New Mexico’s Supreme Court on Thursday ruled a ban on gay marriages unconstitutional, making the state the 17th to allow same-sex unions.
Ten others recognize unions and partnerships while 33 limit marriages to opposite-sex couples. Most of the state bans on same-sex marriage are embedded in state constitutions.
Counties in New Mexico had already been issuing marriage licenses to gay couples, The Post’s Aaron Blake writes. And New Mexico hadn’t explicitly banned or allowed same-sex marriages.
Public opinion on the issue has flipped over the past decade. In 2003, 55 percent opposed gay marriage while 37 percent supported it. Today, 58 percent support it while 36 percent oppose, according to data compiled by The Post’s Masuma Ahuja and Emily Chow.
Further reading:
* New Mexico Supreme Court legalizes gay marriage
* View an interactive map and data on public opinion.
Source: Washington Post, GovBeat, By Niraj Chokshi, Updated: December 19 at 2:33 pm