In the past, Michigan has operated under an amendment that was against same-sex marriage. In March 2014, the U.S. District Court for Michigan’s Eastern district ruled that the amendment was unconstitutional. Michigan gay marriage was permitted for 300 couples who were married the next day. The Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals stayed enforcement of the district court’s ruling on March 26th.
Judge Bernard Friedman of the district court was the one who ruled that the existing law in Michigan was unconstitutional. The case was DeBoer v. Snyder, which involved a homosexual couple who wanted to have a wedding and adopt their children as a married pair. The day after the ruling was given, various offices in Michigan began to supply marriage licenses to gay couples.
The amendment in question started as Michigan State Proposal 04-2, which prevented gay couples from acquiring legal recognition of any sort. Public higher education institutions were also forbidden from providing benefits those who were in domestic partnerships with employees of the same sex.
Many groups are working to make Michigan gay marriage legal for good. Four of the most notable include:
• Michigan for Marriage, which is a public education effort to raise awareness and support for the cause,
• ACLU of Michigan, a statewide, nonpartisan, nonprofit group focused on civil rights and personal freedom,
• Equality Michigan, an organization that aims to secure the rights and freedoms that prevent discrimination on the basis of sexual preference or gender identity, and
• Freedom to Marry, which is a nationwide movement in support of the legalization of marriage for same-sex couples.
According to the Michigan State University State of the State Survey, 56% of residents support Michigan gay marriage.
An analysis of the 2010 census by the Williams Institute showed that there were 14,598 gay couples in Michigan at the time. Same-sex couples make up .0038% of the population in the state.
