Oklahoma Gay Marriage Ban Deemed Unconstitutional
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The problem arose from a state amendment made back in 2004 that defined marriage as between one man and one woman. After multiple gay couples sued, the U.S. Distric Judge, Terence Kern, decided to look into the matter. Kern spoke out and stated how the ban does not coincide with what the Constitution originally meant, meaning that all couples should legally be allowed to marry regardless of gender.
SEE ALSO: Utah And The Future Of Same-Sex Marriage
In the case, Kern referred to two previous Supreme Court decisions to help with their rulings. One such decision from 1996 ruled that Colorado could not pass laws that took away legal protection from homosexuals while the other ruled that the federal government needs to recognize any same-sex marriages so long as they are legal in the state they took place in.
Kern’s decision is staying pending appeal. Same-sex marriages will not be able to take place in Oklahoma for a while, as in the case with Utah, which took over 17 days.
Read the whole story here.
Read the original ruling from Terence Kern here.