Marriage is a fundamental social institution, deeply rooted in all societies, which has been tested and reaffirmed over thousands of years.

The Heritage Foundation is committed to defending, promoting and supporting the historical role of the family as the basic unit of every civil society, and marriage as the legal union of one man and one woman.


Marriage is a fundamental social institution, providing the foundation of a harmonious and enriching family life and the basic building block of our society. Regardless of religion, culture or constitutional tradition, societies have always agreed on the nature of marriage.

Marriage is being threatened in the courts through a series of decisions that seek to overthrow the customs, laws, and social norms of human experience.

Lawsuits are continuing to be filed in states across the nation by same-sex couples demanding full marital rights.

There will be serious legal consequences and threats to religious liberty if marriage is redefined by the courts. There could also be long-term social consequences. Data is available from European countries that have already experimented with same-sex unions.

A timeline of the Marriage Debate.

Many states across the nation are moving to either strengthen their existing statutory language that recognizes marriage between a man and a woman or to amend their constitution to preserve the traditional meaning of marriage.

	Click here for the current status of marriage in your state.

Click here for talking points and further resources about the same-sex marriage debate.