I don't usually like to publish two diaries in one day, but there is yet another marriage equality ruling that needs to be put out there. A federal judge in Utah has ruled that the state must recognize same-sex marriages that were performed during the window and prior to the SCOTUS issuing the stay of Judge Shelby's injunction. Some of those couples have had a rough time of it since then (especially those involved in adoption proceedings). I wrote about that here.
Judge Dale A. Kimball stayed his injunction for 21 days to give the state time to respond.
From the ACLU:
A federal judge ordered the state today to recognize the marriages of same-sex couples who were legally married in Utah after a federal court struck down a state ban, but before the U.S. Supreme Court temporarily halted additional marriages from taking place. Over 1,000 same-sex couples married in Utah during that time period. The couples are represented by American Civil Liberties Union, the ACLU of Utah, and Strindberg & Scholnick, LLC, who sought the preliminary injunction for the marriages to be recognized while their lawsuit continues.
“Our clients, like over 1,000 other same-sex couples, were legally married and those marriages cannot now be taken away from them,” said John Mejia, legal director of the ACLU of Utah. “While we await a permanent decision, we are relieved that our clients will receive the full recognition they deserve as lawfully married couples.”
Today’s preliminary injunction is not a permanent order, but it reflects the court’s determination that the plaintiffs’ are likely to prevail on their legal claims and would suffer irreparable harm if their marriages were stripped of recognition. Today’s order was given a 21-day stay to allow the state to respond.
via
Equality On Trial