Massachusetts First In U.S. To Pass This Controversial Law

Pope Francis made headlines on Monday when he approved Catholic blessings for same sex couples, but not going as far as to "endorse" same sex marriage.

Pope Francis has granted his formal approval allowing Catholic priests to bless same-sex couples so long as they do not appear to endorse their marriage, marking the church's most permissive decree yet on the issue of same-sex couples. -npr.org

This is another step in the right direction for LGBTQ people of faith as Francis has made this one of the focuses of his papacy.

20 Years Ago Massachusetts Made History With This Controversial Law

In a landmark decision the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court ruled on November 18, 2003, that gay and lesbian couples could no longer be excluded from obtaining civil marriages in Massachusetts. -socialworkers.org

Then Governor Mitt Romney (R) challenged the ruling prompting an additional six month wait before gay couples could actually wed.

The fight for equal rights for LGBTQ people, as well as the argument concerning the sanctity of marriage versus the governmental benefits of marriages has been long debated between Democrats and Republicans.

Long time Democrats such as Hilary Clinton and Barack Obama were anti gay marriage at one time, but eventually changed their tune showing how people learn and adjust political ideology.

But like Obama, such expressions of support mark a remarkable shift for Clinton, who opposed gay marriage for more than two decades as a first lady, a U.S. senator and a presidential candidate. -apnews.com

Same sex marriage became legal in all 50 United States in 2015, with Massachusetts leading the way in 2003.