Jun 26, 2025 - News
A decade of marriage equality
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Arizona is one of more than two dozen states with laws that could restrict marriage equality if the U.S. Supreme Court overturned its 2015 ruling that legalized same-sex marriage.
Why it matters: A decade after Obergefell vs. Hodges, marriage equality faces renewed political threats.
Flashback: In 2006, Arizona became the first state to defeat a same-sex marriage ban, which would have blocked public benefits for unmarried couples — both gay and straight.
- Yes, but: Two years later, voters approved a constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage. Arizona also has a 1996 law prohibiting it.
By the numbers: 32 states have constitutional or legislative bans on marriage equality — unenforceable because of the 2015 Supreme Court decision.
- This means roughly 60% of LGBTQ+ adults live in states where access to marriage equality would change if Obergefell were struck down, according to the Movement Advancement Project.