Timeline
The rights of same-sex couples in Indiana has been through a number of twists and turns, progresses and fallbacks. This slightly modified and expanded timeline, from Hoosier Times, is provided as a guide through these changes.
1986: Indiana law restricts marriage to between a man and a woman.
1990: Baehr v. Miike - Three same-sex couples file a lawsuit against the state of Hawaii arguing that Hawaii's prohibition of same-sex marriage violates the state constitution. In her interview, Judi cites this as her reason for wanting to get married to Beverly.
May 5, 1993: Hawaii's highest court was the first ever to rule that excluding same-sex couples from marriage was discrimination. Evan Wolfson was one of the lawyers representing the three couples involved in this case. When the ruling came through, Evan stated to the press: "The earth just moved."
September 21, 1996: The Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), was signed into law by Bill Clinton. The law defined marriage as the union of one man and one woman, and allowed states to refuse to recognize same-sex marriages granted under the laws of other states
1997: A law is enacted that forbids the recognition of same-sex marriages established in jurisdictions outside Indiana.
2001: The first lawsuit is filed against the 1986 ban by Teresa Stephens and Ruth Morrison of Indianapolis; David Wene and David Squire of Indianapolis; and Charlotte Egler and Dawn Egler of Hendricks County. State courts refuse to overthrow Indiana’s law.
November 18, 2003: Goodridge v. Department of Public Health - the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court rules that the Massachusetts Constitution requires the state to legally recognize same-sex marriage. It is the first state to do so.
Nov. 26, 2012: Indiana Equality Action publishes a research study called “More Than Just a Couple: 614 Reasons Why Marriage Equality Matters in Indiana.” The study detailed the rights and responsibilities of civil marriage found in 614 laws in the Indiana Code, and some predicted it would open the door to more legal challenges to the state’s same-sex marriage ban.
June 26, 2013: The U.S. Supreme Court rules the federal Defense of Marriage Act is unconstitutional. This affected couples like Talya and Marie, allowing them to get marriage Green Cards, where before they weren't able to.
Dec. 23, 2013: The Indiana Court of Appeals rules Indiana’s law banning same-sex marriage cannot be used to invalidate a marriage if one spouse later changes his or her gender identity.
March 7, 2014: Love v. Pence is one of five suits filed against Indiana’s marriage laws. The others were: Baskin v. Bogan, Fujii v. Pence, Bowling v. Pence and Lee v. Pence. Three, Baskin, Fujii and Lee, later were combined into one case.
June 25, 2014: Federal Judge Richard L. Young strikes down Indiana’s statutory ban on gay marriage.
Midday June 25 - Midday June 27, 2014: Same-sex marriage is legal in Indiana. Some couples, like Melinda and Carol, took this opportunity to get married.
June 27, 2014: U.S. 7th Circuit Court of Appeals halts same-sex marriages in Indiana pending appeal of the district court’s ruling.
July 1, 2014: A motion is filed to protect Indiana’s first gay marriage. Lawyers from Lambda Legal asked the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Chicago for the continued recognition of the marriage between Amy Sandler and Niki Quasney, who is fighting advanced ovarian cancer.
July 2, 2014: The court orders recognition of the marriage of Amy Sandler and Niki Quasney in Indiana. No other marriages are recognized.
July 9, 2014: Gov. Mike Pence tells state agencies to ignore gay marriages, and Utah announces it will seek U.S. Supreme Court decision. The memo from Pence tells executive branch agencies to continue as though the June 25 court order had not been issued.
July 11, 2014: U.S. 7th Circuit Court of Appeals combines Indiana and Wisconsin cases, putting both cases on the fast track for a decision.
Aug. 19, 2014: Judge Young tells Indiana to honor out-of-state same-sex marriages, though the ruling will not take effect until the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals rules on Indiana’s marriage ban.
Aug. 26, 2014: U.S. 7th Circuit Court of Appeals hears oral arguments in Indiana and Wisconsin’s cases.
Sept. 4, 2014: U.S. 7th Circuit Court of Appeals strikes down gay marriage bans in Indiana and Wisconsin.
Sept. 9, 2014: Indiana Attorney General’s office appeals the 7th Circuit decision to the U.S. Supreme Court.
Sept. 10, 2014: A stay is requested in Indiana’s case.
Sept. 15, 2014: U.S. 7th Circuit grants stay.
Oct. 6, 2014: The U.S. Supreme Court rejects same-sex marriage cases. Five states, including Indiana, had requested that the Supreme Court hear their cases. The justices denied that request, letting the appellate decisions stand in those cases.
April 28, 2015: Obergefell v. Hodges is argued in front of the United States Supreme Court.
June 26, 2015: Obergefell v. Hodges - The Supreme Court of the United States ruled that the fundamental right to marry is guaranteed to same-sex couples by both the Due Process Clause and the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution. Some couples like Annie and Susan had waited until then to get married.