With Delaware legalizing gay marriage yesterday, the total number of states to now legally recognize such unions is eleven, nearly doubling the number of states in which same-sex marriage was legal last year.
Delaware joined its neighbor Maryland and nearby District of Columbia as jurisdictions that have recently approved same-sex marriage. Last week, Rhode Island became the 10th state to allow gay and lesbian couples to wed. Independent Governor Lincoln Chafee signed the bill within an hour after the bill passed, as a chorus sang "Chapel of Love" and crowds cheered.
To date, 37 states ban same-sex marriage through constitutional amendments or legislative initiatives, while New Jersey and New Mexico neither ban nor permit same-sex marriage. ...