Nov. 18, 2003 – State Supreme Court Decision Makes Massachusetts First US State to Legalize Gay Marriage

The Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts in a 4-3 ruling held that “barring an individual from the protections, benefits, and obligations of civil marriage solely because that person would marry a person of the same sex violates the Massachusetts Constitution…

‘Marriage is a vital social institution,’ wrote Chief Justice Margaret H. Marshall for the majority Justices. ‘The exclusive commitment of two individuals to each other nurtures love and mutual support; it brings stability to our society.'”