National Freedom to Marry Day in the USA Date in the current year: February 12, 2024

The holiday was founded and introduced by Lambda Legal in 1999. This law firm advocates rights of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender communities as well as people living with HIV/AIDS.

The most notable holiday was in 2004, when the City and County of San Francisco began issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples. These changes were made by the mayor Ganiv Newsom, who asked his clerk to change the forms and documents used to apply for and issue marriage licenses, that would provide same-sex marriage on a non-discriminatory basis.

The Supreme Court of the United States has recognized the rights of same-sex couples to marry on June 26, 2013. Today same-sex couples can marry in 33 states and in a few other jurisdictions and receive all the state-level benefits of their marriage. Some states offer civil unions, that grant all or a part of state-level rights and responsibilities.