Tag Archives: Politics

Today a federal appeals court panel struck down Virginia’s ban on same-sex marriage.  The decision is significant because it also means similar marriage bans in North Carolina, South Carolina and West Virginia (states also part of the 4th Circuit) are considered unconstitutional.

Today’s ruling also impacts NC, SC and W VA.

This marks the second time an appellate-level court has ruled on state marriage bans and it sets the stage for a showdown in the US Supreme Court to consider state-level laws.

More information here.

Today the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit affirmed the January 2014 decision from U.S. District Judge Kern in Bishop v. Smith that Oklahoma’s constitutional amendment that forbids same-sex marriages is unconstitutional.

The state of Oklahoma now has the right to appeal before the full bench of the Tenth Circuit or it can do as the State of Utah did for the Kitchen case few weeks ago and appeal directly to the U.S. Supreme Court.  Either way, an appeal of some sort is to be expected but this remains great news for marriage equality advocates. Oklahoma is one of America’s most conservative states and if marriage equality is legal here – it can and will be legal everywhere (and quickly too).

Read more about this here.

So who wants to get hitched in Key West?

Today Monroe County Circuit Judge Luis Garcia ruled against Florida’s constitutional amendment banning marriage equality. Garcia wrote in his ruling, “This court concludes that a citizen’s right to marry is a fundamental right to the individual.” The ruling was stayed until Tuesday, July 22, at which point same-sex couples in Monroe County can begin obtaining marriage licenses, unless a stay is requested by the state attorney general and granted by the state court of appeals or Florida State Supreme Court.

I think it is safe to assume some form of protest by those opposed to marriage equality is likely but this is a great first step.  Hopefully couples in Monroe County will not be blocked from seeking marriage licenses on Tuesday. More info here.

On Wednesday, a district court judge ruled against Colorado’s constitutional amendment banning marriage equality.

Just last week I mentioned six same sex couples had filed a federal lawsuit. I hadn’t expected that I’d be writing so soon that Colorado would become the 23rd state to have ruled in favor of marriage equality advocates in the past 12 months.

Yesterday was not a good day for those opposed to marriage equality.  A Federal judge in the red state of Kentucky struck down the state’s 2004 marriage ban – making this the 23rd pro-marriage ruling in the past year.  Read more here.

Additionally, six same-sex couples from Colorado filed a federal lawsuit challenging their state’s ban on the freedom to marry yesterday.  Based on the Kentucky ruling (not to mention the 22 other states that have ruled the same over the past 12 months) it would seem likely that the increasingly purple state of Colorado may be on it’s way to saying “I do” to marriage equality as well.

Yesterday, US District Court Judge Richard Young ruled against Indiana’s statute banning marriage equality, making Indiana the latest state to see their marriage ban struck down since the US Supreme Court ruled in its historic marriage ruling last June.

Judge Young wrote, “In time, Americans will look at the marriage of couples such as Plaintiffs, and refer to it simply as marriage – not same sex marriage.”

Congratulations Indiana – and welcome to the 21st century.

You can read more about this here.

Welcome to the 21st Century Wisconsin

Today U.S. District Judge Barbara Crabb ruled against Wisconsin’s constitutional amendment banning marriage equality, making Wisconsin the twelfth state to see such a ban struck down in federal court since the U.S. Supreme Court handed down its historic marriage rulings last June. Details here.

Happy Pride Indeed

The hangover from all the parties following Oregon’s ruling yesterday, legalizing marriage for same sex couples hasn’t even faded and another state has said Adios to marriage discrimination.

Today Pennsylvania became the 10th state where a federal judge has struck down a marriage ban since the historic US Supreme Court decision.  Welcome to the 21st Century Pennsylvania. Philadelphia, The City of Brotherly Love, just got a bit more lovely in my opinion.

These days it is almost a full time job keeping up with all the Marriage Equality wins.  Today Oregon became the 18th state (not counting Washington D.C.) to fully recognize marriage for same-sex couples.  The map of the USA now looks like a patchwork that must leave people from other countries scratching their head.  What I take away from this map (see below) is that full marriage equality in the US is not only an inevitability – but likely before the next Presidential election.

Judge Michael McShane, US District Court Judge, had this to say on today’s ruling. “Oregon recognizes a marriage of love with the same equal eye that it recognizes a marriage of convenience. It affords the same set of rights and privileges to Tristan and Isolde that it affords to a Hollywood celebrity waking up in Las Vegas with a blurry memory and a ringed finger. It does not, however, afford these very same rights to gay and lesbian couples who wish to marry within the confines of our geographic borders.”

Thanks to JMG for the great quote from Judge Michael McShane.