With North Dakota's lawsuit, every state's same-sex marriage ban is now contested

Every single state in the US now either allows same-sex marriages or is having its same-sex marriage ban challenged in court.

The latest challenge came Friday when seven same-sex couples filed a federal lawsuit against North Dakota's ban on same-sex marriages, The Associated Press reported.

With the challenges piling up, some LGBT advocates say full nationwide marriage equality could be just a year away. That optimism, of course, is a reflection of just how quickly LGBT rights have advanced in the past 10 years.

Further reading

• A complete victory for marriage equality could be a year away
• Courts won't block marriage equality in Oregon
• Same-sex marriages could make millions for Pennsylvania

We have a request

Vox's journalism is free because we believe that everyone deserves to understand the world that they live in. That kind of knowledge helps create better citizens, neighbors, friends, parents, consumers and stewards of this planet. In short, understanding benefits everyone. You can join in on this mission by making a financial gift to Vox today. Reader support helps keep our work free, for everyone. Will you join us?

One-Time Monthly Annual

$95/year

$120/year

$250/year

$350/year

Other

$

Yes, I'll give $120/year

Yes, I'll give $120/year

We accept credit card, Apple Pay, and Google Pay. You can also contribute via