Final answer:
Vermont is recognized for producing granite, marble, and maple products, and was the first state to pass a law allowing civil unions for same-sex couples in 2000. Massachusetts was the first state to legalize gay marriage in 2004, which set a precedent that led to national marriage equality with the Obergefell v. Hodges Supreme Court decision in 2015.
Step-by-step explanation:
Vermont leads the nation in the production of granite, marble, and maple products. In addition to its geological and agricultural prominence, Vermont has been a pioneer in LGBTQ rights. In the year 2000, Vermont passed the nation's first civil unions law, which granted same-sex couples all the state's rights and benefits that married heterosexual couples receive. This groundbreaking legislation signified Vermont's progressive stance on LGBTQ rights.
Following Vermont's lead, Massachusetts became the first state to legalize gay marriage in 2004 after its Supreme Judicial Court ruled that prohibiting same-sex marriages was unconstitutional. As the movement for marriage equality grew, there was a notable backlash, with several other states legislating against same-sex marriage. However, the tide shifted again with the Supreme Court's landmark Obergefell v. Hodges decision in 2015 which declared that same-sex couples have the right to marry in all fifty states, enforcing marriage equality nationwide.