15 Advancements LGBT Community Will Be Celebrating During SF Pride
SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) - Some times it's hard to wrap you head around just how far public support for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender rights has come since California narrowly passed the Proposition 8 same-sex marriage ban in 2008. So let's try to recap just the last year. The U.S. Map is now only dotted with states where same-sex marriage is still illegal, and a ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court this week could very well make marriage equality the law of the land.
This LA Times interactive map shows that the map looked a lot different just one year ago. So what has happened since the last time Pride participants took to the streets to demand equal rights (and party)? Here's a recap:
July 7th, 2014 - Governor Jerry Brown announces phrase "between a man and a woman" to be dropped from California marriage licenses.
July 18th, 2014 - Same-sex marriage becomes legal in Virginia and Oklahoma.
September 26th, 2014 - Governor Brown makes transgender an official gender identity on California death certificates.
October 2014 - Over a 16 day span, same-sex marriage becomes legal in 10 states : Utah, Wisconsin, West Virginia, Indiana, Nevada, North Carolina, Idaho, Alaska, Arizona and Wyoming The change is based largely on the U.S. Supreme Court's refusal to hear appeals in support of bans from seven states.
October 12th, 2014 - Catholic bishops signal increased acceptance of gay members at meeting in Vatican City.
November 2014 - Some Kansas counties allow same-sex weddings and court rulings strike down bans in South Carolina and Montana.
December, 23rd 2014 - FDA calls for end to ban on blood donation by gay men.
January 12, 2015 - U.S. Supreme Court hears arguments challenging same-sex marriage bans in six states including Michigan and Ohio.
February 19th, 2015 - First legal same-sex marriage held in State of Texas.
March 2015 - Bill in U.S. and Canada make several forms of discrimination based on gender identity or sexual preference explicitly illegal.
April 7th, 2015 - Under pressure from business, Indiana backs off portions of "religious freedom law" seen as discriminatory toward LGBT community.
May 23rd, 2015 - Ireland voters amend constitution to legalize same-sex marriage.
June 4th, 2015 - Canada bans gay conversion therapy.
June 9th, 2014 - Guam becomes first U.S. territory to issue same-sex marriage licenses.
June 15th, 2015 - Mexico's Supreme Court finds same-sex marriage bans unconstitutional.
The list above includes just some of the movement in individual sates and countries toward marriage equality. Should the Supreme Court Justices rule against marriage bans later this week, we could see an even bigger party on the streets of San Francisco this weekend as the Pride Parade comes to town.