Federal Chief Magistrate Judge Candy W. Dale has declared Idaho’s same-sex marriage ban unconstitutional and ordered the state to allow same-sex couples to marry and to recognize the marriages of couples who wed in other states.
From the 57-page decision:
“Idaho’s Marriage Laws withhold … a profound and personal choice, one that most can take for granted. By doing so, Idaho’s Marriage Laws deny same-sex couples the economic, practical, emotional, and spiritual benefits of marriage, relegating each couple to a stigmatized, second-class status. Plaintiffs suffer these injuries not because they are unqualified to marry, start a family, or grow old together, but because of who they are and whom they love.”
Idaho Governor “Butch” Otter is pledged to seek an immediate stay of the ruling.
Update:
“Idaho gay marriage supporters flock to Boise courthouse to celebrate progress,” AP via The Guardian
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Tags: Courts, family, gay marriage, GLBT, Idaho, LGBT, marriage, marriage equality, relationships, same-sex marriage, sexual minorities
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