Gay marriage now allowed in Colorado

Gay marriage now allowed in Colorado

FOUR states in the US experienced major developments in the nation’s marriage equality overnight, with Colorado dominating the headlines after its ban on same-sex marriage was struck down.

According to The Advocate, District Court Judge C. Scott Crabtree has struck down Colorado’s ban on same-sex marriage, making it the 24th consecutive ruling in favour of marriage equality in the US.

Crabtree ruled the 2006 voter-approved ban on gay marriage was a violation of both state and federal constitutions.

In his ruling, Crabtree said: “The Court holds that the Marriage Bans violate plaintiffs’ due process and equal protection guarantees under the Fourteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.”

However, the victory for marriage equality advocates may be short-lived, as Crabtree immediately put his ruling on hold pending appeal.

Nearby in Utah, Republican Governor Gary Herbert and Attorney General Sean Reyes have formally requested the U.S. Supreme Court to intervene in the state’s marriage equality debate, The Huffington Post has reported.

The June 25 ruling by the Appeals Court found that Utah’s ban on same-sex marriage violated the US Constitution.

Reyes released a statement indicating that in order to “obtain clarity and resolution” on the gay marriage in the state, he would “file a Petition for Writ of Certioari to the United States Supreme Court.”

Meanwhile, according to The Indianapolis Star, Indiana Republican Governor Mike Pence has instructed state agencies to not recognise any same-sex marriages that have taken place in the state.

A major setback for marriage equality advocates, the state will no longer recognise marriages that took place during a brief window of legal obscurity after the state’s ban on same-sex marriages was struck down on June 25 and before the issuance of marriage licences to LGBTI couples was stopped on June 27.

Over on the east coast, US Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito has rejected a petition from a Pennsylvania County clerk to stop same-sex marriages from taking place in the state, The Advocate reports.

Theresa Santai-Gaffney from Schuykill County had requested the Supreme Court of the US to intervene in the state’s marriage equality debate and overrule a district judge’s May 20 ruling that invalidated Pennsylvania’s gay marriage ban.

 

You May Also Like

One response to “Gay marriage now allowed in Colorado”

  1. Well done Colorado!

    Remember like with all court rulings in the United States or here even in Australia – they are subject to both ongoing appeals and stays!