Gay rights in America: How states stand on gay marriage and 6 other issues

The tapestry of federal and state laws surrounding gay rights is enormously intricate. Here is a look at each state's laws on issues ranging from gay marriage to hate crimes to discrimination.

- Andrew Mach, Contributor

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National Organization for Marriage President Brian Brown stands in front of projected election results in Raleigh, N.C., for the passage of a North Carolina constitutional amendment defining marriage as solely between a man and a woman. (Gerry Broome/AP/File)

1. Marriage

• Federal: The federal government does not recognize same-sex marriage.

• States: Some states do recognize marriage or have laws or constitutional amendments that offer limited rights to same-sex couples. The majority of US states have instead legally defined marriage to be between a man and a woman or amended the state constitution to ban same-sex marriage.

Full rights (9)
Marriage licenses issued to same-sex couples in these states carry identical benefits and rights of heterosexual married couples:
-Connecticut
-District of Columbia
-Iowa
-Massachusetts
-Maryland*
-New Hampshire
-New York
-Vermont
-Washington*

*Maryland will allow same-sex marriage beginning January 2013; Washington in June 2012.

Some rights (10)
Civil unions provide gay couples with the legal standing of marriage, and states that allow them extend to same-sex couples the same rights, protections, responsibilities, and benefits that the states give to heterosexual married couples. Many gay-rights activists argue the status of civil unions nonetheless causes the public to perceive them as something less than marriage. Supporters defend them as the most realistic goal in states resistant to gay marriage.
-Delaware*
-Hawaii*
-Illinois*
-New Jersey
-Rhode Island

*These states ban same-sex marriage.

Domestic partnerships, while similar to marriage, do not necessarily grant the 1,138 rights afforded to married couples in the US by the federal government, as tallied by the United States Government Accountability Office. Furthermore, domestic partnerships are determined by each state or local jurisdiction, so there is no nationwide consistency on the rights, responsibilities, and benefits afforded to domestic partners. Domestic partnerships issued to same-sex couples in these states carry some or nearly all of the spousal rights granted by the state.
-California*
-Maine*
-Nevada*
-Oregon*
-Wisconsin*

*These states ban same-sex marriage.

No rights (32)
Prohibit marriage, civil unions, and domestic partnerships, or have no or unclear laws on same-sex marriage:
-Alabama
-Alaska
-Arizona
-Arkansas
-Colorado
-Florida
-Georgia
-Idaho
-Indiana
-Kansas
-Kentucky
-Louisiana
-Michigan
-Minnesota
-Mississippi
-Missouri
-Montana
-Nebraska
-New Mexico
-North Carolina
-North Dakota
-Ohio
-Oklahoma
-Pennsylvania
-South Carolina
-South Dakota
-Tennessee
-Texas
-Utah
-Virginia
-West Virginia
-Wyoming