InfoGraphic: The United States of Marriage Equality

Gay marriage maps have been lighting up over the past few weeks.

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This is what marriage equality looks like now that Hawaii and New Jersey have become the most recent states to legalize gay marriage. The new additions make 16 same-sex marriage states, which, according to CNN, means that “more than 1 in 3 Americans live where same-sex marriage is legal. It’s a dramatic shift in a short period of time — one not seen on other social issues.”

The infographic from Freedom to Marry sadly shows Pennsylvania not only almost completely surrounded by winners, but on a bottom rung with states that have “neither relationship recognition nor a constitutional amendment.” The org also shares some enlightening statistics on our state and beyond:

According to The Williams Institute’s analysis of the 2010 U.S. Census, 22,336 same-sex couples are living in Pennsylvania, representing 4.5 same-sex couples per 1,000 households.

In Pennsylvania, 39 percent of the population say they believe marriage should be legal for same-sex couples, with 48 percent opposed. Last fall, the spread was 36-52.

Over 35 percent of the U.S. population lives in a state that either has the freedom to marry or honors out-of-state marriages of same-sex couples.

Over 41 percent of the U.S. population lives in a state with either marriage or a broad legal status such as civil union or domestic partnership.

Over 43 percent of the U.S. population lives in a state that provides some form of protections for gay couples.

Source: Freedom to Marry