Vermont

Relationship Recognition Information

Statewide Relationship Recognition
no Licenses marriages for same-sex couples.
no Honors marriages of same-sex couples from other jurisdictions.
yes Relationship recognition for same-sex couples: Civil Unions.

  • 2000 Civil Unions — While not extending full equality through marriage, the civil union law in Vermont provides the full range of state law rights and responsibilities to same-sex couples. (Vermont also has a reciprocal beneficiary provision, which offers limited legal protections to those who register and includes blood relatives). Civil unions, among other things, offer protections in inheritance and property division, child custody and visitation, family leave, state tax benefits, medical decision-making and hospital visitation. Like hetrosexual couples who wish to marry, same-sex couples wishing to enter into a civil union must receive a license from a town clerk and have a solemnization ceremony, and civil union dissolution proceedings are handled like divorces in family court.
  • 1994 Vermont offers domestic partner benefits to employees, but not a registry. Benefits enstated in August.

Employment Information

Statewide Employment Protections
yes Private employment protections based on sexual orientation.
no Private employment protections based on gender identity.
yes Public (state) employment protections based on sexual orientation.
- Public (state) employment protections based on gender identity.

See 21 V.S.A. §495 (2005).

  • 2004 State Attorney General, William H. Sorrell, states that Vermont anti-discrimination law covers individuals discriminated against based on their gender identity.
  • 1992 Human Rights Law passed March 23, covers public employment, public accommodations, private employment, education, housing, credit, and union practices

Parenting Information

Statewide Parenting Laws
Who May Adopt Any person. 15A V.S.A. § 1-102(a)
Second Parent Adoptions Approved in Adoptions of B.L.V.B. and E.L.V.B., 628 A.2d 1271 (Vt. 1993), codified at 15A V.S.A. 1-102(b)(if family consists of parent and partner, and adoption is in child’s best interest, stepparent adoption may be allowed).
Notes Partners in civil union may adopt on the same terms as spouses.

Cases

Baker v. Vermont
(Amicus) Groundbreaking case seeking the right to marry for same-sex couples in Vermont

Miller-Jenkins v. Miller-Jenkins
Case seeking regular visitation rights for a lesbian mother and the daughter she and her former partner had while in a Vermont civil union

All Cases »

Documents Related to Vermont