership rights, the conservative politics of the state are awfully strong
in their belief that Michigan marriage unions are intended for heterosexual
couples only. It was only in 2003, after all, that the U.S. Supreme Court
struck down Michigan’s sodomy laws, which criminalized same-sex sexual acts in
general.

Progress towards equal rights is slow, but surely, on the
horizon. On June 13, 2009, during a gay and lesbian rights rally, Democrat Pam
Byrnes, Michigan’s House Speaker, said that she had brought forth certain
measures that would help in the eventual change of the current Michigan
marriage laws. “I think we definitely see a change in attitude and it’s
time to revisit this,” she said.

The “measures” Byrne was referring to was the following set of bills:

        
 A
repeal of of the Constitutional amendment, which will require a two-thirds vote
of both chambers of the legislature

        
 A
bill to legalize same-sex marriage in Michigan

        
A
bill to remove state law restrictions which prevent Michigan from recognizing
same-sex marriages performed in another state

Although the proposal does indeed show that there is some effort being made to
change the current Michigan marriage laws, a two-thirds majority in the
Republican-controlled Senate proves to be a very serious setback in bringing
these measures to voters.