A lot happened in 2009 in gay couples law. Both on a state and national level, the year brought many changes, good and bad, for same sex relationships. Here’s Part 1 of my list of the top 10 stories from 2009. 

10. Obama Extends Some Health Care, Other Benefits to Domestic Partners of Federal Employees

Under fire for not doing anything for the gay voting bloc that supported his election, Obama finally made his first overture by extending some benefits to federal employees. Still, the move was mostly political and didn’t substantially affect federal employee rights. For that, stay tuned next year on the Domestic Partnership Benefits and Obligations Act, which just got voted out of committee in Congress. 

9. Congress Amends the Hate Crimes Act to Include Sexual Orientation as Protected Class

While not specifically affecting gay couples rights, the amendment nevertheless was the first federal law that granted, instead of took away, gay rights. The move showed that Congress might further expand gay rights and eventually repeal DOMA. 

8. Colorado and Nevada Pass Limited Domestic Partnership Laws

Nevada became the 17th to recognize domestic partnerships. While it’s not entirely everything-but-marriage, (the state doesn’t make employers provide benefits to the domestic partners of employees, for example), the law does give domestic partners most of the benefits of legal spouses in the state. The legislature had to override the governor’s veto to get the law through. Colorado, on the other hand, passed an even more limited law, granting gay couples some estate planning benefits. 

7. New York Senate Rejects Gay Marriage

Both the New York state assembly and the governor said gay couples should be able to get married. But in December the state senate said no. As New York has one of the highest gay populations in the country, gay marriage there would have been almost as important as marriage in California. 

6. D.C. Council Votes to Legalize Gay Marriages and Recognize Ones From Other States

Lots of people in D.C. are from somewhere else. That made the D.C. out-of-state gay marriage recognition law passed in May more important than those kind of laws usually are. But not content to let other jurisdictions have all the fun, the D.C. Council voted to legalize gay may marriages performed in the district too. We won’t see the outcome of this second law until next year after opponents of same sex marriage sue to block it.

Check back tomorrow for the top 5.