Idaho couple hope to make history in challenge to state’s same-sex marriage ban

Since its now famous dual rulings on same-sex marriage –striking down both Prop. 8 and the Federal Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) – the United States Supreme Court has ushered in an era of challenges to same-sex marriage bans across the United States. No fewer than ten states have had their constitutional bans struck down…

Read More

Federal judge announces he will strike down Ohio ban on recognition of same-sex marriages

A federal judge announced he will strike down Ohio’s constitutional amendment banning the state from recognizing same-sex marriages performed in states where they are legal.  The case Henry V. Wymyslo, was brought by legally married same-sex couples living in Ohio who wish to be listed as married on their children’s’ birth certificates.j “For the second…

Read More

Federal judge orders Tennessee to recognize same-sex couples’ marriages

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…

Read More

Federal judge rules Oklahoma ban on marriage equality unconstitutional

Today U.S. District Judge Terence Kern ruled that Oklahoma’s ban on marriage equality is unconstitutional.  His ruling is stayed pending appeal, meaning marriages will not occur immediately in the state. Two plaintiff couples, Mary Bishop and Sharon Baldwin and Gay Phillips and Susan Barton, filed their case, Bishop v. Oklahoma, in the U.S. District Court for…

Read More

Same-sex couples break marriage records in Utah; state to appeal ruling to U.S. Supreme Court

The number of marriages in the state of Utah have broken all records since a federal judge overturned Utah’s ban on same-sex marriage a week ago. According to a report in  The Salt Lake Tribune, as of close of business Thursday, more than 1,225 marriage licenses had been issued in Utah since last Friday and…

Read More

US district judge rules Utah ban on marriage equality unconstitutional

Today, Utah U.S. District Judge Robert Shelby ruled that the state’s ban on marriage equality is unconstitutional. In a 53-page decision, the court found that Utah’s marriage ban denies loving, committed lesbian and gay couples their “fundamental right to marry,” and that the ban lacks any “rational basis.” “This has been a banner year for marriage…

Read More

U.S Senate confirms first openly gay judge on a circuit court

Today, in an historic and unanimous vote, the U.S. Senate confirmed Todd Michael Hughes to the U.S Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, making him the most senior openly gay judge in the U.S. Hughes is the deputy director of the Department of Justice’s commercial litigation branch for the civil division. He received his A.B. from…

Read More