Same sex couples in Utah have long awaited equality on their wedding days. In fact, with the 1995 passage of the “Recognition of Marriage” bill, the state adopted the first law that deny recognition of gay marriages that took place in other states or countries. In 2004, Utah Constitutional Amendment 3 pushed marriage equality even further away by restricting civil unions and strictly stating that marriage can only occur between a man and a woman. Despite this history, the battle for Utah gay marriage finally concluded in October of 2014, when the Supreme court decided not to appeal the case and as a result, the ban on gay marriage was ruled unconstitutional.
In March 2013, three same sex couples filed a lawsuit against the state, demanding recognition of their unions. The Kitchen v. Herbert case has been an incredibly important source of change ever since. In December 2013, gay couples in Utah celebrated when courts ruled that the marriage ban was unconstitutional. For three weeks, couples flocked to receive their marriage licenses and in October in 2014, the ban was ruled unconstitutional.
In June 2014, the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in Kitchen v. Herbert and upheld that Utah gay marriage should move forward. As of September 2014, the ban has been lifted.
