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10 Incredible Improvements For LGBT People Since Gay Marriages Began 10 Years Ago

10 Incredible Improvements For LGBT People Since Gay Marriages Began 10 Years Ago
James Nichols
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Today marks the ten-year anniversary of the first gay marriages taking place in the United States, which occurred in Massachusetts on May 17, 2004.

Evan Wolfson, President of Freedom To Marry, reflects back on this decade-long journey to marriage equality in a statement sent to The Huffington Post:

What a difference a decade makes. May 17, 2004 was the first day that same-sex couples could get married in America, and they did -- surrounded by loved ones, friends, and neighbors. Waves of joy, tides of turbulence, and currents of change all flowed from that dam breaking, and as we did the work and brought Americans along on a journey toward support of the freedom to marry, our goal of winning marriage nationwide now shimmers on the horizon. The conversations we engaged in and the case we made in Massachusetts, we’re now making in the South, in the Mountain West, in the heartland, and all across America -- and the result is majorities for marriage in every region and super-majority support nationwide. As we build toward victory, we must keep making that same strong case for the freedom to marry in the court of public opinion that our advocates are making in the courts of law, and show the next waves of decision-makers -- elected officials, judges, and the justices of the Supreme Court -- that all of America is ready for the freedom to marry.

In honor of this big anniversary, check out 10 of the biggest improvements to life for the LGBT community since this historic day in Massachusetts.

10 Incredible Improvements For LGBT People Since The First State Legalized Gay Marriage
Massachusetts Becomes The First(01 of10)
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Massachusetts became the first state to welcome gay marriages in 2004. Since then, 17 states and Washington, DC have followed their lead and now allow same-sex couples to tie the knot. (credit:Darren McCollester via Getty Images)
Increase In Support Of Marriage Equality(02 of10)
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Only 37 percent of Americans supported marriage equality for same-sex couples in in 2003. Now, in 2014, 59 percent of individuals support this right. (credit:Jose Luis Pelaez Inc via Getty Images)
DOMA(03 of10)
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The Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) passed in 1996, barring same-sex couples from marrying at the federal level. The Supreme Court struck down the core of this legislation in 2013, ensuring 1,100+ federal protections for gay couples. (credit:AP)
Protections For Transgender Minors(04 of10)
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The American Psychiatric Association announced in December 2012 that identifying as transgender is no longer considered a disorder, 38 years after removing same-sex attraction from its list of disorders. (credit:Alistair Berg via Getty Images)
Obama Supports Marriage Equality(05 of10)
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President Barack Obama made history in 2012 when he came out in support of marriage equality for same-sex couples. The decision made him the first American sitting president in history to make such a move. (credit:John Churchman via Getty Images)
LGBT Allies In Hollywood(06 of10)
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Over the past ten years we've seen an explosion of support for the LGBT community in Hollywood, from LGBT celebrities themselves like Lady Gaga and Ellen DeGeneres, to non-queer allies like Brad Pitt and Anne Hathaway. (credit:Mark Sullivan via Getty Images)
Serve Openly In The Military(07 of10)
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President Barack Obama signed the repeal of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" in September 2011, reversing President Bill Clinton's 1993 legislation that barred lesbians and gays from serving openly in the military. Transgender individuals, however, are still not allowed to openly reveal their gender identity while serving. (credit:Jose Fernando Ogura/Curitiba/Brazil via Getty Images)
Opposition: No Longer Relevant(08 of10)
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Anti-gay organizations such as the National Organization for Marriage and Family Research Council are becoming increasingly silent and slowly losing funding. The Catholic Church has also begun to show a shifting away from anti-gay attacks, particularly with Pope Francis' iconic "Who am I to judge?" proclamation. (credit:Franco Origlia via Getty Images)
Hospital Visitation Rights(09 of10)
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In 2010, President Obama ordered that hospitals receiving Medicare and Medicaid payments must grant patients the right to designate whom can visit and consult with them, enabling hospital visitation rights for same-sex couples. (credit:Sebastian Rose via Getty Images)
Marriage Equality Court Cases(10 of10)
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Couples fighting for the right to marry are continuing to legally challenge their right to marry at the state level. There are currently more than 70 active cases in approximately 30 states. (credit:YOSHIKAZU TSUNO via Getty Images)

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