Jack Baker and Michael McConnell apply for marriage license in Minneapolis, 1970

On October 15, 1971, the Minnesota Supreme Court upheld the state’s prohibition of same-sex marriage. The case was brought by two men, Jack Baker and Michael McConnell, whose marriage application was denied a year and a half earlier in Minneapolis. In its decision, the state’s highest court ruled that marriage was “a union of man and woman, uniquely involving the procreation and rearing of children within a family.” Baker and McConnell appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court, but the justices declined to take up the case, essentially setting aside the question of the constitutionality of gay marriage for another time. That was four decades ago. The time has come…

This post was written by Dave Kenney and originally published on MN70s. Follow MN70s on Twitter: @mn70s.

If you blog and would like your work considered for Minnesota Blog Cabin, please submit our registration form.