http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/05/07/delaware-gay-marriage/2142703/

DOVER, Del. (AP) — By a slim margin, a divided Delaware state Senate voted Tuesday to make their state the 11th in the nation to allow same-sex marriage.

The Senate's 12-9 vote sends the bill to Democratic Gov. Jack Markell, who supports the measure and planned to sign it later in the day. It would go into effect July 1.

"I think this is the right thing for Delaware," the governor said after the vote, while posing for pictures with supporters outside his legislative office. "It took an incredible team effort."

Gay rights activists and their supporters in the chamber erupted in cheers and applause following the Senate vote.

Delaware's same-sex marriage bill was introduced in the Democrat-controlled legislature last month, barely a year after the state began recognizing same-sex civil unions. The bill won passage two weeks ago in the state House on a 23-18 vote.

While it doesn't give same-sex couples any more rights or benefits under Delaware law than those they have in civil unions, supporters argued same-sex couples deserve the dignity and respect of married couples. They also noted that if the U.S. Supreme Court strikes down the Defense of Marriage Act, which bars married gay couples from receiving federal benefits, civil unions would not provide protections or tax benefits under federal law to same-sex couples in Delaware.

Opponents, including scores of conservative religious leaders from across the state, argued same-sex marriage redefines and destroys a centuries-old institution that is a building block of society.

Under the bill, no new civil unions will be performed in Delaware after July 1, and existing civil unions will be converted to marriages over the next year. The legislation also states that same-sex unions established in other states will be treated the same as marriages under Delaware law.

The bill does not force clerics to perform same-sex marriages that conflict with their religious beliefs. But under an existing Delaware law banning discrimination based on sexual orientation, business owners who refuse to provide marriage-related services to same-sex couples for reasons of conscience could be subject to discrimination claims.

Delaware joins neighboring Maryland and the nearby District of Columbia as jurisdictions that have approved gay marriage. Last week, Rhode Island became the 10th state to allow gay and lesbian couples to wed, with independent Gov. Lincoln Chafee signing the bill an hour after its final passage.

Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Slowly but surely.

How long till half the nation recognizes same sex marriage you think?

Still not equality but a step closer to equality. And by 'not equality' I mean there's other minorities as well.

You can pass something as a law but I wonder how much will really change regarding gay marriage?

This is moving along nice and all... but i can't help but feel it'll eventually hit a very annoying roadblock.

Federal action is needed.

exactly!

Exactly, but every state that changes to the equal side helps the Supreme Court realize which way they have to go.  In just this year we have seen several countries (Including France) and several states move towards the equality side.  They could uphold the two previous courts ruling that Prop 8 is un- constitutional and it will nock out bans not only in California, but also, Alaska, Arizona, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada (which is already moving towards Marriage Equality - but will take a few years, Oregon and Washington State (which already has it.)  It's unlikely, but that would be a broad ruling.  More likely they will narrow their ruling towards California.

Also, they are about to rule on certain aspects of DOMA (Defense Discrimination of Marriage Act) which even Pres Clinton, who signed it, said it is un-constitutional, as it violates the Due Process Clause and other aspects of the US Constitution (I.e. states have to legally recognize the official documents of a another state.)  And a marriage license is an official document.

It’s similar to how a state will recognize a marriage license of another state, even if that marriage is not legal in the state (i.e. one spouse too young in that state, or many states do not allow first cousin’s to marry.)  So if you get married in one state you are still married when you go to another state, unless you are a same sex couple.

Anyway, nice to see so many positive responses, I hope to have another state to report soon.

It truly only matters to the couples that get married.  So they can enjoy a nice life together, visit each other in the hospital, give each other health insurance from work, those sorts of things.  If you aren’t gay, it doesn’t directly effect you.

The other thing it helps it do is ‘de mystify’ homosexuals.  They are just people, like anybody else, but instead of getting super power when they hit puberty like an Xman, they get a 'by the way you are gay card.'  Same Sex Marriage tends to improve society by strengthen those couples, reduce homophobic attacks, and more people can work for the common good, rather than abusing people through the false promise of ‘conversion therapy.’ 

Well, mix race marriage didn't become legal federally until 1967.  In the 1970's and 80's was a huge deal to have a black and white person date as characters in a show.  Local TV networks would refuse to air an episode. People in mixed race marriages would often get picked on, or worse.  And you would NEVER see a mix race couple on a dating show - even much before 2005.

Now it's no big deal at all to have a dating show where people mix races.  Watch a show like ‘Baggage’ and they mix races most every episode – with no crazy public outcry.

From the sound of it.  The Prop 8 arguements seemed to lean towards "Let's not rule at all."

Where they'll take a step back and say "oops we didn't have jurisdiction."

Doma case seemed pretty strong though.

Personally though i'd rather the supreme court judge based on the law...  which, agree or disagree with their opinions... they usually do get it right legally. 

Well, if you are right, and they do not rule, then Prop 8 is dead and illegal.  And happy same sex couples will start getting married in California again.  It's a rather nice ending. There are some 30,000 kids of same sex households in California who would like to have married parents.

That's the thing about the law.  Different people interpret it different.  And yes, they get it right sometimes, but sometimes they get it wrong, and when it's wrong, it can really do a whole bunch of damage.  I can't see how any sane person would thinking taking rights away from a protected minority would ever be allowed in the USA - which is exactly what Prop 8 does.

Personally, I think Scalia, with what he has already stated, must recuses himself.  But I don't think he has the integrity, fortitude or guts to do that.