"Right now, so few states provide for marriage for same-sex couples that there is a kind of marriage tourism that goes on, " Gates explains.
He spoke before the Commons approved same-sex marriage in England and Wales by voting for the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Bill, by a majority of 225.
In 2003 the Massachusetts Supreme Court ruled that a ban on same-sex marriage was unconstitutional and began performing marriage ceremonies for same-sex couples in May 2004.
Still, a tough battle lies ahead for those who would like to achieve marriage equality for same-sex couples.
An opinion poll released Wednesday by polling group Ifop and Le Monde newspaper found 65% of those surveyed support equal marriage rights for same-sex couples -- a clear majority of the population.
That is just an appetiser for the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Bill (see above).
On Saturday, French President Francois Hollande signed into law a bill allowing marriage and adoption for same-sex couples despite vocal opposition from many conservatives and the Catholic Church.
Mrs Miller told MPs she fully supported the institution of marriage and said extending marriage to same-sex couples would "make sure marriage is relevant for our century".
Plenty of gay people, Hamilton included, hope the Supreme Court, which is hearing two cases related to same-sex marriage next week, soon will expand rights for same-gender couples in this country.
What does the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Bill mean for the Church in Wales?
And President Obama says he supports civil unions and other benefits for same-sex couples but opposes marriage.
Today, however, he professes to be opposed to abortion and has spoken out strongly against same-sex marriage and civil unions for gay couples.
Obama's decision to openly endorse same-sex marriage won plaudits from campaigners worldwide who have been pushing for more liberal laws since the first same-sex couples walked down the aisle in the Netherlands in 2001.
In the lead-up to the 2012 election, Obama announced his support for gay marriage and Democrats backed the right of same-sex couples to wed in their party's official platform.
While marriage is hardly a panacea for economic health, allowing same-sex couples to marry at least gives them the same opportunities for building stable and economically secure families that so many other Americans have.
Another difference: the campaign for same-sex marriage has benefited greatly from personal testimony by gay couples, speaking out in legislative hearings and campaign videos.
During the 2008 presidential campaign, Clinton and rival Barack Obama both backed civil unions for gay couples, but not same-sex marriage.
The situation is this: the IRS, citing the federal Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) has refused to treat same sex married couples as being married for tax purposes, including the filing of joint income tax returns.
Windsor is about DOMA. DOMA, the Defense of Marriage Act holds that regardless of state law same-sex couples will not be treated as married for purposes of federal law.
The Church of England said it was committed to the "traditional understanding of the institution of marriage as being between one man and one woman", but added it supported civil partnerships for same-sex couples.
And it specifically refused to argue the constitutional right for same-sex couples to wed should be extended to the 41 states that currently define marriage as between one man and one woman.
In one case, several parties have challenged a federal law known as the Defense of Marriage Act (Doma), a measure that denies federal benefits available for straight couples to legally married same-sex couples.
The debate came just two days after President Bush announced his support for a constitutional amendment outlawing same-sex marriage, but leaving the door open for states to consider civil unions for gay and lesbian couples.
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Gov. Jon Corzine, a Democrat, has hailed the ruling for guaranteeing same-sex couples equal legal protections, but he has avoided using the term "marriage" instead, he's pushing for civil unions.
While the administration weighed in on the situation in California, it specifically refused to argue the constitutional right for same-sex couples to wed there should be extended to the 41 states that currently define marriage as between one man and one woman.
"We knew that marriage benefits heterosexual people in very significant ways, but we didn't know if that would be true for same-sex couples, " said Anderson, who is also director of the APA's Office on Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Concerns.
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