Hawaii Becomes 15th State to Legalize Gay Marriage
Video by Rex Lindeman
Hawaii - where one gay couple's marital license application sparked a national debate about gay marriage - is the latest state to allow same-sex couples to wed after Gov. Neil Abercrombie signed a bill into law Wednesday.
The expansion of marital rights for same-sex couples comes more than 20 years after two women applied for a marriage license.
After their license was denied, the matter was taken up by the courts.
In 1993, the State Supreme Court ruled that denying the rights of gay couples to marry was unconstitutional.
But the landmark ruling prompted federal lawmakers to pass the Defense of Marriage Act. The U.S. Supreme Court struck down parts of DOMA in a landmark ruling last June.
Gay couples residing in Hawaii and tourists visiting the state will be allowed to marry starting on Dec. 2.
Hawaii is the 15th state, along with the District of Columbia, to legalize same-sex marriages. Illinois is expected to become the 16th state to legalize same-sex marriages next week.
