Today U.S. District Court Judge Aleta Trauger ordered Tennessee state officials to recognize the out-of-state marriages of three same-sex couples during consideration of their lawsuit challenging Tennessee’s constitutional amendment banning their recognition. Human Rights Campaign (HRC) President Chad Griffin issued the following statement:
“Yet another federal judge has recognized that bans on marriage equality don’t hold up to even basic constitutional scrutiny. Though today’s ruling comes from Tennessee, it joins others issued recently in Virginia, Kentucky, Texas, Ohio, Oklahoma and Utah, and in this case the judge boldly noted that it won’t be long before each and every remaining ban on marriage equality becomes a footnote in history. That day isn’t here yet, but today Tennessee brought us one step closer to that goal.”
Currently 29 states have constitutional amendments restricting marriage to one man and one woman. Same-sex couples can legally marry in 17 states and Washington, DC.
