New Mexico becomes 17th state to legalize same-sex marriage

Another victory has been won by LGBT rights activists.

On December 19, New Mexico became the 17th American state to legalize same-sex marriage.

The state Supreme Court ruled that it is unconstitutional to deny gay and lesbian couples a marriage license.

New Mexico joins a growing list that includes Washington, D.C. and 16 states that recognize gay unions: California, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Washington.

The struggle, however, continues on elsewhere in the nation: 29 U.S. states have amended their constitutions to ban same-sex marriage.

Canada became the first country outside of Europe to legalize same-sex marriage in 2005.