Vermont is fourth state to approve gay marriage: Also first to allow same-sex civil unions
Nine years after becoming the first state to allow same-sex civil unions, Vermont has become the first state to approve same-sex marriage without a court order.
The Vermont House on April 7 overrode an earlier veto by Governor Jim Douglas in a 100-49 vote, following a lopsided veto override by the state Senate. Vermont becomes the fourth state—and the second in a week—to allow gay marriage, joining Massachusetts, Connecticut and Iowa.