Massachusetts is the only state that recognizes same-sex marriage, but yesterday's ruling puts California on a path to become the second.
Four states – Vermont, New Jersey, Connecticut and New Hampshire – have civil unions. California, Hawaii, Maine, Oregon and Washington, as well as the District of Columbia, have domestic partnership or reciprocal benefits laws that provide some marriagelike rights to same-sex couples.
Voters in 26 states have approved state constitutional amendments that ban same-sex marriage. In addition to the effort in California, a proposed state constitutional amendment to ban such unions will be on the November ballot in Florida and could appear in Arizona as well.
