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Same-Sex | Gay Marriage in the United States

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Sep 30, 2016:

In a unanimous 9-0 decision, Alabama's Court of the Judiciary ruled that Roy Moore violated judicial ethics by ordering state of Alabama probate judges to not issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples, suspending him for the remainder of his six-year term as Alabama's Supreme Court Chief Justice. The Court also ordered that Moore not be paid for the remainder of his term.

Ala. Chief Justice Roy Moore Suspended For Rest Of Term Over Gay Marriage Stance | NPR

Alabama chief justice suspended over gay marriage opposition | The Hill

Jan 6, 2016:

Alabama's Supreme Court Chief Justice Roy Moore ordered state of Alabama probate judges to not issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples, an order that goes against the U.S. Supreme Court ruling on June 26, 2015 guaranteeing the right to same-sex marriage. Moore said that until the Alabama Supreme Court determines the effect on the state of the U.S. Supreme Court's national ruling, Alabama judges are bound by the Alabama Supreme Court's decision in March of 2015 to halt same-sex marriage.

Alabama chief justice orders halt to same-sex marriage licenses | Reuters

Sep 14, 2015:

Kim Davis made a statement saying she wants her name and title removed from marriage licenses, and that she wants the licenses to indicate they are being issued under federal authority (a court order).

Kentucky Clerk Kim Davis Says Marriage Licenses Being Issued Without Her Authority | ABC News

Sep 10, 2015:

NPR's The Diane Rehm Show aired a one-hour program entitled "A Defiant Kentucky County Clerk And The Cultural Divide Over Same-Sex Marriage".

Guest host Susan Page's guests were:

  • Evan Wolfson, founder and president of Freedom to Marry
  • Perry Bacon, senior political reporter for NBC News and former national political reporter for Time and The Washington Post
  • Brian Brown, president and CEO of the National Waste and Recycling Association

Sep 8, 2015:

Satisfied that others in her office were issuing marriage licenses to gay couples, Judge Bunning lifted the contempt of court order on Kim Davis and she was released from jail. The judge told Davis not to interfere any further.

Kentucky Clerk Who Fought Gay Marriage Is Released From Jail | ABC News

Sep 3, 2015:

Judge David L. Bunning of the United States District Court for Eastern Kentucky ordered Kim Davis jailed for contempt of court.

Kim Davis Jailed for Contempt in Kentucky Gay Marriage Dispute | The New York Times

Sep 1, 2015:

Despite yesterday's U.S. Supreme Court decision, Kim Davis is still refusing to issue marriage licenses to gay couples.

Kentucky Clerk Denies Same-Sex Marriage Licenses, Defying Court | The New York Times

Aug 31, 2015:

The U.S. Supreme Court rejected another stay requested by Kim Davis which means she has no legal grounds to refuse marriage licenses to gay couples.

Supreme Court Rules Against Kentucky Judge in Gay Marriage Case | NBC News

Aug 27, 2015:

Yesterday, The U.S. 6th Circuit Court of Appeals denied the appeal for a stay. Today, Rowan County Clerk Kim Davis is still refusing to issue marriage licenses to gay couples. Mat Staver, an attorney for Davis, said he might appeal the ruling to the U.S. Supreme Court.

Ky. clerk's office continues to defy same-sex marriage order | CBS News

Aug 13, 2015:

In Morehead, Kentucky, Rowan County Clerk Kim Davis is refusing to issue marriage licenses to gay couples because it conflicts with her Christian faith.

Yesterday, Judge David L. Bunning of the United States District Court for Eastern Kentucky ordered Davis to resume issuing licenses, but lawyers for Davis appealed the order and asked for a stay.

Kentucky Clerk Defies Court on Marriage Licenses for Gay Couples | The New York Times

Jun 29, 2015:

NPR's The Diane Rehm Show aired a one-hour program entitled "Analysis Of The Supreme Court's Landmark Decision On Same-Sex Marriage".

Diane's guests were:

  • Norman Ornstein , resident scholar at the American Enterprise Institute and co-author of It's Even Worse Than It Looks: How the American Constitutional System Collided With the New Politics of Extremism
  • Stuart Taylor, author and journalist, nonresident senior fellow at The Brookings Institution, and co-author of Mismatch: How Affirmative Action Hurts Students It's Intended to Help, and Why Universities Won't Admit It
  • Nan Hunter, professor of law at the Georgetown University Law Center, distinguished scholar at the Williams Institute at UCLA, and contributor to The Nation magazine
  • Jeffrey Rosen, president and CEO of The National Constitution Center, professor at George Washington University Law School, legal affairs editor at The New Republic, and author of The Supreme Court: The Personalities and Rivalries that Defined America and co-editor of Constitution 3.0.

Jun 26, 2015

In the case of Obergefell v. Hodges, by a vote of 5-4 the U.S. Supreme Court decided that the U.S. Constitution guarantees the right to same-sex marriage. Judges Sotomayor, Kagan, Ginsburg, Breyer, and Kennedy, voted in favor, and judges Roberts, Scalia, Alito, and Thomas ruled against.

Read the 103-page Obergefell v. Hodges "Opinion of the Court" here.

Gay Marriage Supporters Win Supreme Court Victory | The New York Times

What the Same-Sex Marriage Decision Means for Couples' Rights and Benefits | The New York Times

President Obama made a formal statement about the ruling:

Our nation was founded on a bedrock principle that we are all created equal. The project of each generation is to bridge the meaning of those founding words with the realities of changing times -- a never-ending quest to ensure those words ring true for every single American.

This morning, the Supreme Court recognized that the Constitution guarantees marriage equality. In doing so, they've reaffirmed that all Americans are entitled to the equal protection of the law. That all people should be treated equally, regardless of who they are or who they love.

And this ruling is a victory for America. This decision affirms what millions of Americans already believe in their hearts: When all Americans are treated as equal we are all more free. My administration has been guided by that idea. It's why we stopped defending the so-called Defense of Marriage Act, and why we were pleased when the Court finally struck down a central provision of that discriminatory law. It's why we ended "Don't Ask, Don't Tell""

But today should also give us hope that on the many issues with which we grapple, often painfully, real change is possible. Shifts in hearts and minds is possible.

Jim Obergefell, one of the plaintiffs in the case, wrote a response to today's Supreme Court decision which you can read here.

Many of the 2016 Republican presidential candidates made statements regarding today's Supreme Court decision which you can read here.

Texas Governor Greg Abbot weighed in on the Supreme Court decision in a statement entitled "Governor Abbott Statement On Supreme Court Ruling On Same-Sex Marriage".

Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker made a statement calling for a constitutional amendment to allow states to determine the legality of same-sex marriage.

Scott Walker calls for Constitutional amendment to let states define marriage | Politico

In a Fox News article entitled "Gay marriage: Why Supreme Court got it wrong" Pastor Robert Jeffress, an author, and radio and television host who hosts the program Pathway to Victory said:

One does not have to be a homophobe or bigot to believe that the Supreme Court made a tragic error today in creating out of thin air an imaginary right for gay marriage. Friday's landmark mistake will have legal, sociological, and spiritual consequences for years to come.

By enshrining gay marriage as a "civil right", the Court will be opening a floodgate of litigation against individuals and businesses that refuse to honor same-sex marriages because of religious convictions. After all, if gay marriage is a civil right, then anyone who opposes it is guilty of a civil rights violation.

Additionally, we can expect both civil and governmental actions against religious institutions that refuse to honor gay marriage as a civil right...It's going to be an issue not only for religious colleges but also for churches that refuse to honor same-sex marriage.

The reason for the drop in the heterosexual marriage rate is clear: if marriage can be redefined to include any and every relationship, then why bother to marry at all? Anytime you counterfeit something, you cheapen the value of the real thing, and gay marriage is "counterfeit marriage" (In fairness, heterosexuals have also been cheapening the value of marriage for years through adultery and divorce.)

Friday, the Supreme Court said in essence, "We know better than God how to define marriage."

Jesus taught that sex was a gift from God between one man and one woman in a marriage relationship. Any variation from that—premarital sex, adultery, polygamy, unbiblical divorce, or homosexuality—is a deviation from God's original plan for sex. Friday's Supreme Court decision represents a collective shaking of our fists in God's face saying , "We don't care what You say about life's most important relationship. We know best."

While Friday's decision by the Supreme Court is tragic, it is ultimately irrelevant. Regardless of what the Supreme Court justices declared Friday, the Judge of all of the universe has already issued His decision: marriage should be reserved for one man and one woman. And there is no appealing that verdict.

Apr 28, 2015

The U.S. Supreme Court began hearing the case of Obergefell v. Hodges where it will decide if the U.S. Constitution guarantees the rights of gay couples to marry, and whether legal gay marriages must be recognized by states where it is considered illegal.

Supreme Court hears arguments in historic gay-marriage case | The Washington Post

Gay Marriage Arguments Divide Supreme Court Justices | The New York Times

Feb 10, 2015

Most Alabama probate judges refused to issue gay marriage licenses.

Gay Marriage in Alabama Begins, but Only in Parts | The New York Times

A federal judge set a hearing for Thursday which may determine whether Alabama probate judges must comply with U.S. District Court Judge Callie V. S. Granade's decision and allow gay marriage licenses to be issued.

Federal Judge Sets Hearing in Alabama on Same-Sex Marriage | The New York Times

Feb 9, 2015

Chief Justice Roy S. Moore of the Alabama Supreme Court ordered that Alabama probate judges are not to issue marriage licenses to gay couples. Moore's order defies a ruling made last month by U.S. District Court Judge Callie V. S. Granade which stated that Alabama's gay marriage ban is unconstitutional - a ruling effective tomorrow.

Alabama Judge Defies Gay Marriage Law | The New York Times

Jan 16, 2015

The U.S. Supreme Court announced it will make a decision on states and same-sex marriage. The Court will decide if states must allow same-sex marriage, and whether same-sex marriages in one state must be recognized in another state. The Court will hear arguments in April and make a decision in June.

Supreme Court to decide if states can ban gay marriage | Reuters

Supreme Court to Decide Marriage Rights for Gay Couples Nationwide | The New York Times

Jan 5, 2015

In Miami-Dade county in Florida, Circuit Judge Pamela Zabel lifted the stay she had imposed in July, 2014 when she ruled a ban on gay marriage was unconstitutional. Judge Zabel issued the stay to give appeals courts time to "weigh in". By lifting the stay, same-sex couples can now legally marry in Miami-Dade county in Florida.

Tomorrow, the stay imposed by U.S. District Judge Robert L. Hinkle in August, 2014 expires, making same-sex marriage across the entire state of Florida legal.

Same-sex marriages begin in Miami-Dade County | Miami Herald

Judge Lifts Stay On Gay Marriage In Miami-Dade County | The Huffington Post

Dec 19, 2014

The U.S. Supreme Court denied the extension of a stay preventing the state of Florida from recognizing same-sex marriages. The extension was previously requested by Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi. This ruling means that same-sex marriage in Florida legally begins on January 6, 2015.

U.S. Supreme Court denies stay; same-sex marriage in Florida begins Jan. 6 | Miami Herald

Gay Marriage In Florida To Proceed After Supreme Court Refuses To Block | The Huffington Post

Nov 6, 2014

A U.S. Court of Appeals in Cincinnati, Ohio upheld same-sex marriage bans in four states, overturning previous rulings in Michigan, Ohio, Tennessee and Kentucky.

Appeals court upholds bans on same-sex marriage for first time | The Washington Post

Oct 6, 2014

The U.S. Supreme Court refused to hear cases from five states (Indiana, Oklahoma, Utah, Virginia and Wisconsin) that want to sustain their same-sex marriage bans.

High court refuses to rule -- and gives tacit victory -- on same-sex marriage | CNN

Aug 21, 2014

In Florida, U.S. District Judge Robert L. Hinkle ruled the existing Florida state ban on same-sex marriage is unconstitutional, staying his ruling to allow further appeals.

Federal judge: Florida gay-marriage ban unconstitutional | Miami Herald

Jun 26, 2013

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that in states where same-sex marriage is legal, gay couples must receive the same benefits as heterosexual couples.

Supreme Court strikes down key part of Defense of Marriage Act | The Washington Post

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