Following the landmark decision by the U.S. Supreme Court that made same-sex marriage legal in all 50 states, South Dakota had a total of 40 gay couples apply to be married in the first month according to data provided by the state Department of Health.

While 40 seems like a rather large number, it pales in comparison to the number of gay couples that applied for marriage licenses in the neighboring state of Minnesota back in August of 2013 when same-sex marriage was legalized there. At that time, more than 1,600 licenses were issued.

Gay rights advocates acknowledge those kind of statics are reflective of the obstacles gay couples face in conservative states like South Dakota.

By comparison, in the state of Minnesota gay couples made up almost a third of all licenses issued in August of 2013, the first month same-sex marriage was legal in that state after it was passed by the Minnesota Legislature.

Gay couples in Minnesota, unlike those in South Dakota and other states had several months to decide whether to apply for a license before it became legal. After gay marriage was legalized in that state many couples from other states rushed to Minnesota to get married in 2013.

Gay couples living in South Dakota could be somewhat hesitant to get married right away according to Nancy Rosenbrahn, a Rapid City woman who became the public face of the fight against South Dakota's ban on same-sex marriages last year.

Rosenbrahn, who married her wife in Minneapolis last year, senses there might be a number of gay couples living here in South Dakota that need to feel secure in their jobs and in their housing before they decide to go into a public government office and ask to be married.

Half of the same-sex marriage licenses issued to gay couples in South Dakota have been in Pennington County. A total of five were issued in Minnehaha County. All other counties in the state issued three or fewer licenses since gay marriage became legal in the state.

According to the data, at least 49 counties in the state have not issued a marriage license to a gay couple.

Eleven of the same-sex couples consisted of two men and 29 were made up of two women.

Source: Aberdeen News

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