Same-Sex Marriage Update

[TruTexan]

Federal judge voids Texas’ gay marriage ban, though he delays order from taking effect immediately..... click on the link for Dallas News Site:


Dallas News 2-26-14 Link


YAY! Another Strike Down of a gay marriage ban and hooooraaaah for Texas !

[tiaras-and-books]

This was posted to my college's GSA group today:

State senator proposes striking same-sex marriage ban in Alaska
lgbtqnation.com
JUNEAU, Alaska — The minority leader of the Alaska Senate on Monday proposed to strike the constitutional ban on same-sex...

[MsTinkerbelly]

June 1st is the official start of marriage equality in Illinois, but in a wonderful step forward, the state will begin issuing marriage licences immediately, saying there is no valid reason to wait.

Yayyyy Illinois

[~baby~doll~]

Texas AG Greg Abbott promises to fight same-sex marriage ruling

http://www.lgbtqnation.com/2014/02/t...rriage-ruling/

This is a fight he can't win.

[MsTinkerbelly]

Originally Posted by ~baby~doll~

Texas AG Greg Abbott promises to fight same-sex marriage ruling

http://www.lgbtqnation.com/2014/02/t...rriage-ruling/

This is a fight he can't win.

He's up for re-electon, so no suprise there.

[~baby~doll~]

U.S. Judge Orders Kentucky to Recognize Same-Sex Marriages

By REUTERS FEB. 27, 2014, 3:18 P.M. E.S.T.

http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2014/...xmarriage&_r=0

(Reuters) - A U.S. federal judge on Thursday ordered Kentucky to recognize the legal same-sex marriages of residents who wed outside the state, the office of the state attorney general said.

The decision is the latest in a string of rulings that expand gay rights following a U.S. Supreme Court decision last year that legally married same-sex couples nationwide are eligible for federal benefits, striking down a key part of the 1996 federal Defense of Marriage Act.

U.S. District Judge John G. Heyburn II's decision makes official a February 12 ruling where he said forbidding recognition of the marriages violated the constitutional rights of same-sex couples to equal protection under the law.

One more step toward equality in Marriage

[cricket26]

http://www.myfoxdfw.com/story/248449...riage-ban-lift

[~baby~doll~]

Religious freedom bills: The latest effort to counter advances in marriage equality
A state-by-state status report on current legislation

http://www.lgbtqnation.com/2014/02/r...iage-equality/

WASHINGTON – Religious freedom bills in more than a dozen state legislatures this year mark the latest effort by opponents of same-sex marriage to counter the growing public acceptance of marriage equality, and the momentum of federal court rulings striking down state gay marriage bans.

The bills would codify protections for individuals and businesses who assert their religious beliefs in refusing service to gays, same-sex couples, and others whose behaviors or beliefs conflict with their own.

The measures have gained national attention since the highly publicized criticism of Arizona’s SB 1062, the first this year to reach a governor’s desk. Many of the bills have only recently been defeated or withdrawn, as lawmakers scramble to avoid the national spotlight that befell Arizona.

Proponents say the bills are about protecting religious freedom, not sanctioning discrimination, and that criticism by gay rights activists is unfounded. Yet in state after state, bill sponsors cite primarily two cases as examples for the bills’ need: a case in New Mexico where a photographer was sued for refusing to photograph a same-sex couple’s commitment ceremony; and a case where an Oregon bakery was cited for discriminating against a lesbian couple for refusing to bake a cake for their wedding.

Follow the link for the rest of the article and the current litigation.