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Minnesota Supreme Court Prohibits Same-Sex Marriage
The Baker v. Nelson decision in 1971 held that Minnesota Statutes prohibited marriages between same-sex partners. -
Minnesota Law: Marriage is "Between a Man and a Woman"
Passage of Laws of Minnesota amended Minnesota Statutes chapter 517.01, which included the phrase "Marriage, so far as its validity in law is concerned, is a civil contract." To the end of this sentence they added the words "between a man and a woman." -
DOMA Act Signed into Law
Twenty-five years after the Baker decision, the federal Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) was signed into law on September 21, 1996. -
Minnesota: Defense of Marriage Act Signed
In 1997, the Minnesota Legislature passed its own version of what has been referred to as the Defense of Marriage Act. The governor approved it on June 2, 1997. This act clarified that "lawful marriage may be contracted only between persons of the opposite sex" and went on to specifically prohibit "marriage between persons of the same sex" -
Benson v. Alverson Filed in Hennepin County District Court
Three same-sex couples from Minnesota, Douglas Benson, Duane Gajewski, Jessica Dykhuis, Lindzi Campbell, Thomas Trisko and John Rittman, filed a lawsuit, Benson v. Alverson, in Hennepin County District Court. They argued that Minnesota's ban on marriage between same-sex partners violates due process, equal protection, and freedom of association rights. -
Parts of DOMA Ruled Unconstitutional
On July 8, 2010, a U.S. District Court Judge in Boston, Massachusetts ruled in Gill v. Office of Personnel Management that portions of the federal DOMA were unconstitutional. -
DOJ Directed to Stop Defending DOMA
On February 23, 2011, the White House directed the U.S. Department of Justice to stop defending DOMA in court. -
Hennepin County Judge Dismisses Lawsuit
On March 7, 2011, Hennepin County District Judge Mary Dufresne rejected the couples' argument in Benson v. Alverson and dismissed the lawsuit. An agreement was reached years later, putting the case on hold in district court until the 2013 legislative session concluded. -
Bill to Amend MN Constitution Passes
SF 1308 was passed by the Minnesota Legislature in May 2011. The bill proposed an amendment to the Minnesota Constitution that states that marriage is the union of one man and one woman. Although the constitutional amendment legislation couldn't be vetoed, on May 25, 2011, Gov. Mark Dayton issued a "symbolic veto" of Laws of Minnesota 2011, Chapter 88 (SF 1308). The amendment was rejected by voters in the 2012 election. -
MN Appeals Court Affirms Defense of Marriage Act
The couples in the Benson v. Alverson lawsuit filed an appeal. On January 23, 2012, the Minnesota Court of Appeals affirmed that Minnesota's Defense of Marriage Act doesn't violate the Single Subject or Freedom of Conscience Clauses of the Minnesota Constitution. However, they sent the case back to the district court for a fuller review of the claims related to citizens' constitutional rights to due process, freedom of association, and equal protection. -
Gov. Mark Dayton Legalizes Gay Marriage
Gov. Mark Dayton signed a bill legalizing gay marriage in Minnesota, beginning Aug. 1. -
Same-Sex Couples Marry in Minnesota
Same-sex couples can legally marry for the first time in Minnesota.
