*Laws passed in NH for same-sex marriage (effective from 1 January 2010) and NV for domestic partnerships (effective from 1 October 2009) have not taken effect yet. ME will hold a ballot for same-sex marriage in November 2009.

Same-sex marriage Same-sex marriage legislation Timeline of same-sex marriage Civil union Domestic partnership Registered partnership Listings by country

Same-sex marriage is a term used to describe a legally or socially recognized marriage between two persons of the same biological sex or social gender. Other terms used to describe this type of recognition include gay marriage or gender-neutral marriage.

Same-sex marriage is a civil rights, political, social, and/or religious issue in many western nations. The conflict arises from the term "marriage" being used to include same-sex relationships as well as an often-overlapping government-endorsed civil status with legal benefits.

Support for same-sex marriage is often based upon what is regarded as a universal human rights issue, equality under the law, and the goal of normalizing LGBT relationships.

Opposition to same-sex marriage is often based upon the inclusion of same-sex couples in the word marriage. Other reasons may include direct and indirect social consequences of same-sex marriages, parenting concerns, religious grounds, tradition, and/or homophobia.